A tribute to classic cartoon music.

It's celebration time for children. November 14th, is celebrated as Children's Day in India. Schools, play-schools, city malls, join in the celebrations by organising various events for children on this day. Television channels also showcase children's movies on children's day. The Children's Film Society of India also organises the National Children's Film Festival at this time of the year in view of the children's day celebrations.

It's always a pleasure to reminisce our childhood years. In India, television was in its nascent stage four to five decades ago. Children would eagerly look forward to watch national television on weekends. The childrens' hour was dedicated to children's songs, dance and cartoon shows.

Cartoons are undoubtedly linked with our childhood. Classic cartoon shows are packed with fun, loads of energy and silly pranks that can only be possible in cartoon shows and not for real.

Cartoon characters have an aura of friendliness around them. They never grow old, weary or tired. They wear no make-up and have no flaws to hide. They remain with us just the way they are for years to come.

Today we take a look at an inseparable element of cartoon shows that has arguably been the back-bone of all classic cartoon shows: Classic Cartoon Music.

Here is a tribute to some of the most famous classic cartoon music tunes of all time.

Musical Toons!!!

Mute the sound button the next time you watch a classic cartoon show and you will know what's missing. It is difficult to imagine cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse, Chip and Dale or Bugs Bunny, without the musical scores that gave definition to these cartoons. It was the music that brought these cartoons to life, characterising their movements, gestures, every bang and boom!

Music composers became famous for their cartoon musical scores. Scott Bradley, one of the famous cartoon music composers of the 20th century, became popular for his musical scores in Tom and Jerry. So also, Bert Lewis and Wilfred Jackson became famous for the music of the Mickey Mouse debut film "Steamboat Willie." Music composer Carl Stalling was the man behind the music for several Disney cartoons. Raymond Scott is known for his tunes in cartoons such as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. In fact, in the 1940s and 1950s, cartoon music became an iconic genre of music with accomplished music composers penning down music scores for cartoon shows.

Classic cartoon music originated back in the 1920s. The first cartoon with synchronised sound was "Steamboat Willie," produced in 1928. Walt Disney's popular character 'Mickey Mouse' made his debut in this film. This black-and-white cartoon is such a pleasure to watch even today. The basic concept of cartoon shows was based on synchronisation of the animation with music.

The creation of cartoons was such that the animation would be created first and the music would be composed to suit the animation. Thus the music would support the action of the animation. However, this began to change in the 1930s' when Scott Bradley, composed music for the Warner Brothers' cartoon show "Tom and Jerry". Bradley began to compose the music first and then the animation was done to suit the music.

The other side to cartoon music was the use of popular classical music scores by composers such as Rossini, Strauss, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and other western classical music composers. Some of those which gained popularity include " Mickey Mouse and Friends- The Band Concert ( 1935)" which uses Rossini's William Tell Overture. Bugs Bunny does the "Rabbit of Seville" using Rossini's Barber of Seville overture. "Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl" is also one of the most memorable cartoons with Tom conducting an orchestra and Jerry being the occasional intruder. The compositions of Johann Strauss II's Overture of "Die Fledermaus" are used in this cartoon. The Warner Brothers "Looney Tunes-Pigs in a Polka" uses another familiar composition "Johannes Brahms Hungarian dances." The list is endless.

These classic cartoons which were created more than half a century ago can be viewed even today on popular websites.  These cartoons are an excellent way to unwind the day. If you have children at your home, a classic cartoon show once in a while will do good and make a child happy for sure. So " Thats All Folks" enjoy those looney tunes!

Writers' favourite:

"Mickey Mouse and Friends- The Band concert"- This is a cartoon which shows Mickey Mouse trying to conduct an orchestra, while Donald Duck plays an endless number of flutes (try counting the flutes). Mickey is adorable and the music that plays is Rossini's William Tell overture. The cartoon ends on a hilarious note. Worth a watch!

You can watch this cartoon on youtube.com and enjoy Mickey and Donald doing the crazy things they do.

For music buffs:

Here is a list of music CD's that you can add to your music collection or gift them to your children or anyone who loves music. These CD's can be purchased online on popular shopping websites.

Cartoon Music CD's that are a must have for all cartoon lovers:

1. TOON TIME: Classical music from classic cartoons (2008)

2. That's All Folks! Cartoon songs from Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes

3. The Carl Stalling Project: Volume 1 and The Carl Stalling Project: Volume 2

4. Classic Disney's : Vol 1, 2 and 3

5. Toon Tunes: Funny Bone Favourites

and many more...............

Check out this space every month for more music related content. If you are a music buff and would like to share anything about music please drop in a line in the comments section. Will be glad to hear from you.

November 13, 2014