WHAT MAKES SCARY MUSIC SO SCARY?

A film’s soundtrack is a key catalyst for the emotions the film evokes in a viewer. Music can convey feelings of joy, heartbreak, hope and even terror. This practice is far from unscientific, though, and has a long history – from the church to the big screen, music for the purpose of scaring its audience has been both condemned and used by artists for hundreds of years.

The tritone, colloquially known as “the devil’s interval,” is a musical element that is commonly employed by composers to induce feelings of unrest in their listeners. It was nicknamed this because it was feared in the Middle Ages that if monks were to sing it, the Devil would hear it as an invitation for him to appear before them. During the development of music in the Middle Ages, the Church of England believed that the purpose of music was to bring glory to and express the majesty of God, and therefore music that was not considered to be “beautiful” was disapproved of and banned from religiously significant sites. Therefore, so-called “false music” was considered to be abject and unnatural during these times. However, as music became more accessible to peasants, the aforementioned correlation between holiness and music dissipated. Over the years, people began to use music in different contexts – for dance, political expression, media and more.

The tritone is a simple example of dissonance – the existence of tension between a given combination of notes or tones which are being played; the absence of consonance. Uses of

Erin Picken

this type of chord include the opening phrases of Camille Saint-Saën’s “Danse Macabre” (“Dance of Death,”) and Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” both of which utilize A/Eb intervals. An extremely well known non-tritone example of dissonance in music is the main theme of Jaws, where John Williams masterfully conducts a combination of minor chords and nonlinear sounds to create suspense.

Dissonance is used in many genres of music within many different contexts. Suspended chords are often used to create musical tension and can be resolved into normal chord tones, such as tonic chords. The difference between, say, a major third chord and its suspended chord is the lowering of the third note in the chord by one whole step. A suspended chord can also be created from a tonic chord by the addition of an unnecessary note which prevents the pure tonic from being expressed consonantly. For example, the first two chords of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” are an F major chord (F, A, C) and an Fsus4 chord (F, Bb, C.) These can all be resolved with one change (or removal) of notes.

When a dissonant interval is played, people find it unsettling because it is unresolved: people want it to move from dissonance to consonance smoothly. Many musicians who hear dissonant chords can easily play or hum the consonant ones due to the common motif of movement from one to the other in classical music from the Baroque and Renaissance eras.The positive association with consonance and the negative association with dissonance in the West does not have one clear-cut explanation.

One musicological explanation for these associations suggests that it has to do with frequencies. According to research conducted by Harvard neurologist Mark Tramo, sound waves created by consonant intervals are smooth and regular, while waves created by dissonant intervals are jagged. While this explains the mathematical differences between the types of music and the ways in which the brain receives them, it fails to explain why some people genuinely enjoy music that employs dissonance or is entirely atonal, while others do not. A common theory is that some people enjoy predictable patterns of tonal music which lacks the tension created by dissonance, while others enjoy the unpredictability of music which either does not have a resolution or forces the listener to wait for it. This plausibility explains why people from different musical cultures prefer music with different structures and amounts of tension – for instance, people enjoy genres ranging from Romantic era classical music to grunge and heavy metal.

The evolution of music over the centuries has provided society with essentially unlimited ways by which musicians can evoke certain emotions in their listeners. As long as musicians continue to be innovative in their composition and performance of new music, the unpredictable nature of dissonant music can be used for a myriad of purposes.

Annie Wright Schools initiated the Music Laureate program in the 20192020 school year. This program, designed to gather a cohort of passionate music students, provides selected participants with mentorship as they develop two to three “new-to-you” pieces to perform at a capstone concert. Inkwell obtained interviews with a handful of the 2023 Laureates about their projects and processes.

Sofia Guerra - Sofia Guerra (USG ‘23) is translating, recomposing, and performing popular Korean R&B, indie, and ballad music for her Music Lareaute project. Although she is not a native speaker, Guerra, connecting with her Korean heritage, fell in love with different genres of Korean music in the beginning of her highschool career. At first, it wasn’t about the words or phrases she didn’t fully understand, but the feeling and mood of the pieces. It was about the story being told, the drama unfolding, and the beauty being expressed. As she learned more of the language, however, she also noted the additional impact exactitude of lyrics carried. Through her project, Guerra has decided to translate a selection of Korean songs and hopes to be able to show the audience that same beauty the works have in their original language.

Ariel Lai - Ariel Lai (USG ‘24) is learning the first movement from Bach’s Partita II in D minor and Reflection from the Disney movie Mulan for her Music Lareaute. Lai, a violinist, wants to reignite her love and passion for classical composition and the artform of string instruments. She wants to explore technical expertise through the complex and challenging Bach piece, tackling different skills and musical deliveries. After a long absence from the stage, Lai also hopes that her performance will bolster her confidence in front of audiences along with providing her an opportunity to hone her craft.

Andrea Gyimah - Andrea Gyimah (USG ‘25) is performing three songs for her Music Lareaute project, accompanied by Mr. Orr on the piano. Gyimah began her singing career at a young age, originally performing in church choir, then with the Chicago Children’s Choir, is now taking frequent vocal lessons in hope to expand and perfect her vocal range. A pop fan at heart, Gyimah will be performing songs by Adele and Cynthia Erivo. She is a long-time fan of both of these artists’ composition and vocal performances. Through this project, she hopes to grow more comfortable performing in front of audiences. Gyimah sees the Music Lareaute concert as a healthy opportunity to take a risk and bolster her confidence, as well as gain more experience.

EJ Carei - EJ Carei (USB ‘24) is performing pieces by Chopin and Bach for his Music Lareaute project. From a young age, Carei has held a love for music and the piano and wishes to prove his skill in front of an audience. Ever since his introduction to the instrument, Carei has been entranced by the scale of performances possible with it. With such a vast array of notes, there is almost infinite opportunity for melodies and songs. Carei views the piano as a complex craft that he hopes to gain understanding and mastery of. Carei holds music close very to his heart, and wishes to share his love with all those who hear it. Through his Music Laureate performance, he intends to do just that.