The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies- NYC will drum up the finest soundracks in horror with their latest seminar The Frequency of Fear: The Power and the Glory of the Motion Picture Soundtrack at the Film Noir Cinema December 11. Dean Hurley, Twin Peaks: The Return’s sound editor and music supervisor, will hold this class on the importance of sound in cinema.
Cinema has long tapped into the fundamental devices of fear via its employment of sound. Even before the advent of the loudspeaker and synchronized motion picture sound, organs and pianos collided tense sonic energy against images in the physical spaces of film exhibition parlors and nickelodeons. As humans, the audible sliver of the frequency spectrum provides a unique window into concepts of how energy and vibration physically manifest and affect the perception of the material world. After all, a sound is simply vibrational energy we can hear. How we’ve arrived at organizing frequencies into the form of modern music is a mystery itself, dating back 5,000 years and involving ‘sky god visitors’ who bestowed humanity its system of measurement. Understanding our physiological experience of sound and its relation to our universe can illuminate and unlock a deeper understanding of the design of sound and music for the motion picture.
Journeying through concepts of cymatics, standing wave levitation, musical tunings, as well as film examples, demonstrations, and dissections of modern mix sessions, The Frequency of Fear: The Power and the Glory of Motion Picture Soundtracks guide its participants through an awakening in understanding the spiritual power of sound both onscreen and beyond.
Dean Hurley’s first installment of the library-style Anthology Resource series showcases his original ambient music contributions featured in Twin Peaks: The Return‘s very distinctive-sounding third season. Listen at the following link: https://deanhurley.bandcamp.com/album/anthology-resource-vol-1.
News of all the different goings on at Miskatonic is music to our ears. For more information about the Frequency of Fear event and for information about upcoming Miskatonic events, click here.
