Creative Corner: Inspire With a Movie Script

It's never too early to be creative. Plan to let your budding musicians explore the wonder of music at the first lesson. Plug into their unlimited imaginations and let them create a soundtrack. The Creative Corner Series at 88pianokeys, aims to equip you with improvisatory tools. Pull out this movie script by Bradley Sowash for a fresh change from the lesson routine and let the imagination soar.

Soundtrack Improvisation 

by Bradley Sowash

Have you ever noticed how much the music in a movie influences the way you feel about a particular scene?  Sometimes the music creates a mood such as scary, exciting, sad or cheerful.  Other times the music mirrors the action such as downward falling music that accompanies a closeup of a leaf floating down from a tree.  Imagine if the story below were a movie.  Use your instrument to improvise moods and sounds that fit the action while your teacher narrates.

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It was a dark and stormy night. The rain dripped from the leaves throughout the forest.

(dripping rain music)

 Low rumbles of thunder could be heard far and near.

(low thunder music)

A little mouse lightly skittered up and down and all around looking for somewhere dry.

(light skittering music)

In the distance, the mouse could hear low, steady drums.

(low, steady drums music)

 After a time, high wooden flute music joined the drums.

(low drums and high flute music)

 The mouse ran down a hill towards the music hoping to find shelter.

(running downhill music)

Suddenly, the music stopped. In the clearing was a large hut.  The mouse quietly tiptoed up to the door to peer inside.

(quiet tiptoe music)

Many people were seated inside around a bonfire.  An old man got up and began a slow, strange dance.

(strange dance music)

The man began to tell a story:

“It was a dark and stormy night. The rain dripped from the leaves throughout the forest.”

(rain music fading away)

Here's a printable of the script: Improvisation for Early Beginners

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Like this idea?

Learn more about fostering improvisation from Bradley and his books.

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