My Pal Tony and his Scary Music

Sometime ago this last fall (actually August, but who’s counting) as I was prepping for my Halloween haunt I was I was approached by my Twitter/Facebook buddy from the UK, Tony Longworth, to add some my music to my haunt.  He is a film soundtrack composer and is part of a dark industrial band.  I really dig on his sound but my first thought about music at a haunted attraction was “Ugh.”  I have been against using music at haunted attractions because they are usually some hybrid of Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN or something schlocky and hackish that you would hear on those lame Halloween CD’s sold at the costume stores during the season.   

However Tony insisted.  He sent me some tracks to convince me that I needed to do it.  I can tell you that I am now taking back everything I have said about using music in my haunt.

Tony has written music for these type of haunts that will get under your skin.  You do not realize that you are listening music at first due to the fact it is raising the hairs on the back of your neck.  That tracks I used Halloween night demonstrated perfectly that if used in the right conditions, music can invoke emotions.  In this case, fear and dread.  One track in particular, I found it gave a sense of oppression in the air bearing down on you.  Very unnerving…and I loved every second of it.

Now, you take Tony’s music, couple it with some high quality sound effects, great sound system, mood lighting and some scary props (some mechanical) you will get some crying children.  I seriously had children that refused to come to the door and were crying.  I didn’t make it any better by coming to them in my undertaker costume and a shovel from the graveyard I built.  This last Halloween was my best yet and a big part was thanks to Mr. Longworth.

Here is some video of my haunt using Tony's music...

In any case, if you are looking set the PROPER mood for a haunted attraction, professionally or for home, you really need to look up Tony Longworth over at Sinister Symphonies.  His great sense of the dark and macabre in writing this music is perfect and I don’t think I will have it any other way now.  

Me looking like a tool during the setup of my haunt...