“If I knew I was going to die at a specific moment in the future, it would be nice to be able to control what song I was listening to; this is why I always bring my iPod on airplanes.” Chuck Klosterman.
I want a soundtrack for my life. As arrogant as that sounds, I want music to define the situations I have encountered over the years. Now, this soundtrack would be a tad obese considering my life has been full of many memories, heartbreaks, and adventures. But the song would fit the moment. And this could work for anyone, but (of course) the soundtrack would be different, as everyone’s life experiences are inherently diverse.
For instance, during a breakup, my emotions would begin to get the best of me. As I slowly came to the realization that what was occurring was in fact reality, a song would begin to fade in, drifting nomadically from the depths of my subconscious and into the realm of realization, thus expressing my emotional stage at that particular moment.
It’s a classic device used within Hollywood film or television to help express emotional content without the use of verbal dialogue. In ‘She’s All That’, when Freddie Prinze Jr. first witnesses the transformation of Rachel Leigh Cook, he is taken back. But instead of verbalizing his emotional state, Sixpence None the Richer’s ‘Kiss Me’ begins to play. The song defines the moment, and identifies the period where he begins to ‘crush on her’ for the first time (Don’t ask me why I used this example).
Watch how often this technique is used within entertainment, as it is well known that music is a key catalyst in emotional transitional stages. Music adds an entirely different element to a particular scene. Music makes you feel.
So what would your soundtrack be?
