How Solo Voices Became the Key to the Haunting Scores of ‘Adolescence’ and ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’

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The sound of an individual person singing without words has the power to stir feelings of human connection – or disconnection – based on the actions we observe on our screens.

In two highly discussed streaming series, each with unique approaches yet sharing a common objective, were the musical scores. These included “Adolescence” by Aaron May and David Ridley, as well as “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” created by the duo Thomas and Julia Newman. Both of these series premiered on Netflix.

In the four-hour documentary-style film “Adolescence,” which revolves around a 13-year-old English boy accused of murdering his female classmate, the music had to be crafted with extreme care and precision, as explained by May. The aim was to ensure that it didn’t disrupt the authenticity or realism portrayed in the film.

One significant decision they made was to incorporate the vocal performance of Emilia Holliday, the talented actress portraying Katie Leonard, the protagonist. As May points out, throughout the series, Katie doesn’t speak verbally. Instead, we see her images and sense her influence in the narrative, but her voice is absent.

Director Philip Barantini found that Emilia had a strong singing ability, according to reports. Her voice had a captivating adolescent sensitivity that fit beautifully with the school’s atmosphere and the score. Including her voice in the music allowed her character to pervade the entire narrative. This decision influenced the rest of the score as well. They primarily focused on air and breath when composing, using a bass recorder (a rather unique instrument to hum through) and an antique, slightly out-of-tune Victorian pump organ.

Additionally, they captured a 35-member children’s choir, originally intended to perform Sting’s song “Fragile,” yet they also practiced various vocal exercises that proved beneficial for the soundtrack. As Ridley explains, “The recurring theme at the start of each episode features the voice, followed by a lively background of schoolchildren’s chatter. It gives a sense of presence and vitality.

As a cinephile, I found it chilling yet unanticipated how they employed voices in “Monsters.” Particularly in Episode 2, when the Menendez brothers committed their heinous act of shooting their parents, then returned to that grisly scene later on. Over haunting images of blood-soaked corpses in their once peaceful living room, a female vocalist repeated the word “hum” repeatedly, her voice echoing softly against the backdrop of quiet piano and synth melodies. It was an eerie touch that sent shivers down my spine.

Thomas Newman notes that the idea originated from Julia, swiftly penned as an initial introduction to a larger piano composition. It seemed to resonate with a deeper psychological or emotional backstory linked to the murders, eliciting in him a sense of emotional yearning.

According to Thomas, the showrunners were taken aback in a similar way one feels when unexpected events occur, as if hit by a sudden wave of cold water. He adds that there was an intriguing aspect to it. Julia Newman verified that her own voice, along with instances of laughter (“haha”), quiet whispers (“shhh”), and other vocal nuances heard throughout the nine-hour miniseries, were indeed hers.

In their second joint project following the 2024 FX miniseries “Feud”, these composers aimed to eliminate any trace of prejudice. As Thomas explained, “We didn’t want to give an impression of what we believed was guilt or innocence.” Instead, they focused on portraying events as they unfolded in real-time. Julia also commented, “The characters were not only dynamic but had a keen sense of style and humor,” and the music contributed significantly to this depiction.

She points out that simply because the series falls under the true-crime genre, it didn’t necessitate a somber, droning tone. Instead, there was ample opportunity to experiment with style and emotion beyond just creating an eerie or compassionate atmosphere. To enhance their keyboards and synths, they brought on musician friends to layer in guitars and woodwinds.

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2025-06-04 04:16