The Maltese Falcon is a film that opened with little fanfare and few expectations in the fall of 1941. It had a modest budget of about ($381,000) and was shot in less than six weeks (from June 9 to July 18, 1941), with a first time director and no major stars. And if that wasn’t enough, two films featuring the detective Sam Spade character, adopted from a novel by Dashiell Hammett, had already flopped. And yet, its long term popularity has somewhat of historical significance considering the obstacles the film had to overcome.

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What exactly makes a good movie theme? Is it the melody? Is it the underpinning rhythm, or perhaps the chord changes? Is it the combination of everything mentioned, with the added caveat of time, space, and careful arrangement of all the elements? For a better understanding of movie themes that are considered to be among the very best, lets look at one of the most monumental movie themes of all time, . . . the “shark” theme from Jaws.

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I heard it once said, “If you don’t have anything happening or things get strange, . . . go to school.” These words were intended to provide me with the benefit of it’s dispenser’s many years experience as a musician, negotiating his way through the labyrinth that is, a career in music. When the realities of one’s pursuits are as daunting as the volition of commitment to creative aesthetics, advice from someone with exceptional insight on the subject must be highly valued. He was a very successful musician/educator that had the respect of many musicians and music aficionados around the world. Ultimately, he was compelled to disseminate words of wisdom for the consumption of a novice in pursuit of music’s companionship.

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