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 ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
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.
