First Position
Chris Hajian
" An effective documentary score that supports rather than over-dramatises the subject matter. "Written by Alan Rogers - Review of the promotional release
Bess Kargman's debut documentary First Position follows, over the space of a year, the experiences of a group of young gifted ballet dancers (aged nine to nineteen) as they attempt to reach and compete in the Youth American Grand Prix, a youth ballet competition that awards ballet school scholarships to the best young ballet performers from around the world. New York composer Chris Hajian, perhaps best known for his scores for a number of Alex Zamm comedies such as Inspector Gadget 2, Beverley Hills Chihuahua 2 and Tooth Fairy 2, continues to add to his growing portfolio of scores for documentary films (e.g., Nursery University and Unraveled) with his score for First Position. With the film-makers electing to focus on the individual background stories and motivations of the children, Hajian's score highlights the pressures and emotional highs and lows of the childrens' endeavours to succeed in their chosen discipline and the sacrifices made by both the children and those around them.
“The Competition – Opening” establishes a number of musical ideas that are used throughout the score. Careful instrument choice adds a contemporary feel to this first track, using both drum kit and synthesisers to give a modern, urban tone with a bustling, busy quality that reflects city life (competitors come from all walks of life, many of them perhaps experiencing the big city environment for the first time). The use of synth strings adds a classical dimension as a reminder of the classical music used as part of the ballet competition and piano adds a further colour to the music. In fact, the piano plays an important part in the score as a whole. Tracks such as “Dealing With The Pain”, “Backstage Breakdown” and “Testing Her Injury” use simple piano chords to add an emotional depth that enhances the emotions generated by the unfolding narrative of the film. The simplicity of the music here succeeds in not having the music dictating an audience's emotional response to what's on-screen. This is an aspect of documentary music composition that composer's always need to balance and Hajian's emphasis on small-scale instrumentation helps maintain that balance. The contemporary feel to the score and in particular the recurring use of strong ostinato rhythms (for example, in tracks such as “Preparation” and “Michaela's Moment”) seems a surprising choice for a film that so heavily features references to classical ballet music (during competition) and the melding the score with the source music posed particular problems for the composer. It's difficult to gauge how successful Hajian is in achieving this fusion in a pleasing way without hearing his music in the context of the film itself, but comments from those who have seen the film have been positive and seem to vindicate the composer's extensive efforts at integrating his contemporary score with the classical source music.
With the emphasis on a contemporary style of writing for drum rhythms, synthesisers and strong ostinato (this latter device adding a high degree of tension to the score), the inclusion by Hajian of musical styles reflecting the geographical origins of the children is a welcome injection of variety. Although some aspects of this strategy do seem somewhat laboured (e.g., the use of accordion in “He's French”), subtle use of marimba-styled instrumentation for Michaela DePrince (“Adoption”) and Latin-style acoustic guitar for homesick Colombian-born Joan Sebastian Zamora are effective at subtly fleshing out their background. This effectiveness is particularly strong when portraying the emotional journey of Joan: Hajian's use of strong Latin-style acoustic guitar in “Joan Intro – NYC” seems to reflect Joan's wide-eyed enthusiasm whereas a more emotional and reflective tone to the acoustic guitar points to the emotions brought about by Joan's homesick feelings for family back home in Colombia (“Missing His Family”).
Overall, Hajian's score ably projects the film's emphasis on the emotional ups and downs of the gifted ballet dancers as they attempt to win through against the odds. The score subtly enhances the emotions felt by the children/young adults and only occasionally does the composer “let rip” with some overt dramatisation of the score – but only when the film requires it (e.g., “The Awards – Part 1” and “Joan Receives Scholarship”). Although there are a few occasions where the limitations of the synth origins of some of the strings can be heard (this is a personal quirk I have where I tend to be disappointed when scores use samples that betray their electronic origins), my overall impression is very positive. Chris Hajian's score for First Position is an enjoyable listen that never disappoints when listened to as a stand-alone listening experience. Currently available only as a composer promo, Hajian's score is an ideal title for one of several labels looking to release quality scores for widespread distribution and appreciation.
Track Listing
1. The Competition - Opening (2.11)
2. Preparation (2.09)
3. He's French (0.36)
4. Dance Class (0.33)
5. Adoption (1.36)
6. Sacrificing It All (2.00)
7. Joan Intro - NYC (1.04)
8. Missing His Family (1.17)
9. Dealing With The Pain (1.49)
10. Michaela's Injury (1.40)
11. Going To NYC (2.22)
12. Backstage Breakdown (1.38)
13. Testing Her Injury (1.07)
14. Michaela's Moment (2.10)
15. Judges' Decision (1.26)
16. The Awards - Part 1 (2.58)
17. The Awards - Part 2 (3.36)
18. Joan Receives Scholarship (0.39)
19. Epilogue (1.43)
Total Length: 32.44
“The Competition – Opening” establishes a number of musical ideas that are used throughout the score. Careful instrument choice adds a contemporary feel to this first track, using both drum kit and synthesisers to give a modern, urban tone with a bustling, busy quality that reflects city life (competitors come from all walks of life, many of them perhaps experiencing the big city environment for the first time). The use of synth strings adds a classical dimension as a reminder of the classical music used as part of the ballet competition and piano adds a further colour to the music. In fact, the piano plays an important part in the score as a whole. Tracks such as “Dealing With The Pain”, “Backstage Breakdown” and “Testing Her Injury” use simple piano chords to add an emotional depth that enhances the emotions generated by the unfolding narrative of the film. The simplicity of the music here succeeds in not having the music dictating an audience's emotional response to what's on-screen. This is an aspect of documentary music composition that composer's always need to balance and Hajian's emphasis on small-scale instrumentation helps maintain that balance. The contemporary feel to the score and in particular the recurring use of strong ostinato rhythms (for example, in tracks such as “Preparation” and “Michaela's Moment”) seems a surprising choice for a film that so heavily features references to classical ballet music (during competition) and the melding the score with the source music posed particular problems for the composer. It's difficult to gauge how successful Hajian is in achieving this fusion in a pleasing way without hearing his music in the context of the film itself, but comments from those who have seen the film have been positive and seem to vindicate the composer's extensive efforts at integrating his contemporary score with the classical source music.
With the emphasis on a contemporary style of writing for drum rhythms, synthesisers and strong ostinato (this latter device adding a high degree of tension to the score), the inclusion by Hajian of musical styles reflecting the geographical origins of the children is a welcome injection of variety. Although some aspects of this strategy do seem somewhat laboured (e.g., the use of accordion in “He's French”), subtle use of marimba-styled instrumentation for Michaela DePrince (“Adoption”) and Latin-style acoustic guitar for homesick Colombian-born Joan Sebastian Zamora are effective at subtly fleshing out their background. This effectiveness is particularly strong when portraying the emotional journey of Joan: Hajian's use of strong Latin-style acoustic guitar in “Joan Intro – NYC” seems to reflect Joan's wide-eyed enthusiasm whereas a more emotional and reflective tone to the acoustic guitar points to the emotions brought about by Joan's homesick feelings for family back home in Colombia (“Missing His Family”).
Overall, Hajian's score ably projects the film's emphasis on the emotional ups and downs of the gifted ballet dancers as they attempt to win through against the odds. The score subtly enhances the emotions felt by the children/young adults and only occasionally does the composer “let rip” with some overt dramatisation of the score – but only when the film requires it (e.g., “The Awards – Part 1” and “Joan Receives Scholarship”). Although there are a few occasions where the limitations of the synth origins of some of the strings can be heard (this is a personal quirk I have where I tend to be disappointed when scores use samples that betray their electronic origins), my overall impression is very positive. Chris Hajian's score for First Position is an enjoyable listen that never disappoints when listened to as a stand-alone listening experience. Currently available only as a composer promo, Hajian's score is an ideal title for one of several labels looking to release quality scores for widespread distribution and appreciation.
Track Listing
1. The Competition - Opening (2.11)
2. Preparation (2.09)
3. He's French (0.36)
4. Dance Class (0.33)
5. Adoption (1.36)
6. Sacrificing It All (2.00)
7. Joan Intro - NYC (1.04)
8. Missing His Family (1.17)
9. Dealing With The Pain (1.49)
10. Michaela's Injury (1.40)
11. Going To NYC (2.22)
12. Backstage Breakdown (1.38)
13. Testing Her Injury (1.07)
14. Michaela's Moment (2.10)
15. Judges' Decision (1.26)
16. The Awards - Part 1 (2.58)
17. The Awards - Part 2 (3.36)
18. Joan Receives Scholarship (0.39)
19. Epilogue (1.43)
Total Length: 32.44