Nothing is short-hand for emotional context quite like music. It’s storable, sharable, available, and designed to create an emotional and physical response by artists who largely specialise in just the wonder of music.

While music is open to interpretation, many experiences are fairly universal. Let’s talk about the how and the function of using music in a campaign session.

Emotional Context for Scenes

If you’re running a game, nothing gets all your players into the same headspace like playing the same music for all of them.

Players can interpret words in completely different ways (and pick up cues you weren’t trying to drop), but usually the same miscommunication doesn’t happen in music. Playing Metallica’s “Kill ‘Em All” album during a boss fight is going to create adrenaline. Likewise, playing Regina Spektor’s “All The Rowboats” will probably create existential dread that can help increase the tension for a dramatic scene.

Describing an adorable circus scene hits differently if music like “Happy Circus”is twinkling in the background, versus, say, “Too Many Angels”.

Video games, television, and movies have primed us to comprehend background music as emotional context. Because these mediums are not physical, and exist largely in our imagination, music helps fill in the gaps.

Building a Character’s Headspace

This might just be me, but it’s a strategy that works awesome. I tart character building with building a playlist of their theme music.

I take a walk, and I start mixing together songs, seeing what fits with my idea, what doesn’t, and it’s magic. The feedback loop teaches me about the character, creates puzzle pieces for their psychology I can fit together to create a more cohesive picture. Contrasting genres build their internal struggles, and I can feel the pull between those conflicting parts. Plus, for characters from another decade, nothing quite hits like listening to music from the character’s childhood and adolescence.

Coincidentally, this works great for villains as well. That said, I get my best results from using one artist predominantly per NPC. First, it’s easier to hit the right emotional note by wrapping a character around a song (rather than trying to figure out the reverse; always start from the hardest requirement). Second, the consistency of a single artist means your players will know what’s happening; if they’ve been hearing Warlock for three sessions, they’re going to be familiar with the artist and know their nemesis is going to make an Entrance.

Most importantly? It gets people to the headspace faster through Behavioural Cueing.

Creating Behavioural Cues

This is about a slightly different point than solely creating Emotional Context, or even exploring and defining a character. Music can also get everyone back to the same place emotionally.

Want to give players hope again after a crushing second act defeat, only to see their old friend again, ready to help and fight the good fight? Play their theme music. Are you genuinely having trouble focusing on writing your campaign’s next session? Play the campaign’s theme music, and watch yourself get back to the mindset faster. Used correctly, music basically creates a save file for your brain, and helps when you’re tired, stressed, and trying to enjoy yourself anyway.

Now, this can backfire. Music is best when it’s a light touch. Take half-steps, not giant leaps, or risk creating dissonance and losing people. But, done correctly, you can create a ramp from wherever you were to wherever you want to go through the emotional language of music.

Parting Words

Use music! Take big, campy swings every once in a while. If James Gunn can do it, so can you. Start slow, start with your favourites, and grow this skill to make your games deeper and more interesting.