Where Do You Belong?

~Categorizing the degree of obsession!~

We are a unique community. There are perhaps a few thousand instrumental film music devotees on a global basis - the major fan base located in the US - but that's nothing compared to other music genres. In fact, some (the general masses, for example) would argue that film music is not a genre as such, but simply a tool in a larger filmmaking process. I won't go further into that now, however, as that topic is covered here.

Let me just say that, despite (or perhaps BECAUSE of) the limited society of individuals, most of us spent our first years of obsession unaware of the fact that other, equally interested fans existed out there!

That is, at least untill the internet arrived just a few years ago. Untill then, the poor fan would have to survive simply by picking up pieces here and there - from magazines, books, perhaps a few cross-atlantic letters and the occasional newspaper piece in the upper corner of the page.

The internet eventually unleached a tidal wave of information for the starving fan. And not only that: He/she was now also able to communicate rapidly with "brothers and sisters" by e-mail or contributing to the large number of messageboards and online communities that cropped up everywhere.

Not only did this result in a higher musical self-esteem as a result of the validation of our interest by "colleagues", an interest that perhaps had been mocked and neglected by our friends and family for quite some time.

We also discovered that, despite our shared interest, we were actually very different people with vastly differing opinions. I won't even dare to go into the battles that plagued the rec.music.movies newsgroup the first years, but suffice it to say that you would be surprised at the level of below-the-belt remarks made by the socalled "equalminded" fan!

Furthermore, we also came to realize that there are several LEVELS of interest, e.g. to a certain composer. "Well, of course!", you say. And, yes, perhaps it's obvious, but I thought it would be interesting to list some of these levels, so that you perhaps, when a certain composer is discussed or mentioned, can use these tags to describe your relationship to them.

OK, here we go:

LEVEL 1: THE COMPLETIST

This is the guy who needs to get everything a composer has ever laid his hands on, no matter the availability. This is the only level that resembles the mind of a collector, the one whose priorities is more to the item  than the actual music. The difference, though, is that the completist usually also loves the music of the composer, and that's why he collects his/her works in the first place. Sometimes, as in my case (I'm a Williams and Elfman completist), they even turn to criminal activities - obtaining bootlegs. The medical term would be obsession...

LEVEL 2: THE FAN

This is the guy who adores the overall music of a composer, to the degree of fanaticism (as is what the term is short for, if you didn't know). As opposed to the completist, he may not want everything the composer has done, though, but as he identifies strongly with the man's or woman's music, at least enough to satisfy the urgent need...

LEVEL 3: THE CASUAL LISTENER

This is the guy who respects a certain composer's output, but is very selective as to what soundtracks of him/her that he buys - usually only the ones that are historical "must-haves" or simply scores that he likes.

LEVEL 4: THE CRITIC

This is the guy who is not too keen on a certain composer's music, but admits that he/she has come up with at least one or two great pieces of work in his/her career, and that that person perhaps should have stuck with the style present in those particular scores.

LEVEL 5: THE YET-TO-BE-CONVINCED

This is the guy who does not fancy a certain composer's music, and has yet to be convinced that it is actual good stuff. He does not obtain music composed by that person unless it is given to him in order to change his mind. He DOES have an open attitude to a future, possible change-of-heart, though.

LEVEL 6: THE PREJUDICED

This level is actually quite arguable as it describes the guy who states he HATES (or similarly strong words) a composer's music and nothing in the world can make him change his mind. This attitude is so chilidish and immature, though, that it thus questions the validity of this entire last level.

So, there it is. I realize that some of the lines between the different levels are rather blurred, but these are my own personal interpretations of the current soundtrack afficcionado, and not a rigid, by-the-book category index.

I'm sure that, if you think about it, you can use these tags to cover your relationship to composers such as Williams, Goldsmith, Zimmer, Elfman, Horner etc.

And yet, I'm sure I've overlooked someone (?)....