“When we see pictures and hear music at the same time we invariably make a connection, if only on an unconscious level.” —George Burt

Let’s start with a bold statement: The auditory signal is equal in importance to the visual signal. If you doubt this, play a video for your trainees with the sound turned off. See how long it takes someone to begin talking. People simply cannot stand to not hear sound.

Conversely, the effective application of an auditory signal can lead directly to success. Perhaps the best user of the auditory signal is Hollywood. Moviemakers, through years of experience, have discovered precise methods for reaching their audiences emotionally. And more often than not, music delivers those emotions.

In this article, and the next few to follow, we will examine different ways in which the auditory signal has delivered success. We will help you hear movies and, in the process, see how sound can enhance your learning environments.

Hollywood finds its beat

Films didn’t always have music. In the beginning of the motion picture industry, films were silent, and the silence was unwelcome. Every cough or whisper could be heard, the projectors rattled and, in that era before air conditioning, every street sound intruded on the screen.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. The screen itself spoke volumes about the lack of audio. When a door closed onscreen, no sound emanated from it. Explosions were silent. Mouths moved but no words came out. The result was an emotionless, almost ghostlike, experience.

Theater owners, displaying films in their live theater halls, had a readymade fix available. You can almost see the panicked owners running up to the musicians waiting for the next live act to begin and pleading, “Play something. Anything.” Live music, courtesy of those theater house bands, soon became an expected part of the film experience.

Initially, the music performed had little relationship to the film being shown. But it became apparent that the kind of music played mattered, too. Musicians eventually discovered that one piece would evoke happiness, another laughter, and another, tears. Those live house bands became adept at adding emotion to the ghostly images. And then in 1926, the Bell Telephone Laboratories created a sound-on-disc recording system. When Warner Brothers introduced the first American “talkie” one year later—The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson—music became an integrated component of all films.

Music at the movies

A large part of a film’s success depends upon the use of simultaneous visual and auditory signals. Where directors capture the look of the film, composers, working with the director, capture the sound of the film. In this way, the film communicates to the audience through both signals.

Approximately one third of every film has music accompaniment. Successful films without music are, in fact, rare.

The structure of film music

The application of music in films has a basic structure. By studying this structure, we can explore applications to the learning environment.

Movies use music to

• introduce the film

• define time and place

• identify and define characters

• camouflage silence

• create atmosphere

• elicit emotion.

Over the next few articles, we will look at each of these in turn. This article begins with, appropriately enough, an “overture” to introduce the film.

The overture

Traditional live stage productions begin with an overture. The overture sets the mood, pace, and style of the presentation to follow. It mixes all the musical themes to be featured. Generally, an overture begins brightly, with a fanfare or other attention getting device that announces its presence. In the next few minutes, the overture transitions through the other major musical themes. The quietest point of the overture, the love ballad, is placed in the center. From the ballad, the overture builds to a rousing conclusion that leaves no doubt that the story is about to begin.

In epic films, this traditional overture format is followed. Ben Hur (1959), The Ten Commandments (1956) and West Side Story (1961) are but three examples. Often, the opening film credits are presented at this point.

Other films adapt their overtures to the emotive style of the film. An example is the John Williams overture for the film, Jaws (1975). Jaws begins with murky movement through the water. We hear a hint of an ominous lower register rumble. The camera picks up speed as it moves through the water, and the music increases in volume and in its threatening tone. Although this overture does not feature a medley of musical themes, it serves the function of an overture. It set the mood, pace, and style of the film to follow. The listener knows that this film will be no day at the beach.

Current movies, including The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, and the insanely popular Frozen, all include establishing music that immediately communicates time and place.

Overtures in the learning environment

The same dynamic can work in a learning environment. (See my Training With a Beat and ATD TD at Work: Music as a Training Tool for more information.)

Music establishes a positive learning environment, and it minimizes negative conditions surrounding a subject. Many learners tense up immediately upon entering a classroom. For them, personal experience makes learning a chore. The challenges that prevent people from learning include:

• distractions of daily life

• admitting knowledge gaps to strangers

• ·negative memories of school

• doubts about learning abilities

• suspicion of management and training mandate motives.

Trainers overcome these emotions in a number of ways. The most obvious may be the use of a welcoming sign, poster, or PowerPoint slide as learners enter the classrooms. A sign is a helpful visual signal, but it is only partially effective. Because the mood, pace, and style of the class are not projected auditorially, an opportunity to comfort the learners is lost. In Training With a Beat, I explained:

“Your learners should experience a positive, accepting climate the moment they enter your classroom. The learning environment you establish should be an irresistible invitation to learn. Music familiar to the learners, or appropriate to the learning environment, can establish this climate.”

A fast, upbeat overture, directly related to the learning subject at hand, and familiar to learners, can ease tensions. As in the movies, an effective overture will tell your learners that they are entering a different world.

My own training events start with an overture. For example, my Learning With a Beat keynote and workshop overture includes the songs “All About That Bass,” by Meghan Trainor, “I Love Music,” by The O’Jays, “Happy,” by Pharrell Williams, “Great DJ,” by the Ting Tings, “Sing a Song,” by Earth Wind, & Fire, and “Sir Duke,” by Stevie Wonder.

When training for doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical groups, and other health focused professionals, a mix including “Bend Me, Shape Me,” by American Bread, “I Got You (I Feel Good),” by James Brown, “U Can’t Touch This,” by MC. Hammer, and “Be OK,” by Ingrid Michaelson is both playful and appropriate.

Fashion and beautify professionals get a different mix that includes “Sharp Dressed Man,” by Brad Paisley, “Vogue,” by Madonna, “Simply Irresistible,” by Robert Palmer, and “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” by Aerosmith.

A few caveats about music selection should be made.

First, the mixes listed above are intentionally eclectic. The intent is to capture a wide range of styles and eras so that all learners feel included.

Secondly, it is important to know what the song lyrics say and have an intentional reason for choosing each song. “All About That Bass,” for instance, refers to female anatomy. The song can also, due to its use of the word bass, be reinterpreted to mean the bass frequencies in music.

Third, songs should be used legally. Securing rights through ASCAP, BMI, and other music licensing companies is, fortunately, easy enough.

The most important point is not the specific overture songs. Rather, it is the way in which those songs establish a positive, playful mood. Learners who walk into the training room hear music and capture the spirit immediately. They are transported out of their concerns and distractions and into the world of the classroom: All before instruction has begun! The end result is a receptive audience that has had time to change their mindsets and reframe themselves into a musical world.

In our next article, we will continue this exploration of Hollywood films so you can hear the movies and see how the sound can enhance your learning environments.

© 2014 ATD, Alexandria, VA. All rights reserved.