Is Music Really "The Universal Language"?

 I   s it possible for someone with no training in music to recognize great musical compositions? What is music anyhow, but a way to make us feel something in an otherwise fairly dull world? We listen to the radio, the internet, go to concerts, and many of us say: I just couldn't live without music.

That being said, can just an ear alone tell the difference between what is considered by "experts" to be great and what is considered by those same "schooled" experts to be garbage?

Having been raised by two professional musicians, I was dragged to concert after concert, watching my father both play and conduct, all the time wondering What the hell are these people so excited about?

When I was eight years old, I used to go with my mother to the university at which she taught piano, at 5 a.m. on weekends (she said she could play better early in the morning), to turn pages for her as she belted out her latest rendition of Beethoven or whoever it was that happened to be taking a beating from her swift but skillful hands that day.

I had no idea what it what I was listening to and could not understand what all the fuss was about at the time, but it obviously made her happy.

Thankfully, my parents both loved movies and all us sons were pretty much raised in front of a big screen. I remember first feeling something―call it excitement, rhythm, an adrenaline rush or a hankering to throw more popcorn in my mouth―in 1978, during the opening to Superman and John Williams' score (now called The Planet Krypton).

As a few years went by and we continued to go to the movies, VCRs became popular and watching videos over and over again became a tradition on our Sanyo Betamax.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was released along with a musical and special effects extravaganza, and even after seeing it in the theater, we watched it again and again, wondering how the effects were accomplished. The beginning of Raiders is truly amazing and once again John Williams got my heart beating for reasons I am still not entirely sure of.

In my teens, movies became more and more interesting, partcularly the ways in which they began, as the beginning credits rolled. The ability of movie directors to instantly capture a viewer's attention, usually by music, was fascinating.

In 1984, The Terminator was released and Brad Fiedel's brilliantly synthesized score riveted movie-goers as they became introduced to a then-young James Cameron's vision of the future.

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a household name and movie lovers flocked to video stores (remember them?) to see some of his older movies, including Conan the Barbarian. When I first saw Conan in 1985 and heard the opening to what many consider one of the best movie scores of all time, Basil Poledouris' drums made me want to see more movies.

In CEGEP, I took a few movie courses and in 1987, Brian De Palma released The Untouchables—the opening of which, with Ennio Morricione's pianos and synthesized drums, inspired me to make a short film using that very same two minutes of music. My film teacher said it was "the work of an avant-garde film-maker" because I understood the music so well—whatever the hell that means.

In film class, we watched movies like Touch of Evil and North by Northwest. The former was called "the quintessential film-noir" and the latter, "a masterfully made suspense film" but I was more moved by Henry Mancini's sinister horns and Bernard Hermann's power-score, respectively.

And then, one night, The Omen was on.

I was sixteen years old and had never heard a movie with such an eerie opening. I remember my father commenting laconically: "That's nothing . . . it's stolen from Lion in Winter" —which indeed it was.

Still, Jerry Goldsmith, who to this day remains as one of my heroes, was responsible for the inspirational Logan's Run, the terrifying Alien, and the unbelievably exciting Capricorn One openings. (Who can forget his groundbreaking Planet of the Apes score? - Durknit)

One Sunday afternoon, Spartacus was on. Alex North's drums perked my interest but it was his strings that made me fall in love with Jean Simmons.

In 1991, Martin Scorsese remade Cape Fear and Bernard Hermann became another hero of mine but above all others, for me, it was James Horner.

I was only twelve years old when I first heard the beginning of 48 Hrs. I was in an electronics store and they had it on full blast on a giant screen with what was considered to be, at that time, "state-of-the-art sound" and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Such strength, such timing; it reminded me of all the times I'd watch my dad conduct his orchestra in a full-bodied sweat, wondering what all the fuss was about.

Thirty-two years later I saw Gladiator with a live orchestra. Hans Zimmer's masterful  opening brought tears to my eyes and once again reminded me of the power of music, family and love.

Oddly enough, like Jimi Hendrix, jazz drummer Tony Williams, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and many other real musicians who have done bonafide masterpieces, I cannot read or write music. But, like Anne Murray once said "I trust my ear". 

Judging from what professionals have had to say about the composers of my "Top 15 List of Movie Music Scores"―all have been nominated and have won award after award―I believe that music really is "The Universal Language" and that anyone can be affected by its power.

15) Brad Fiedel : The Terminator

14) Basil Poledouris : Conan the Barbarian

13) Jerry Goldsmith : Logan's Run

12) Alex North : Spartacus

11) John Barry : The Lion in Winter

10) Henry Mancini : Touch of Evil

9) Bernard Hermann : North By Northwest

8) Jerry Goldsmith : Alien

7) Bernard Hermann : Cape Fear

6) Ennio Morricione : The Untouchables

5) Jerry Goldsmith : Capricorn One

4) John Williams : Raiders of the Lost Ark

3) John  Williams : Superman (the Planet Krypton)

2) Hans Zimmer : Gladiator

1) James Horner : 48 Hrs

June 23 update: James Horner decided to fly and died instead.