Clayface Theme Volker Bertelmann is an avant-garde composer, to say the least. Under the name Hauschka, he’s released a string of solo albums for prepared piano — a piano with objects wedged between the strings. His work sits in the post-classical vein: the daring grit […]

Porch I love this piece at the end of Infinity War, as Thanos limps out to his porch. I only mildly get into the Avengers movies. I’ve seen most of them, and my favorites are probably the first Iron Man and Thor: Ragnarok. However, Infinity […]

The Dark Knight Rises My hometown of Pittsburgh was the shooting location for The Dark Knight Rises. Plenty of movies, TV, and Netflix shows get made here, but the 2011 Dark Knight Rises production was BY FAR the coolest one. Our downtown is mostly high-rise […]

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night I really love the new Lanterns series on HBO. It’s definitely geared toward a more adult audience — much like the Star Wars spinoff, Andor. It also gives a True Detective vibe, as both of the protagonists are investigating […]

Web Letter Days The new Spider-Man was a great time at the theater. In my day job, most of my guitar students are young people and I’m surprised at the sheer love they have for (Tom Holland’s) Spider-Man. It’s reflected at the Box Office. We […]

Suite New Day I was surprised by how restrained “Suite New Day” is — the new Spider-Man theme from composer Michael Giacchino. It’s actually the End Credits theme, not the triumphant send-off you’d expect. But that’s my whole thing… restrained and cinematic, so naturally I […]

Supergirl Suite I love this new Supergirl theme from composer Claudia Sarne. To me, it has vibes of Hans Zimmer’s work on Man of Steel—the greatest Superman theme since the iconic John Williams piece. And by the way, I still don’t get the hate on […]

Your Choices, Your Actions This tender, acoustic-driven piece scores a quiet father-son moment in the latest Superman movie. After a transmission from his biological parents, Clark fears he was sent to Earth to “hurt people.” Pa Kent’s answer is quiet but powerful: it’s not destiny that […]

Superman In December 2024, James Gunn posted a graphic on Instagram announcing the Superman (2025) trailer. The audio featured an ethereal, slightly Celtic reimagining of John Williams’ original theme. I thought it was stunning, and I immediately grabbed my guitar to start working on a […]

Bathroom Dance Todd Phillips’ 2019 film, Joker, is a gritty exploration of mental health and societal alienation. The film follows Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian who descends into madness, culminating in a city-wide uprising. The film’s haunting atmosphere is greatly enhanced by the dread-filled soundtrack […]

Rooftop Kiss This a beautiful piece of music from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). It’s by the late composer, James Horner, who also composed the music for modern classic film’s like Titanic, Braveheart, and Legends of the Fall. The song is from a romantic and well […]

All Life Has Meaning Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was an excellent send off for the Guardians crew. The movie was actually pretty violent, both graphically and thematically. My son is 8 at the time of this writing, and Guardians 3 pressed his (and […]