Movie Soundtrack Analysis Session

A TV, tablet, or phone for playing movie scenes

A phone or speaker for playing alternative music

A movie with a powerful soundtrack — Star Wars, Harry Potter, any Pixar film, Jurassic Park

Choose a movie scene with a memorable soundtrack. The T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park, the flying scene from E.T., or any emotionally charged Pixar moment.

Watch the scene with full sound. Afterward, discuss: "How did that make you feel? What was the mood? Were you scared? Excited? Sad?"

Now watch the exact same scene on mute. It's strikingly different. The visuals alone are less powerful.

Talk about it: "What does the music add? How does it change the emotion? Is it the same scene without the music?"

Here's the fun part: mute the original scene and play completely wrong music over it. Put happy beach music on a tense scene. Play heavy metal over a romantic moment.

The mismatched music is hilarious AND educational. It proves that music was guiding your emotions the entire time.

Final challenge: search for music that would fit the scene even BETTER than the original. This requires real critical analysis.

The mismatch experiment is always the highlight. Kids instantly understand the power of music when a scary scene becomes funny with the wrong soundtrack.

John Williams (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jaws) is the greatest film composer to study. His music is basically a masterclass in emotion.

Ask: "If you were the director, what instruments would you choose for this scene?" This develops compositional thinking.

Try the reverse: play a piece of music without any visuals and ask your child to describe what movie scene they imagine. Music creates images in our minds.

This activity can spark a lifelong appreciation for film scoring — one of the most impactful and least appreciated art forms.