The Last of Us Part II Gustavo Santaolalla’s score for “The Last of Us Part II” deepens the game’s harrowing, emotional landscape. The title theme is played on some type of guitar-banjo (played as an actual 6 string guitar). We can also see elements of […]

Summertime Sadness “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey, is a bittersweet anthem with a dreamy and cinematic production. I love Lana’s signature breathy, crooning vocals. Together it creates an atmosphere of beautiful longing. It’s a summer song that acknowledges the shadows within the sunshine — […]

Resolve This piece is from the HBO Max series, The Last of Us (season 1). The series is directly based on the iconic PlayStation game where —  in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal pandemic, Joel, a hardened smuggler, is tasked with escorting Ellie, […]

Severance Severance is a psychological thriller series on Apple TV+ about employees at Lumon Industries who have undergone a “severance” procedure, surgically dividing their memories between their work and personal lives. This creates two distinct versions of themselves: one for work (the “innie”) and one […]

Song From a Secret Garden Secret Garden is an Irish-Norwegian duo specializing in New Age instrumental music — combining elements of Celtic and neo-classical styles. The duo consists of Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and Norwegian composer and pianist Rolf Løvland. The pair rose to international […]

The Shire Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterpiece, and among its many highlights, “The Shire” stands out as a beacon of warmth and nostalgia. This gentle, folk-inspired theme captures the idyllic homeland of the hobbits. The opening melody […]

Daybreak With virtuoso cinematography and pacing, Nosferatu, keeps you in a trance-like state of awe until the final frame of the film. The movie crescendos in an extraordinary final scene, with an accompanying piece of music entitled, “Daybreak”. Maybe the trance never ends — as […]

Superman On Monday 12/16/24 James Gunn released a graphic on Instagram announcing the Superman (2025) trailer. Within the graphic there’s an ethereal and slightly Celtic version of John Williams’ original theme. I thought I was beautiful, and immediately grabbed my guitar to create a fingerstyle […]

May it Be Enya’s music is instantly recognizable for its ethereal, and atmospheric sound. Her music is comprised of Celtic influences, New Age ambience, and multiple languages like: Irish Gaelic, Latin, and Welsh. This all adds to the mystical and otherworldly feel of Enya’s music. […]

Now We Are Free I never thought this would happen — but the ethereal melody of “Now We Are Free” has transcended the sands of time and cinema — making its return in “Gladiator 2.” This evocative song, originally composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa […]

Blood Upon the Snow I’m a massive fan of Hozier, and his performance of “Blood Upon the Snow” has been on my to-do list for a long time. The piece is from the game, God of War Ragnarök; an epic saga that takes players on […]

Writing’s On The Wall The theme of 2015’s Spectre is “Writings On The Wall”, by Sam Smith. The song reminds me of the campy, Roger Moore-era James Bond themes. With Sam Smith’s crooning falsetto, it feels more in league with songs like: “Nobody Does it […]