The success of this film was dependent on music. In particular, the movement between diegetic and non-diegetic music. The film portrays a young musician who disrupts a rehearsal by playing the violin in an abrasive and unpleasant manner. However, this ghastly music turns out to be the soundtrack to a horror film.
This turns the film into a discussion about whether quality in aesthetics is absolute, or whether it is relative and affected principally by the surrounding context. The music was written and recorded before the shoot so that the actors could convincingly mime the performance. This constrained the music composition, since it had to seem plausible that a child could play it.
However, the performance then needed to transform into a convincing and mature one, worthy of a professional. Melody, harmony, ambience, and live playing all had to be carefully considered in order to deliver this audio to a high standard.
