Mark Mancina's Music for 'August Rush'

The story of August Rush is undoubtedly a fairytale style film, and music is meant to be a driving force for that. Evan/August is a young musical prodigy living in an orphanage, determined to find his birth parents. The musical landscape and sound design Kirsten Sheridan’s film is created in such a way to combine the musical languages of Evan, his mother Lyla, and his father Louis. This is to carry the narrative concept that Evan can hear the music of his parents (who are both professional musicians), and is strongly influenced by it, and eventually follows it to them. The music heard throughout the film is a growing accumulation of themes and motifs that eventually make up the debut composition of Evan, and therefore it is most logical to discuss the music in relation to the events of the film in chronological order.

There is a unique relationship between diegetic and non diegetic music and sounds of August Rush. Almost all of the music in the film could be considered as “half-diegetic;” meaning that someone in the story can hear it. Because of Evan’s ability to “hear” his parents’ music, it opens up the possibility for the question: “how much of the ‘non-diegetic’ music can Evan actually hear?” There are a number of scenes where this question can be applied. The first being the opening scene of the film. Evan is in a field of wheat, and he is waving his arms around in the style of a conductor. The visuals and the music are crafted in such a way where it appears as though the wheat is dancing to the music, which seems to be result of Evan conducting the beat of the seemingly non-diegetic music. Another clue that this opening music is diegetic is the fact that it appears not only several other times throughout the film, serving as a leitmotif, but that it is included in Evan’s Rhapsody. This is music a simple repeating descending line in violins. There is a non diegetic orchestral backing dubbed over the violin gesture to give it more musicality, but since that musical motif appears in the rhapsody at the end, it is safe to assume that the music is not only not non-diegetic, but is also a glimpse into Evan’s mind.

The music of August Rush is so active in the narrative that it could be considered an extra character and certainly not “incidental or innocent” (Claudia Gorbman 11). The non-diegetic music is not meant to be transparent or unconscious, but rather is purposefully designed so that the audience will notice it, and pay attention to it, in their initial viewing of the film.

“We really wanted the music to be originally composed for the film, so had like fifty pieces of music, but it was really important that they weren’t preexisting so that it felt real, like it was coming out of the story and out of the characters more than anything” (“Kirsten Sheridan Talks August Rush,” Empire Magazine.) Contradictory to Sheridan’s comments on the music of August Rush, there are a number of preexisting musical pieces that contribute to the score of the film. The classical music examples are less of a contradiction as they are diegetic and in a context where there was not a narrative opportunity for original music, as they are performed by Lyla, who is a classical cellist. However, Van Morrison’s “Moondance” makes an appearance in the soundtrack. However, the original recording of the song is not what is in the film, but instead a live performance by the characters, or a recording of the melody in the score. There are a number of reasons why this choice could have been made. One being to show Lyla’s ignorance when it comes to non-classical music. But since this aspect of her character is never developed, it hardly seems like a worthwhile explanation. Another possibility is that since the music is diegetic, and furthermore, meant to be acknowledged by the characters. It would be logical for the music to be preexisting. However, since only the melody and lyrics of the song are verbally acknowledged, and not any other attached meaning to the song, it does negate the remarks of Sheridan regarding the concept of the music coming from the characters.

Another musical theme that makes a reappearance in August’s Rhapsody is a Bach Prelude that Lyla plays in concert the night she meets Louis. Later, this Prelude is a key factor in Lyla’s mission to find Evan as she hears it in the context of “August’s Rhapsody” at the end of the film. The meeting of Lyla and Louis is foreshadowed by the blending of their respective music in the soundtrack during the scene of their simultaneous concerts. The original song entitled “Break,” performed by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, was composed in the same key as the Bach Prelude in order for the music to be able to smoothly layer upon one another.

The Bach Prelude is not the only instance of preexisting music to be used in August Rush. Mancina and Sheridan also opted to include Van Morrison’s “Moondance:” which, in the context of the film, can be referred to the “Louis and Lyla Love Motif.” It is heard in various different ways in the sequence when Louis and Lyla are together. When Lyla leaves the party to escape to the rooftop, the melody is played by a man in the streets, who is retrospectively realized to be Robin Williams’s character, “The Wizard.” Louis sings it to Lyla when they are talking. The importance of this music comes into play when Evan has a line: “I think the notes I hear are the same notes they heard when they met.” It is therefore interesting to note that the melody is not included in “August’s Rhapsody.” However, the Wizard plays it on his harmonica in the scenes when he leaves after meeting Evan, and in the subway when Evan leaves the Wizard to attend the concert near the end of the film. In this way the “Moondance” melody serves both a catalyst for Evan getting closer to finding his parents, and as a symbol of the Wizard being Evan’s “third parent.”

Nearing the end of Lyla’s pregnancy (which Louis does not know about), she is hit by a car, and in the hospital, the doctors have to do an emergency delivery of her baby. Her father forges her signature on adoption papers so her baby is sent away to a boys’ home and tells her that he died. It is here that Evan, once again, is seen conducting the world around him. The “5 note magical theme” is introduced when Evan as a baby is in the bassinet conducting. The theme here seems to be diegetic as well, as it appears to be being produced by a musical carousel toy. This theme, too, is not included in “August’s Rhapsody,” but instead is the final musical statement of the film after the rhapsody has concluded. Besides the ending, this motif is throughout the film as well; in the chimes at the boys’ home, Evan plays it on the guitar when he first discovers the guitar, Jeffries whistles it when he is “imitating the wind chimes.”

When Evan escapes to New York City, he is discovered by the Wizard to be a musical genius when the Wizard, Arthur and the other children hear him playing the guitar. When playing the guitar, Evan plays the Magic Theme which implies that it is also a sound in his head. The relationship of Evan and the Wizard is truly initiated when they are talking and looking at the stars. At this point, a three note descending motif emerges from the ambient soundtrack. Given the connection of the music to the dialogue between the Wizard and Evan, this motif can be respectfully called the “overtones theme.” This theme, again, is seemingly non-diegetically, however it makes a reappearance in “August’s Rhapsody” in the choir, also it is what Evan plays when he discovers the organ for the first time.

When The Wizard’s lair is raided by police one night, Evan runs away and ends up stumbling upon a choir rehearsal at a church. The song being rehearsed by the choir, “Raise It Up,” can be compared to “Do Not Forsake Me,” in High Noon, as both songs employ lyrics that comment on the narrative.

“Seems to be nothing left for me, momma’s gone, daddy didn't wanna be and now I’m all by myself wonderin' where is love or should I just give up.

Feelin’ like a motherless child hankered into my soul it's bringing me down can’t find my smile on a face of a motherless child. I’m gonna break down these walls, gonna give it my all ya know.”

The lyrics not only comment on Evan’s story, but also introduce the character, Hope. Hope is the young girl singing these particular lyrics, and the lyrics connect to her life, which connects her and Evan. What differentiates “Raise it Up” from “Do Not Forsake Me,” and the other musical themes of August Rush is that the melodies of the song, with or without the presence of lyrics, does not reappear in the film’s soundtrack. However, it does serve as a vehicle to introduce two important characters in Evan’s journey; Hope and Reverend Day.

Hope teaches Evan the very basics of piano the following morning, and he proceeds to use that knowledge to spend the entire day composing countless musical sketches. The first motif returns—strings repeating descending lines—when Evan begins composing a musical accompaniment to the rhythm of the basketball game outside his window.

The music also serves as a reflection of the characters’ internal struggle. When Lyla and Louis are rehearsing near the end of them, and they are stressed and distracted and having to halt their rehearsing, but Evan’s music, as a non-diegetic track, is blending the two musical dialogues together in a way uniting them and guiding them.

Lyla’s concert with the New York Philharmonic is also the concert that Juilliard is presenting Evan’s original composition, “August’s Rhapsody.” She performs Elgar’s “Cello Concerto in E minor,” and again the sound design shapes the musical narrative in such a way that Lyla’s and Louis’ music is intertwined. The original song “Something Inside,” performed by Louis and his band alternates with the Elgar concerto for musical prominence in the narrative. The lyrics of “Something Inside” also comment on the narrative of the film in general, and more specifically to the current scene:

“It’s the first thing you see as you open your eyes

The last the you say as your saying goodbye

There’s something inside you its crying and driving you on

‘Cause if you hadn’t found me

I would’ve found you

It was you first taste of love”

As Jonathan Rhys-Meyers sings these lyrics, Lyla is playing her cello concerto, internally lamenting on her lost son and love, and Evan is escaping the clutches of the Wizard to conduct his rhapsody as the final step in finding his parents. The song, although bittersweet sounding, gives hope to the story by using the lyrics to foreshadow the upcoming triumphant success of the three main characters.

The “August Rhapsody” is a collection of previously previewed themes leitmotifs that have been scattered throughout the film. There is an emphasis instrumentation as a way to represent important characters within the film. The cello solo is a symbol for Lyla, and the acoustic guitar a symbol for Louis. The significance of the guitar holds many meanings; it was the first instrument that Evan had ever played, marking the beginning of his musical journey. It is the instrument of his father, Louis, with whom Evan had had an impromptu guitar duet with earlier that, and it was one of the instruments the Wizard was playing the night Lyla and Louis met. Another significant timbre in the performance is the voice, both solo and choral. Hope performing a vocalise solo in “August’s Rhapsody” is a tribute to her and Evan meeting and her giving him the tools to continue in his musical pursuit. The chorus also serves to strengthen this relationship symbolism as they found each other when Evan “followed the music” to the church choir rehearsal. By the end of the rhapsody, Evan turns around and sees his parents in the audience, watching him, while the music is still playing. This choice, and furthermore, the choice to not show a follow up, is a powerful one, because even though they are now all in each other’s presence, it maintains that magic of their relationship is in the music that they subconsciously share, regardless of where they are.

August Rush contains an abundance of musical symbolism and allegories, all of which not only support the characterization and narrative of the film, but also closely intertwine with the diegetic world of the characters. The music Kirsten Sheridan’s film dances the line between diegetic and non-diegetic soundscapes, to the point where the audience may question what of the music is truly diegetic and what it not. Or rather, if any of the music is even non-diegetic? The music is meant primarily to define the characters of the film and to be a driving force for the fairytale nature of Evan’s journey to find his parents. The music of August Rush functions not only as a leitmotif or a theme score, but to connect and unite the main characters from the viewer’s perspective before they all connect physically.

Sources

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