Soundtracks from Movies and Human Emotions

Hello readers,
Went out to the movies tonight, and so today's topic will be movie soundtracks' effects on human emotions and psyche. 
Take a famous scene such as a scene from Jaws or Psycho. The famous two-note Jaws motif when Jaws is about to attack a victim and the screeching violins when Janet Leigh is murdered in Psycho are assumed to be indelibly tied to the scenes.Music on the screen acts to enhance the film as dialogue within itself that dramatically enhances a story's meaning. 
Music tends to affect our mood drastically when watching visual material, and this is because it adds more dimension within the senses to allow us to explore more of the environment with the senses. Studies have shown that composed music tends to have a polarizing effect on listeners, while classical music exhibits much less emotional output. This is because the music is more than likely composed for that specific movie, and so the directors and composers can work together to manipulate the audience in a positive manner. Music on the screen acts to enhance the film as dialogue within itself that dramatically enhances a story's meaning. 
To find more about this study visit the USC page.


Musically Yours,
                                   Caitlin