But it sounds so familiar
One thing that sets us apart in the animal kingdom is our memory for sound sequences. The birds may have it all over us in the ability to reproduce a “song”, but we win Name That Tune every time.
I spent part of this afternoon harvesting themes from various network television programs. If you ask me in whose field, I will ignore you and walk away. Unless helplessly cornered, or offered huge sums of money, or asked really, really nicely. A goal that was totally noble; the cornucopia will be used to influence young impressionable minds in the educational context. Fair use clause, no doubt.
The odd thing is that I don’t watch the majority of the programs that offered up the soundbites, but I still recognized them. This is due, in large part, to the genius behind the media machine. Still, I’m sure that Bach or Beethoven would give their eyeteeth to have tunes that are so easily recognized (Dah-Dah-Dah-Dum excluded).
Even the songs that have been recycled (thank you, Pete Townshend, wherever you are). The weekly schedule of primetime TV is “owned” by a franchise of investigative drama where the Who have contributed the most familiar element (clue?). Pretty good work, if you can get it.
So here we are, with more music than needed, that will serve to trigger synaptic moments such as “Monday Night at Nine P.M”, or “Wednesday Night at Nine P.M”. No need to worry about remembering the who or the where or the what. We have theme music.
The best of the harvest has to be the Final Jeopardy theme. How much should I wager?
