The Role of the Tuba in John Williams's Film Scores for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2017 Of Sharks and Spaceships: The Role of the Tuba in John Williams's Film Scores for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind Stephen Davis Turner University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons, Fine Arts Commons, and the Music Commons Repository Citation Turner, Stephen Davis, "Of Sharks and Spaceships: The Role of the Tuba in John Williams's Film Scores for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (2017). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3053. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/10986219 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). 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OF SHARKS AND SPACESHIPS: THE ROLE OF THE TUBA IN JOHN WILLIAMS’S FILM SCORES FOR JAWS AND CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND By Stephen Davis Turner Bachelor of Music University of South Carolina 1994 Bachelor of Music Education K-12 Kennesaw State University 2008 Master of Music University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music 1996 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts School of Music College of Fine Arts The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2017 Copyright 2017 Stephen Davis Turner All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas March 22, 2017 This dissertation prepared by Stephen Turner entitled Of Sharks and Spaceships: The Role of the Tuba in John Williams’s Film Scores for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts School of Music Jonathan Lee, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean William Bernatis, M.M. Examination Committee Member Daniel Brown, D.M.A. Examination Committee Member Nathan Tanouye, M.M. Examination Committee Member David Loeb, M.M. Examination Committee Member Beth Mehocic, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii ABSTRACT Of Sharks and Spaceships: The Role of the Tuba in John Williams’s Film Scores for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind By Stephen Davis Turner Dr. Jonathan Rhodes Lee, Examination Committee Chair Assistant Professor of Musicology University of Nevada, Las Vegas This document examines John Williams’s use of the tuba in his film scores. This unique timbral element has significant narrative implications in these movies. Film music scholarship is more often concerned with the questions of psychoanalysis, gendered readings, and other theoretical apparatuses than with how film composers score for individual instruments. My research aims to shift this focus by demonstrating that Williams used the tuba in his scores for more than typical “underscoring” or standard sectional playing, but as an integral part of the film narrative to be noticed and “read” by audiences. In both Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the role of the tuba is significant to the aural and musical framework of their storylines. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Some of my fondest memories are of movies and the music associated with them. Before I arrived at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I was not aware of the discourses that exist within the study of film music. I would like to thank Dr. Jonathan Rhodes Lee for introducing me to this area of study and for his support and enthusiasm about my topic. A special thank you to Dr. Daniel Brown, who has been such an important figure during my time at UNLV and will continue to be after I graduate. My thanks are also owed to the rest of my advisory committee, Professor William Bernatis, Professor David Loeb, Professor Nathan Tanouye, and Dr. Beth Mehocic. I want to express special appreciation for my former teacher at University of South Carolina, Dr. Ronald Davis. His kindness and encouragement during a bleak period gave me the amount of confidence I needed pursue this degree. I am humbled by finally meeting Jim Self. When researching how tuba is used in film, there is not a better person to help. Jim, your kindness and hospitality will never be forgotten. Thank you to Dr. Andrea Strauss, who has been one of my favorite mentors; I appreciate her support. Finally, I’m grateful to my late father. He told me that I would get my doctorate, even though I didn’t believe him. I would also like to thank my mom, Cecilia Turner; my sister, Debbie Jones; and my brother, Robbie Turner. Last, but not least, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to William Macedo for his love and sacrifice during this whole process. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF EXAMPLES vii CHAPTER 1: MOTIVIC AND TIMBRAL ANALYTICAL METHODS 1 Terminology Materials and Analytical Approach Film Releases and Versioning CHAPTER 2: JAWS 13 The Opening Credits “The Dead of Night” “Face-to-Face” “Chrissie’s Last Swim” and “Blood on the Beach” th “July 4 ” The Solos CHAPTER 3: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND 33 Two Plots The Motives “The Conversation” CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 60 APPENDIX A: ANALYSIS TABLE FOR JAWS 64 APPENDIX B: ANALYSIS TABLE FOR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, 83 “THE CONVERSATION” APPENDIX C: A COMPARISON OF THREE VERSIONS OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 89 THIRD KIND (1977, 1980, 1998) APPENDIX D: TRANSCRIPTION: INTERVIEW WITH JIM SELF (EXCERPTS) 92 APPENDIX E: UNLV SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL IRB – EXEMPT NOTICE 97 BIBLIOGRAPHY 98 CURRICULUM VITAE 101 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Example of analysis table for Close Encounters of the Third Kind 10 Figure 2.1 Jaws title in the opening credits 16 Figure 2.2 Captain Blood (1935) title in the opening credits 17 Figure 2.3 Superman: The Movie (1978) title in the opening credits 17 Figure 2.4 Analysis table of the opening credits from Jaws (0:00:06–0:01:18) 18 Figure 2.5 Analysis table. Jaws. “The Dead of Night” (0:49:14–0:49:47) 20 Figure 2.6 Jaws. Hooper dislodging shark’s tooth with knife 21 Figure 2.7 Analysis table. Jaws. “Face-to-Face” (1:21:02–1:21:50) 23 Figure 2.8 Still image. Jaws. “Chrissie’s Last Swim” 25 Figure 2.9 Still image. Jaws. “Blood on the Beach” 27 Figure 3.1 Diagram depicting the two plots and their convergence in 35 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Figure 3.2 Still image. Mountain image in Fantasia (1940) and 40 Devil’s Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind Figure 3.3 Still image. Music box in the Neary home playing 43 When You Wish Upon a Star Figure 3.4 Still image. Roy gets his wish 44 Figure 3.5 Timeline of motive introductions in Close Encounters of the Third Kind 46 Figure 3.6 Still image. “The Conversation” in Box Canyon in 47 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Figure 3.7 La même chose. Intervallic relationships between the motives 58 vi LIST OF EXAMPLES Example 2.1 “Attack Motive” (Audissino, Darby, and Du Bois call “Primary Motive”) 15 Example 2.2 “Shark Motive” (Audissino’s “Secondary Motive”/Darby and 15 Du Bois’s “Strange Fanfare”) Example 2.3 First tuba solo played over “attack motive” Jaws in the opening credits 29 Example 2.4 Second tuba solo played over “attack motive” in Jaws “The Dead of Night” 30 Example 3.1 The “Five Tones” motive in Close Encounters of the Third Kind 37 Example 3.2 The “Dies irae” motive in Close Encounters of the Third Kind 38 Example 3.3 The “Fate is Kind” motive in Close Encounters of the Third Kind 41 Example 3.4 When You Wish Upon a Star motive in Close Encounters of the Third Kind 42 Example 3.5 “The Conversation,” Excerpt 1, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 49 Example 3.6 “The Conversation,” Excerpt 2, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 51 Example 3.7 “The Conversation,” Excerpt 3, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 52 Example 3.8 “The Conversation,” Excerpt 4, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 53 Example 3.9 Mm. 1–2 of Example 3.8 “Dies irae,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 55 Example 3.10 Mm. 5–6 of Example 3.8 “Fate is Kind,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 55 Example 3.11 Mm. 7–8 of Example 3.8 “Dies irae,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 55 Example 3.12 Mm. 9–10 of Example 3.8 “Fate is Kind,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 56 Example 3.13 Mm. 11–12 of Example 3.8 “Fate is Kind,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 56 Example 3.14 Mm. 13–14 of Example 3.8 The “Five Tones,” Close Encounters of the 56 Third Kind Example 3.15 Mm. 15–16 of Example 3.8 “Fate is Kind,” Close Encounters of the Third Kind 56 vii CHAPTER 1: MOTIVIC AND TIMBRAL ANALYTICAL METHODS This document examines John Williams’s use of the tuba in his film scores.

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