Composer Terence Blanchard contemplates his filmic inspirations. (Collage by Noel Ransome / VICE)

Timed to their latest collaboration on BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee’s go-to composer Terence Blanchard talks to VICE about everything from his childhood studying piano in New Orleans and his first partnership with Lee on 1991’s Jungle Fever to the director’s love of orchestral music to complete a score. In addition to music, the VICE’s Noel Ransome also gets Blanchard to opine on a variety of civil rights issues.

Here is a sample Q&A, but it’s definitely worth reading the whole thing at Vice.com

Noel Ransome: I’ve always viewed your music as this separate character to a story, like the ‘Striker Packs Up’ theme from Clockers . I’m curious about how you view your own music from a filmic aspect.
Terence Blanchard: This goes back to my Art Blakey days who was a jazz drummer. He used to say, music washes away the dust of everyday life. For me, music should be that thing that breaks down the barriers. It should be that master key to unlocking the door to the soul. That’s what I try to create. It has to be universal that deals in an aspect of humanity. No matter who you are or where you are, it can help you relate to a film, relate to the stories and characters involved.