Passage V

The Future of Music

By his early twenties, Bear McCreary had already created music for a fair number of films. In 2003, he would begin contributing music to a remake of the 1970s science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica and, in so doing, emerge as one of today's most exciting composers. (62)

McCreary's work on Galactica is fresh and unconventional. With fellow, composer, Richard Gibbs, McCreary helped establish the show's musical style. The minimalist, percussion-heavy sound track they created contrasts with the lush, brass-dominated sounds of earlier science fiction shows and movies, including Star Trek, Star Wars, and—surprisingly enough—the original Galactica. When Gibbs quit the show, McCreary took over the composing duties.

"World music" is traditional (or foIk) music usually played by members of a particular culture. Taiko (Japanese drums), the duduk (an Armenian woodwind instrument), and Irish bagpipes and whistles make appearances. Words chanted in Sanskrit accompany a battle in space, and vocals in Italian, Senegalese, and Latin grace other scenes. McCreary also employs traditional Western orchestral instruments, these can be violins and cellos, as well as modern synthesizers and electric guitars.

Rather than just accompany on-screen action, McCreary's music also illuminates characters and ideas. Certain themes become associated with particular characters—for example, mournful Celtic music with a father and son. (71) Sometimes the music even seems to shape the visuals that a viewer can see. One episode's opening montage, which consists of scenes from four story lines, is accompanied by a swirling orchestral work set to a fairly slow dance rhythm. The piece, "Passacaglia," named for a type of composition that consists of variations on the same theme. The repetition in the music helps weave the separate story lines together. The result in this episode and others, is music that enriches the stories and told its own artful story as well.