Reel Music

Series produced by WDAV Classical Public Radio

Series image

Reel Music takes your listeners to the movies every week for an hour of orchestral themes from cinema's best film scores. The show is music-centric, with intriguing but brief commentary from host and producer Matt Rogers, who mixes in the occasional vintage snack bar announcement for a fun, nostalgic experience.

Reel Music is a great entry point for new listeners, who may know more about movies than they do classical music, and it provides an entertaining break from routine for seasoned classical listeners who also appreciate a good film score.

The show is 59:00 and comes in three segments. Segment 2 is always a :45 music bed for underwriting during the floating break.

Reel Music is a co-production of WDAV and KBACH. New episodes drop on Sunday. For more information, contact Matt Rogers at KBACH in Phoenix.

NOTE: Episodes are free. There is a $100 subscription fee per year.


Additional Files

18 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Reel Music logo
Sometimes terrific scores get overlooked, either because the movie underperformed at the box office, or because some other more popular composer st...

  • Added: Aug 06, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Lost at sea, stranded on an island, caught in a blizzard on the side of a mountain: desperate times call for expert composers. We'll explore themes...

  • Added: Aug 13, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Elmer Bernstein wrote more than 150 original film scores. He received 14 Oscar nominations and had one win. His scores include True Grit (1969), Th...

  • Added: Aug 20, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
We’ll honor those rare sequels that outshined their predecessors. Grab a snack and sit back as we sample themes from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kha...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Films as diverse in style as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The Mission, The Untouchables, Cinema Paradiso, and Exorcist II: The Heretic feature ...

  • Added: Sep 03, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Peter Cushing appeared in more than a hundred films across six decades. He played everything from Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. Who, and often leant an a...

  • Added: Sep 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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This time on Reel Music, we’re celebrating the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx film composers who have left their mark on Hollywood: Lalo Schi...

  • Added: Sep 17, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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If you need to get away from it all, tune in for a trip around the world. It's an hour of scores from movies set in exotic locales. Enjoy themes fr...

  • Added: Sep 25, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
More often than not, the book is better than the movie. But there are exceptions: The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, The Silence ...

  • Added: Oct 02, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Hollywood loves a biopic. Filmmakers enjoy more artistic license than they would on a straight up biography, and actors know the path to Oscar ofte...

  • Added: Oct 09, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Philip Glass is one of today’s most influential composers. You can hear his works in the opera house, the concert hall, and the movie theater. He’s...

  • Added: Oct 15, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Look out! The monsters are loose! Enjoy themes written for Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, The Mummy, and more.

  • Added: Oct 24, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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With 22 Oscar nominations and four wins, Dimitri Tiomkin left us decades worth of incredible film scores. You’ll hear his best: High Noon, It’s a W...

  • Added: Oct 29, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
Conflict, bravery, sacrifice, victory—elements of the Hollywood war film. On the next Reel Music, we’ll sample themes from Glory, Darkest Hour, Thi...

  • Added: Nov 05, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
Caption: Reel Music logo
We’re traveling back in time—way back—for music from movies with prehistoric plots. You’ll hear themes from Ice Age, Jurassic Park, Cave of Forgott...

  • Added: Nov 12, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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Grab some leftover turkey and dressing, and settle in for an hour of themes from movies that capture the essence of small town America: The Grapes ...

  • Added: Nov 19, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
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We’re off to Hogwarts on this edition of Reel Music. We’ll sample the Potter film scores by John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alex...

  • Added: Nov 26, 2023
  • Length: 59:00