Here's a scene from Star Wars: A New Score! Keep checking for the latest updates!

3m15 "The Millennium Falcon"

This scene is Han Solo's first “musical” introduction in the film. His theme needed to be prominent in this scene so that the listener forms an immediate connection that lasts the entirety of the movie. Han’s theme at its core represents the spirit of adventure, a common man off on a journey. However, if this theme is introduced before the viewer meets Han, he/she may unintentionally associate that theme with another character, such as Luke, Leia, the rebels, or Obi-Wan, all of which are adventurers, but who don’t encapsulate that same spirit. All this is to say that introducing Han’s theme is of the utmost importance to “The Millennium Falcon” scene. I introduce it in its “idealistic form” (an idea inspired by Wagnerian leitmotifs), and then use this theme in different variations throughout this scene to ensure the listener picks up the association. Enjoy this preview of Star Wars: A New Score!

I was honored to be interviewed by radio station WGWG regarding my upcoming project, Star Wars: A New ScoreStar Wars: A New Score.

I'm in the final few months of preparation for the premiere of Star Wars: A New Score, and the work has been tedious! I'm producing the tracks (and likely will be doing so up until December!) and it has been a huge growing experience. Thanks to some generous funding from Gardner-Webb University, I have the MIDI sounds I needed to realistically recreate an orchestral sound - the EastWest Hollywood Orchestra. The sounds are phenomenally realistic, and they've provided me with the tools I needed to successfully complete a project this large.

Production can be tiring! I've spent hours and hours tweaking 3-4 minute clips, all to make sure that I have the perfect blend. In the end, I hope that the audience can't even tell a difference, and that the experience will be like that of a full orchestral score. Check for more updates soon!

Christian

          I wrote a new version of the opening crawl, and it’s by far my favorite of all my demos for this scene. It is completely different from John Williams’s original music, but it is just as effective (in my opinion). I decided that this is also the music I will use for the beginning of the credits, and for the Throne Room finale. I went with a “battle preparation” sound, with horns and a snare beat, because I thought this fit the mood of the opening, especially considering this is Star Wars. I used Luke’s theme, Luke’s secondary theme, and the Force theme all in the opening crawl, although this is really just a way to introduce these sounds to the listener before they form the associations.

          I finished up the cues from the Death Star escape scenes at the beginning of the week. I really enjoyed writing music for “The Trash Compactor,” because it provided me another genre of music to write. This scene is the scene where a monster attacks Luke, and it’s the closest to a horror scene as the film ever gets. Dr. Moser had suggested listening to Krzysztof Penderecki’s The Dream Of Jacob and borrowing orchestration techniques and timbres for suspenseful or scary scenes. I particularly employed his use of a low, pulsing brass, and screechy, sliding strings for this scene.

I'm winding down to the final stages in my compositions for Star Wars. I'm tweaking a few articulations/dynamics and writing alternate sections for parts of my score that didn't fit the film well. I now have a premiere date! The film will be showing at Gardner-Webb University's Tucker Student Center on DECEMBER 8 at 9 pm. More details will come soon, but for now, mark the date!

          I worked quite a bit extra this week to make up for missed time from vacations. Dr. Moser and I met early in the week, and he offered suggestions for my pieces, the most important of which I have outlined here:

Droids for Sale - Less predictable, remove random downbeats or other beats, just to throw the listener slightly off kilter

Lost in the Desert - Needs something for the transition in the middle of the scene

“Your Father’s Lightsaber” - Needs a change of timbre when Leia’s message first turns on (maybe just take out droid theme)

The Millennium Falcon - Once ship takes off, lose tension, then regain it when they realize they’re being chased

          I am on vacation this week, and have finished less than I had hoped. I did complete several small scenes scattered throughout the second half of the film, which at least made me feel better about the number of cues I have completed. I have a busy week coming up, but I am determined to complete as much as I possibly can.

          Since these cues were mainly small, I did not need to incorporate much thematic material or any romantic influences. However, I did (quite by accident) create my leitmotif for the heroic team (Luke, Han, Chewie, and Leia). This leitmotif emerges when they arrive on the Death Star, as it is their first situation in which they must all work together. It is introduced rather late compared to the rest of my themes and leitmotifs, but its prominent usage in the film’s second half will be more than enough to connect with the audience.

          I spent a large portion of my time this week writing music for the scene, “The Millennium Falcon.” Dr. Moser and I had discussed the importance of this scene in an earlier meeting. Since Han’s previous scenes were in the cantina with the diegetic music playing, this scene is his first “musical” introduction. His theme needs to be prominent in this scene so that the listener forms an immediate connection that lasts the entirety of the movie.