by The Collected Mutineer

I love film scores. A lot.

I listen to them far more than I listen to music with lyrics. I don’t know when this love affair started, but it’s been part of my life since I can remember.

As a kid, I had no idea you could purchase film scores or I would have begged my mom to do so. My solution was holding my tape recorder up the tv screen to capture my favorite pieces of music. I wore the tape thin listening to bits like “Transformation” from Beauty and the Beast and “Jessica’s Theme” from The Man From Snowy River. When those beautiful notes swelled, I could picture myself doing anything. Listening to that music made me feel strong, capable, and adventurous.

Fast-forward a decade or two, and not much has changed when it comes to drawing confidence from my favorite music. Sometimes when I least expect it, I hear strains in my head from movies I haven’t seen in years—but when I need it, the music is there to motivate me in ways nothing else can.

Here are a handful of my favorites. I hope they provide a much needed Monday boost to help you face the world.

Balto by James Horner

“Let me tell you something, Balto: A dog cannot make this journey alone. But maybe a wolf can.”

Tuck Everlasting by William Ross

“Winnie Foster, I will love you til the day I die.”

The Lion King by Hans Zimmer

“Remember who you are.”

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron by Hans Zimmer

“I had been waiting so long to run free…”

Little Women by Thomas Newman

“Jo, you have so many extraordinary gifts; how can you expect to lead an ordinary life?…Go, and embrace your liberty. And see what wonderful things come of it.”