[Listening extract, audio available. See printed QP for questions.] In an animated film, a xylophone matches each of a character's footsteps. (a) Name the t...

(a) The technique where music closely follows and mirrors on-screen physical movement is called Mickey-Mousing. [1]

The term comes from early Walt Disney animated cartoons, where the music was composed to match every action precisely: footsteps, falls, jumps, and gestures each had a corresponding musical sound effect. In this example, the xylophone plays a note for each of the character's footsteps, synchronising the music exactly with the visual movement. Mickey-Mousing can be effective for comedy or animation, but in more serious film scoring it is often used sparingly because too-literal musical imitation of action can seem cartoonish.

(b) Two ways the orchestra could create tension as the character approaches a locked door (any two for [2]):

1. Crescendo: The orchestra could play a gradual crescendo (getting louder) as the character gets closer to the door, building a sense of increasing intensity and anticipation. The growing volume mirrors the character's approach and raises the audience's sense of unease. [1]
2. Low sustained notes: Low, sustained notes on cellos or double basses could create a dark, ominous atmosphere, as deep pitches are naturally associated with threat and foreboding. [1]
3. Tremolo: A tremolo on the strings (rapid repetition or alternation of notes) could build suspense through its restless, shimmering quality. [1]
4. Accelerating tempo: A gradual increase in tempo could raise the sense of urgency, making the audience feel the character is running out of time. [1]
5. Dissonance: Layering in dissonant harmonies or chromatic movement could create harmonic tension and unease. [1]
6. Textural contrast: The texture could be reduced to a single quiet instrument before a sudden loud chord at the moment the character reaches the door, using silence and contrast to maximise the shock. [1]