Runaway Film Scoring Leaves Some Musicians Behind

They say that if you notice a film’s score, it’s not doing its job. Of course, anyone can hum the theme to “Jaws.” But for the most part, scores exist in the background, making the action seem more intense, the love scenes more romantic and the drama more dramatic. The composers and musicians who create those scores are even more behind the scenes. But they’ve been making more noise these days because their jobs are being shipped overseas. According to one report, recording session wages have dropped nearly 68% in the last 15 years. What does it mean for the future of the scoring business?

Credits

Guest:

  • Jon Burlingame - professor of film and TV scoring at USC’s Thornton School of Music.