All Things Considered

Listen to BSG composer Bear McCreary on NPR's All Things Considered:

Insurgency, religious fanaticism, technology run amok: a few of the themes explored in Battlestar Galactica, the science-fiction TV series about a civilization running for its life from human-like robots. The series has been honored with a Peabody, as well as awards for acting, visual effects and sound design. But its unsung character has been its music — until now.

Bear McCreary composes the scores for Battlestar Galactica. He's conducting a series of summer concerts featuring the show's music — and the performances are selling out.

"It's still dawning on me how many people out there are passionate about the music," he says.

McCreary recently visited the NPR West studios to discuss his compositions with host Guy Raz. He says he draws inspiration from Asian and Middle Eastern music, but he's also influenced by the orchestral traditions of the Western canon.

His compositions bear little resemblance to the sounds typically associated with science-fiction programs. According to McCreary, the show's producers wanted to distance the series from the "orchestral bombast" of movies such as the Star Wars films.

McCreary says Battlestar Galactica differs from other shows in part because its producers encouraged him to keep changing the score.

"That was an extremely exciting creative prospect to me, because it allowed me to evolve as an artist," he says.

Plus, Bear wants you to help design a website for his BSG Orchestra. Find all the details here.