Monstrous Music

BURBANK, Calif. (May 22, 2013) – Disney-Pixar’s “Monsters University” rocks theaters this summer featuring music from award-winning composer Randy Newman and Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia. Filmmakers also tapped the Atlanta-based hard rock band Mastodon to serenade one the film’s new monsters. Directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae, “Monsters University” hits theaters June 21, 2013, with the short film “The Blue Umbrella,” which features music by composer Jon Brion and vocals by Sarah Jaffe.

“We wanted to capture the college feel in ‘Monsters University,'” said Scanlon, “and music is a big part of that. The score and the inclusion of other great musicians like Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso [of Swedish House Mafia] and Mastodon help us convey a fun, freewheeling college atmosphere.”

Newman Scores!
Oscar®- Grammy®- and Emmy®-winning composer/songwriter Newman is back, marking his seventh Disney-Pixar film. The 20-time Oscar nominee’s wins include “If I Didn’t Have You” for “Monsters, Inc.” and “We Belong Together” for “Toy Story 3.” The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member created a full Alma Mater titled “Monsters University,” establishing a recurring collegiate theme. “We recruited the team at Pixar Canada to record the Alma Mater,” said Scanlon. “We needed a giant crowd of crazy monster students to be singing it and the Canada team was great for this-the end result is sort of perfectly ‘off.’ Actually, the first time we recorded it, it was really good. I had to say, ‘Guys, these are college students at a sporting event, let’s mess it up a little bit.'”

Newman added a unique flair to his score, calling on renowned international drum corps The Blue Devils to contribute a definitively collegiate sound. The composer also incorporated concert band music to exemplify the feeling of being in school. In fact, said Newman, “There’s a little bit of Brahms’ ‘Academic Festival Overture’ when Mike is riding the pig. I like to think Brahms would be extremely flattered by his inclusion in the score.”

The score-recorded with a 112-piece orchestra-features a few character themes, including an accordion tune to help illustrate the less-than-cool status of the Oozma Kappa fraternity; a laidback shuffle to introduce Sulley; and the aspiring Scare student Mike Wazowski is often accompanied by a clarinet that, Newman notes, changes as Mike’s character arc evolves.