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Monsters University (Original Soundtrack)
Monsters University (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Randy Newman
Released	June 18, 2013
Recorded	2012–2013
Studio	Sony Scoring Stage, Sony Pictures; Eastwood Scoring Stage, Warner Bros.;
Genre	Film soundtrack
Length	55:11
Label	Walt Disney
Producer	Randy Newman; David Boucher;
Randy Newman chronology
Pixar soundtrack chronology

Monsters University (Original Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2013 film Monsters University directed by Dan Scanlon. The album accompanies 20 tracks featuring musical score composed by Randy Newman and the original song "Roar" performed by Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso from the Swedish House Mafia. The soundtrack was released through Walt Disney Records on June 18, 2013.

Development

Monsters University featured music composed by longtime Pixar collaborator Randy Newman who scored Monsters, Inc. Scanlon felt that music was important to capture the "fun, freewheeling college atmosphere". The titular themes were recorded by the Pixar Canada studio team who were projected as the alma mater for the voices of the monster students. Newman used the clarinet for Mike's theme which changes as his character arc evolves, while the Oozma Kappa fraternity's music being represented with the accordion as a laidback shuffle to introduce Sulley.^[1]

Newman collaborated with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps group Blue Devils Entertainment to incorporate the percussion music so that it makes up for a collegiate sound; the percussions were recorded at the Skywalker Ranch and were written by Blue Devils percussion caption head Scott Johnson.^[2]^[3] Johannes Brahms' "Academic Festival Overture" is incorporated in the sequence when Mike is riding the pig. The 112-piece orchestra was recorded at the Sony Scoring Stage in Sony Pictures Studios and at the Eastwood Scoring Stage in Warner Bros. Studios.^[1]

"It’s really a fun song. I remember watching the animator work on this scene. As he played back the song, the artist at the next desk—who wasn’t even working on the movie—couldn’t help moving his feet. Obviously, that guy had been hearing that song for days, but yet the second he heard it, he just had to move his feet."

— Dan Scanlon, on the song "Roar"^[1]

Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso from the electronic supergroup Swedish House Mafia wrote the original song "Roar", that was featured in a frat party dance sequence and was the first electronic dance number composed for a Pixar film.^[4] According to Axwell, "We wanted to keep it funny, funky and at the same time a bit cool with a hint of monsters in it".^[1]

Release

Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack on June 18, 2013, three days prior to the film's release.^[5]^[6] The song "Roar" was preceded as the single on June 4, that was accompanied with the remixes of the track by Style of Eye and Yogi.^[1]

Critical reception

Filmtracks.com wrote "while it would have been nice to hear the Monsters, Inc. score extended and better defined in the prequel, it's clear that a completely new musical direction was intended for Monsters University. Unfortunately, while the overarching thematic continuity is improved, the general personality of the work fails to really grab you, much like the original."^[7] Corey Hall of Metro Times wrote "the jubilant marching band-inspired soundtrack, are enough to keep kids enthralled and parents amused."^[8] Martin Barratt of The Salvation Army wrote "The soundtrack from Oscar winner Randy Newman was especially enjoyable. The jazzed-up drumline marching band music has a wide range of emotions and really adds to the film."^[9] Kimberley Jones of The Austin Chronicle summarized "composer Randy Newman keeps the energy level high with his drumline-heavy score."^[10]

Track listing

All music is composed by Randy Newman

*Monsters University (Original Soundtrack)* track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Main Title"	0:52
2.	"Young Michael"	3:58
3.	"First Day at MU"	4:32
4.	"Dean Hardscrabble"	3:19
5.	"Sulley"	0:48
6.	"Scare Pig"	2:00
7.	"Wasted Potential"	1:16
8.	"Oozma Kappa"	3:16
9.	"Stinging Glow Urchin"	2:34
10.	"Field Trip"	3:57
11.	"Rise and Shine"	3:00
12.	"The Library"	3:44
13.	"Roar" (Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia)	2:55
14.	"The Scare Games"	6:00
15.	"Did You Do This?"	2:00
16.	"Human World"	2:07
17.	"The Big Scare"	3:02
18.	"Goodbyes"	3:11
19.	"Mike and Sulley"	1:12
20.	"Monsters University"	1:34
Total length:		55:15

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.^[11]

Music – Randy Newman
Music producer – David Boucher, Randy Newman
Recording and mixing – David Boucher
Mastering – Bob Ludwig
Music editor – Bruno Coon
Assistant music editor – Brenda Heins
Executive producer – Chris Montan
Musical assistance – Jill Heffley
Music co-ordinator – Ashley Chafin
Music supervisor – Tom MacDougall

Orchestra

Orchestration – Dan Higgins, J.A.C. Redford, Jeremy Lamb, Jonathan Sacks, Randy Newman
Concertmaster – Bruce Dukov
Orchestra conductor and leader – Randy Newman
Orchestra contractor – Gina Zimmitti, Sandy DeCrescent
Music preparation – JoAnn Kane Music Service

Instruments

Accordion – Dart Zubis, Nicholas Ariondo
Bass – Bruce Morgenthaler, Christian C. Kollgaard, Chuck Berghofer, David Parmeter, Ed Meares, Nico Abondolo, Oscar Hidalgo, Drew Dembowski
Bass Guitar – Bob Glaub, Davey Faragher
Bassoon – Kenneth Munday, Rose M. Corrigan, Michael O'Donovan
Cello – Antony Cooke, Armen Ksajikian, Cecilia Tsan, Christine Ermacoff, David Speltz, George Kim Scholes, Giovanna M. Clayton, John Walz, Paul A. Cohen, Stephen J. Erdody, Timothy E. Landauer, Dennis Karmazyn
Clarinet – Benjamin E. Lulich, Gary Bovyer, Ralph W. Williams, Stuart Clark
Drums – Matt Hankle, Pete Thomas
Flute – Benjamin M. Smolen, Jennifer L. Olson, Steve Kujala, Heather Clark
French horn – Daniel Kelley, David L. Everson, Mark Adams, Phillip Yao, Steven Becknell, James Thatcher
Guitar – George Doering, Timothy May, Val McCallum
Harp – JoAnn Turovsky, Marcia Dickstein
Oboe – Lara K. Wickes, Leslie Reed, Phillip Ayling
Organ – Mitchell Froom
Percussion – Alex Acuña, Don Williams, Luis Conte, Peter Limonick, Steven Schaeffer, Alan Estes
Piano – Alan Steinberger, Randy M. Kerber
Saxophone – Bill Liston, Daniel Higgins, Gregory Huckins, John Yoakum, Rusty Higgins
Timpani – Gregory Goodall
Trombone – Alex Iles, William Reichenbach, George B. Thatcher, William Booth
Trumpet – Barry E. Perkins, Daniel R. Fornero, David Washburn, Jon Lewis, Malcolm McNab
Tuba – Douglas Tornquist, James Self
Viola – Alma Fernandez, David Walther, Erik Rynearson, Keith Greene, Marlow Fisher, Matthew J. Funes, Michael Nowak, Robert A. Brophy, Roland Kato, Scott C. Hosfeld, Shawn P. Mann, Thomas M. Diener, Victoria E. Miskolczy, Brian Dembow
Violin – Aimee Kreston, Alyssa Park, Amy Hershberger, Ana Landauer, Anatoly Rosinsky, Aroussiak G. Baltaian, Dimitrie J. Leivici, Eun-Mee Ahn, Grace Oh, Helen Nightengale, Irina Voloshina, Jacqueline Brand, Jay Rosen, Jeanne Evans, Jeanne Skrocki, Julie Gigante, Lisa Sutton, Lorenz Gamma, Marc Sazer, Maria Newman, Natalie Leggett, Phillip I. Levy, Rafael Rishik, Richard Altenbach, Roger Wilkie, Sara Parkins, Sarah Thornblade, Serena McKinney, Tamara L. Hatwan, Tereza Stanislav

Accolades

Accolades for *Monsters University (Original Soundtrack)*
Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Result
Annie Awards^[12]^[13]	February 1, 2014	Music in an Animated Feature Production	Nominated

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Wolfe, Jennifer (May 23, 2013). "Soundtrack Announced for Pixar's 'Monsters University'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ "Blue Devils Press Release". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
^ "Blue Devils Staff Page". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
^ Mellor, Louisa (July 10, 2013). "34 geeky things you didn't know about Monsters University". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ "Walt Disney Records to Release Soundtracks for 'The Lone Ranger' and 'Monsters University'". Film Music Reporter. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
^ "Monsters University [CD + Weblink]: Music". Amazon.com. February 6, 2013. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
^ "Monsters University (Randy Newman)". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ Hall, Corey. "Film Review: Monsters University". Metro Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ Barratt, Martin (July 15, 2013). "Film review – Monsters University". The Salvation Army. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ Jones, Kimberley (June 21, 2013). "Movie Review: Monsters University". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ Randy Newman. Monsters University (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Walt Disney Records.
^ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 2, 2013). "'Frozen' & 'Monsters University' Dominate Annie Awards Nominations With 10 Each". Indiewire. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
^ Derks, David (December 2, 2013). "41st #AnnieAwards Nominations Announced". ASIFA-Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.