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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
INSIDETHIS ISSUE
ADVICE FOR GRADS PAGE 1
DUI COMPENSATORY AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES
STRENGTHEN YOUR ENTIRE BODY! PAGE 2
UBER’S ROLE IN PREVENTING DUI ACCIDENTS
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH RAINBOW FRITTATA PAGE 3
HOW PIANISTS BROUGHT SILENT MOVIES TO LIFE PAGE 4
WHEN THEATERS PROVIDED THEIR OWN MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS
THANKS TO THE PIANISTS
Early feature films were in black and white, only available in theaters, and perhaps most significantly, silent. But movie theaters still needed sound to keep the audiences engaged. So, they enlisted piano players to accompany the films, conveying excitement, fear, sorrow, joy, tension, and danger through their music. It seems like a job any musician can do, but in truth, it was much more complicated than it sounds. Silent films usually didn’t arrive in theaters with sheet music attached, so theaters were on their own when it came to setting the mood. Since watching a movie in a hushed theater — or worse, one filled with chatter — wasn’t very enticing, they had to find their own ways of creating an immersive experience for patrons. As a result, your movie-viewing experience could vary greatly depending on which theater you visited. Pianists used different methods for creating their film scores, depending on their skill, time, and access to the films in advance. In small towns, only the church organist might be available — and they might choose to play assorted hymns over the entire movie, making for a less than enjoyable experience.
More accomplished pianists worked differently. Since they would often not have the opportunity to view an advanced screening, they would improvise, trying to predict where the film’s action was headed and adjusting their playing accordingly. When a film was popular, most players eventually developed a standard score. Eventually, some production companies shipped “mood cues” with their movies, which provided a breakdown of when to play melodies better suited to romance, action, or comedy. Believe it or not, the tradition still continues to this day. Some theaters show the occasional silent movie, and they turn to one of the 50 or fewer silent film accompanists still working in the U.S. for help. Since the films are often rare and otherwise unavailable, the pianist does not always have the time or opportunity to plan their music. So, like their predecessors, they play it by ear, using knowledge of specific actors, directors, and film conventions to guide them. Screenings are not particularly common, but if you ever have the opportunity to watch a silent film with live accompaniment, you’re in for a real treat. No matter how entertaining the movie is, watching the pianist may be half the show.
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