YOUR QUESTION

08/27/2020Legendus Maximus

Please note, I asked Clinton McKinnon this about 10 years ago and he told me I'd have to ask you...
Clearly mickey mousing is one of your favorite compositional techniques
Please fill in the gaps for the acts of Platypus

0:00 - The big bang
0:32 - The settling of the elements, primordial soup and all that sciencey stuff
0:40 - Single protein things folding, placoderms evolving and whatevermore sciencey evolution stuff
0:45 - Platypus is formed
0:47 - Platypus walks in its funky rhythm
1:01 - Platypus swims underwater
1:15 - Swims up for air
1:22 - Pops out from underwater and paddles around at the surface
1:33 - back on land
1:37 - It stings something
1:51 - Swimming up a creek i guess...?
2:12 - Walking around and stuff again
2:24 - Im kinda lost here
2:40 - Has a biologist found him here?
2:45 - Gets pissed at the biologist for pulling him out of the water
2:49 - Biologist analysing the platypus swimming around in a tank
Kind of more experiments and weird stuff going on
3:35 - Doing an autopsy on the platypus
Kinda lost after here

MY ANSWER

I disagree that micky-mousing is a favorite technique. Sure, I’ve used it, but sparingly. Your interpretation of the second-by-second take on Platypus is your own. I would only write music in that way, most likely, if it were for film and that many cues were necessary (unlikely). Sometimes music isn’t about anything. It could be a vehicle for an idea (such as the history of a monotreme) or simply, just sounds.