Why Were Not Afraid to Love Scary Music (Plus 13 of the Best Horror Film Scores) Faculty composer Ryan Page discusses the appeal of scary movies and what makes the scores to films like John Carpenters Halloween and Dario Argentos Suspiria so compelling.
By
Bryan Parys
October 30, 2024
Image illustration by Pamela Hersch
Acclaimed Goosebumps author R.L. Stine recently said on the Chicago Humanities Tapes podcast that scaring kids was never his goal. In fact, he was surprised when his young readers told him that they actually enjoyed being freaked out by his stories. [Kids] like to be scared when they know they're safe at the same time, Stine realized. When they know they're in their room reading, they're out there fighting these monsters, but they know they're home safe.
Children aren't the only ones looking to be scared as a form of entertainment, as is evident by the countless horror films that plumb the depths of our fears and darkest imaginations. As central to the most iconic scary movies as figures like Jason, Freddie Krueger, and Hannibal Lecter, are the film scores that heighten the fear factor.
The shrieking strings in Psycho, the pulse-quickening bass line from Jaws-these scores function like any film soundtrack in that they add to the emotional experience of the visuals. But horror film scores also have the critical job of reminding us of the most important part: that what we're seeing isn't real.
Ryan Page, Assistant Professor, EPD
Ryan Page (he/they), assistant professor of electronic production and design (EPD), says that horror media allows us to explore the darker side of humanity, but from a safe distance. So thats something that I would never want to see in real life, right? I would never want to be trapped in a house with zombies, you know, pounding at the door, Page says. Music, they continue, is one of those things that allows [the horror] to be a thought, to be unreal, and I think that that can be a very kind of exciting place to be in. In fact, as he points out, the viewer has signed up for this experience. They bought the ticket, theyre ready to take their ride, they want to be sort of toyed with a little bit, he says.
As an electronic music composer, Page often works on sound design for digital media, including audio work on The Sims 4: Get Famous expansion pack, and has collaborated with artists such as Laetitia Sonami, Pauline Oliveros, Anna Friz, Rhys Chatham, and Ikue Mori. Under their current artist name Repairer of Reputations, Page frequently works on horror-related media, with this October being particularly prolific for them in this area. They released part one of The Path of Veins, an interactive visual horror novel that they wrote, programmed, and scored. They also released the latest installment of an annual project titled October Country, where they cover a selection of their favorite horror film scores and releases them as a free download on Bandcamp-but only available during the month of October.
Listen to a piece from Ryan Pages score for The Path of Veins, Part 1:
<a href=https://repairerofreputations.bandcamp.com/album/the-path-of-veins-part >The Path of Veins Part 1 by Repairer of Reputations</a>
The Best Scary Music Is Also a Little PrettyPage's interest in horror film scores began as a teenager after he picked up a DVD copy of Dario Argentos 1977 horror film Suspiria (incidentally, he was attending Berklee's Five-Week summer program at the time). Even as he realized the film was one of the scariest he'd ever seen, he couldn't stop thinking about the soundtrack and how anyone could write music like this.
To make music sound scary and interesting is a unique challenge, as it's not just about picking the most atonal textures or dissonant notes and slapping them together. Ironically, to make something memorably ugly, it has to have an air of pleasantness.
Take the theme from John Carpenter's Halloween.
On its own, the theme is pretty in its simple, minor-key melody, which isn't surprising given that Carpenter scored the film himself despite not having any formal musical training. What makes the piece so haunting is this simplicity plus a metronomic thumping set within an odd time signature (in this case, 10/8 or complex 5/4 time). You have this pattern thats repeating in a way that feels slippery. . . . It creates a kind of tension, Page says.
Jungmin Lee, assistant professor in the Screen Scoring Department, explains that Simple meters like 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 would give [a film] scene a stable feeling. But in a horror film, odd meters such as 5/8, 7/8, and 7/4 have a shifting quality. They're a little unpredictable and make us feel uncomfortable, she says.
Watch Jungmin Lee give tips on how to score a scene from a horror film:
Haunted By the PastThe overall effect on the listener/viewer is that your grip on reality starts to slip just a little bit, and things start to feel surreal or uncanny-that is, things feel both real and unreal at the same time. The term uncanny is a concept that comes from the German word unheimlich, which translates to not from the home, but, according to how psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud discussed the term, it can also mean something hidden within the home (or within the familiar).
Combine the uncanny with the idea of nostalgia, and you start to get closer to why things like ghosts and zombies can be so scary. If you think about the semantic origins of [nostalgia], it also means homesickness, Page says.
Nostalgia and homesickness are about longing for something familiar that has been lost. We typically think of nostalgia as a pleasant feeling, reminiscing about the bygone, wistful days of youth. But people also talk about being haunted by the past, and as Page says,
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
Why Were Not Afraid to Love Scary Music (Plus 13 of the Best Horror Film Scores) Faculty composer Ryan Page discusses the appeal of scary movies and what makes the scores to films like John Carpenters Halloween and Dario Argentos Suspiria so compelling.
