It’s May and so, in the listening component of lessons this week, I decided to utilize The Imperial March. Yesterday, I had 3 different students say it was “joyful”, “exciting” and “cheerful”. Which got my brain spinning, as a music nerd and Star Wars nerd would do.
I went to the score to do some looking and analyzing. While almost all of the chords are minor, I think there is something here of how John Williams writes the melody against the harmonies to give a tinge of hope. And, of course, if you know the story of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, there is a redemption at the end of his story, so I could definitely see that hopeful sound coming through.
But here’s the fun thing. Until yesterday, I had never in my life thought that there was an excitement or joy in The Imperial March. Dark, foreboding, ominous…..absolutely. And I loved that about the piece, because I thought it musically encapsulated Darth Vader’s presence on screen. I hadn’t ever thought about how the music also could offer those slight little hints of hope and redemption.
This is the power of music. It can evoke so many emotions. The same piece of music can be described in different ways by so many different people. Music is personal. And that’s one of the top things that I love about music. I’m quite thankful I had that reminder yesterday and now I can’t stop thinking about it!
So what do you say? Is The Imperial March dark and foreboding with hints of light and hope? Is it joyful? Go back and listen to it again today and see what strikes you, then comment with your thoughts. It’s just one of the many reasons I love teaching music. I get to learn as well!