I was thinking about this yesterday! Our film club is covering David Lynch's Mulholland Drive this weekend, and I was thinking how cool it would be to hear Angelo Badalamenti's main theme played live during the movie. It's a wonderful orchestra piece, and when a good orchestra plays a good piece live, its audience gets the real deal in a way that simply is not otherwise possible...
That sounds like an incredible film club pick! Mulholland Drive is already such an atmospheric experience, and hearing Badalamenti’s theme performed live would take it to another level. There’s something about live orchestration—the way the sound fills a space, the little nuances in performance—that makes it feel almost alive. It’s exactly what the Music Defense League was fighting to preserve. Hope your film club has a great discussion—sounds like a perfect way to spend the weekend!
We've been taking in the National Symphony Orchestra concerts since we freed up time. The great revelation has been the conductors' (several in the last 3 years) choices for opening compositions. Some truly wonderful mid-20th century and early 21st century works that for my money blow away the old workhorses. And the orchestra seems more charged up playing them, which must support that impression. All I know for certain is the audiences respond in kind...
I often think how lucky we are to have “canned music” in our lives rather than relying on someone who can play an instrument and/or sing. And having that instrument (often a piano) around. But destruction is part of change. Thanks.
Your post stuck with me, and I'm left with a question. Do we know the size/economic effect of the present-day Hollywood-related music industry? I realize and appreciate the massive differences between a live orchestra in the theater and a film's soundtrack. But movies are still scored. Is the economic effect equivalent?
Perhaps the most disconcerting economic side effect is the number of local musicians left unable to work, with the industry then becoming harder to break into and more geographically centralized.
Great question—I wish I had a clear answer! The industry has definitely shifted, and while film scores are still a big business, the opportunities for local musicians seem far more limited. The centralization you mention feels like a major factor. Appreciate you sharing these thoughts—definitely something to keep thinking about!
Man does this analogy hit home. For anyone who foolishly uses Spotify (like my wife, despite all my pestering to stop using it.) keep your ears attuned for AI generated versions and remixes of popular songs that are flooding Spotify. Not only does Spotify abuse musicians by paying royalties of .00001¢ per play, they can now completely cut out paying those royalties thanks to the AI remixing.
Glad this one resonated with you! And yeah, the Spotify situation is a mess—first, they devalue musicians with microscopic royalties, and now AI-generated tracks are sneaking in to cut them out entirely. It’s like the worst-case scenario of “canned music” all over again.
I have to say, researching this piece really deepened my appreciation for how much live music shaped the film experience. Imagine if theaters in the 1930s had filled their pits with automated player pianos instead of firing up a full orchestra! We’re seeing a different version of that story play out now, just on streaming platforms instead of movie palaces.
Keep fighting the good fight (and maybe one day your wife will finally kick Spotify to the curb!). Appreciate you reading, as always!
A lot to unpack in an informative post with as always great visuals, especially the musicians pushing back. However art or an art form is monetized and controlled by monarchies, corporations, elites, or AI, those who make art will continue to make art for the pure joy in the process of doing so as Jim Bordner notes in his comment. For those interested in meditating on music and movies, highly recommend the 2021 documentary film, Ennio: The Maestro, directed by the Oscar-winning Italian film maker Giuseppe Tornatore who collaborated with composer Ennio Morricone. The film also includes a star-studded list of musicians and songwriters who worked with Morricone.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment—and the recommendation! Ennio: The Maestro sounds right up my alley, and I’ll definitely check it out.
While digging into this topic, I couldn’t stop imagining what it must have been like to sit in one of those grand theaters, watching the big screen while a 15-piece orchestra filled the room with live music (and sound effects) perfectly synced to the action. It must have been absolutely magical—so much more than just watching a movie.
I totally agree with your point about the joy of creating art. No matter how much it’s monetized, controlled, or even disrupted, there’s something timeless about that human need to make art for its own sake. Machines might imitate, but they can’t replace that spark.
Your point about consumption versus creation really resonates. It feels like we’ve been nudged into passivity by the convenience of ready-made everything, but the act of making—whether it’s music, art, or anything else—grounds us in something deeply human. It’s where the magic lives, and I don’t think that’s ever going away.
I was thinking about this yesterday! Our film club is covering David Lynch's Mulholland Drive this weekend, and I was thinking how cool it would be to hear Angelo Badalamenti's main theme played live during the movie. It's a wonderful orchestra piece, and when a good orchestra plays a good piece live, its audience gets the real deal in a way that simply is not otherwise possible...
That sounds like an incredible film club pick! Mulholland Drive is already such an atmospheric experience, and hearing Badalamenti’s theme performed live would take it to another level. There’s something about live orchestration—the way the sound fills a space, the little nuances in performance—that makes it feel almost alive. It’s exactly what the Music Defense League was fighting to preserve. Hope your film club has a great discussion—sounds like a perfect way to spend the weekend!
We've been taking in the National Symphony Orchestra concerts since we freed up time. The great revelation has been the conductors' (several in the last 3 years) choices for opening compositions. Some truly wonderful mid-20th century and early 21st century works that for my money blow away the old workhorses. And the orchestra seems more charged up playing them, which must support that impression. All I know for certain is the audiences respond in kind...
Now I know why I never liked Kenny G.
I often think how lucky we are to have “canned music” in our lives rather than relying on someone who can play an instrument and/or sing. And having that instrument (often a piano) around. But destruction is part of change. Thanks.
Your post stuck with me, and I'm left with a question. Do we know the size/economic effect of the present-day Hollywood-related music industry? I realize and appreciate the massive differences between a live orchestra in the theater and a film's soundtrack. But movies are still scored. Is the economic effect equivalent?
Perhaps the most disconcerting economic side effect is the number of local musicians left unable to work, with the industry then becoming harder to break into and more geographically centralized.
Great question—I wish I had a clear answer! The industry has definitely shifted, and while film scores are still a big business, the opportunities for local musicians seem far more limited. The centralization you mention feels like a major factor. Appreciate you sharing these thoughts—definitely something to keep thinking about!
Man does this analogy hit home. For anyone who foolishly uses Spotify (like my wife, despite all my pestering to stop using it.) keep your ears attuned for AI generated versions and remixes of popular songs that are flooding Spotify. Not only does Spotify abuse musicians by paying royalties of .00001¢ per play, they can now completely cut out paying those royalties thanks to the AI remixing.
Glad this one resonated with you! And yeah, the Spotify situation is a mess—first, they devalue musicians with microscopic royalties, and now AI-generated tracks are sneaking in to cut them out entirely. It’s like the worst-case scenario of “canned music” all over again.
I have to say, researching this piece really deepened my appreciation for how much live music shaped the film experience. Imagine if theaters in the 1930s had filled their pits with automated player pianos instead of firing up a full orchestra! We’re seeing a different version of that story play out now, just on streaming platforms instead of movie palaces.
Keep fighting the good fight (and maybe one day your wife will finally kick Spotify to the curb!). Appreciate you reading, as always!
awesome post, and very timely now. check out this one I wrote about horses
https://riclexel.substack.com/p/no-more-automation?r=bcx26
A lot to unpack in an informative post with as always great visuals, especially the musicians pushing back. However art or an art form is monetized and controlled by monarchies, corporations, elites, or AI, those who make art will continue to make art for the pure joy in the process of doing so as Jim Bordner notes in his comment. For those interested in meditating on music and movies, highly recommend the 2021 documentary film, Ennio: The Maestro, directed by the Oscar-winning Italian film maker Giuseppe Tornatore who collaborated with composer Ennio Morricone. The film also includes a star-studded list of musicians and songwriters who worked with Morricone.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment—and the recommendation! Ennio: The Maestro sounds right up my alley, and I’ll definitely check it out.
While digging into this topic, I couldn’t stop imagining what it must have been like to sit in one of those grand theaters, watching the big screen while a 15-piece orchestra filled the room with live music (and sound effects) perfectly synced to the action. It must have been absolutely magical—so much more than just watching a movie.
I totally agree with your point about the joy of creating art. No matter how much it’s monetized, controlled, or even disrupted, there’s something timeless about that human need to make art for its own sake. Machines might imitate, but they can’t replace that spark.
Your point about consumption versus creation really resonates. It feels like we’ve been nudged into passivity by the convenience of ready-made everything, but the act of making—whether it’s music, art, or anything else—grounds us in something deeply human. It’s where the magic lives, and I don’t think that’s ever going away.