WALT BEFORE MICKEY.

In recent years music in movies has sadly in many people’s opinion been lacking in any themeatic content, the drone sound or the “Sound Design” being utilised in so many productions, the score becoming just a noise or a sound that has no direction and never seems to develop beyond anything other than a monotonous “DRONING” on the soundtrack, some like this style and approach, but the majority loathe it, (I loathe it). WALT BEFORE MICKEY is I am pleased to say something of an oddity in the category of recent film scores, because it has such a richness and wonderfully infectious and haunting themeatic aura to it. Released in 2015, WALT BEFORE MICKEY is an independent biographical drama that covers the early days of Walt Disney, the score contains mesmerising and affecting themes that tantalise and enthral the listener and on each return listen one hears a hint of a theme or a melody that maybe they had not noticed before. The score is the work of young composer Jeremy Rubolino, who has written numerous scores for documentaries and shorts, and has recently completed the music for THE LITTLE MERMAID which should be released on August 17th. The score for WALT BEFORE MICKEY opens with a lilting tone poem that commences with piano and added to this are woodwind, strings and trumpet, it is an American sounding piece that could easily be mistaken for Randy Newman or Mark McKenzie or even for the romantic and melodic work of British born composer Rachel Portman, as in THE CIDER HOUSE RULES. His music for this movie is so emotional and filled with a fragility that one cannot fail to be attracted to. The entire score has such a charming and delicately melancholy sound to it throughout, and it is a score that is simply overflowing with strong themes that are poignant and emotive. The soundtrack is piano led, which at times is the foundation on which the composer begins to build his affecting themes, introducing harp, strings, brass and woodwind, the delicate sounding piano solos at times introducing hints of themes that are then taken on by strings and developed further by the use of the woodwind and punctuated by harp that is further augmented by pizzicato and a childlike chime. Which adds a sense of wonderment and magic to the proceedings. If you love romantic and melodious film music then this is for you, this is a composer who seems to have listened to what we I suppose refer to as old fashion film scores and taken his cue from them, creating a rich and gorgeous collection of themes that tug at the heart strings and play with the emotions and stand alone as just music as well as acting as support for the movie itself. Please check it out, you will not be disappointed.