MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

This paper explores the musical and sonic possibilities of original soundtrack creation to support the moving image in a MIDI production course for students with little to no experience in film scoring. Using virtual instruments, loops and sound effects, students learn to compose stylistically appropriate underscores with a particular emphasis on modern production workflows in contemporary digital audio workstations.

This presentation explores a clear and balanced teaching approach that incorporates musical and audio critical listening skills, organizational strategies, mixing best practices, MIDI performance optimization, and a particular emphasis on the supporting role of music in soundtrack creation.