Top 10 Character and Instrument Pairings in Epic: The Musical

Every one of the characters in Epic: The Musical has a great character and instrument(s) pairing, but some are better than others. Which ones do you think are best?

Instructions to add list items: first, you need to type in the song that you're going to use as an excerpt for your instrument(s) being used for that character. Then, you select the song and replace the title of your list item. Follow my formatting.

The Top Ten

  1. Odysseus - Guitars (Excerpt is from Odysseus)

    Ah, the guitar. The most flexible instrument. The guitar has it all and, as a result, makes for a great instrument.

    The acoustic guitar is great for the calmer moments or the more emotionally raw moments like Just a Man, Monster, and I Can't Help But Wonder.

    However, the electric guitar is also used in the more epic moments, like in Different Beast, Six Hundred Strike, and Odysseus (see excerpt).

  2. Telemachus - Indie Piano with Guitar and String Ensemble (Excerpt is from Legendary)

    What makes Telemachus's music so awesome is this:

    His instrument, the indie piano, is a type of piano that refers to his connection to Athena. It is heard very well in the song Legendary (see excerpt).

    The guitar is inherited from his father, Odysseus.

    The string ensemble is inherited from his mother, Penelope. Although Penelope's instrument is the viola, you get the strings part, right?

    This was a very clever way to point out that he is the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and the idea of inheritance was very smart.

  3. Athena - Piano (Excerpt is from Warrior of the Mind)

    The piano kind of has a kind of magic to it, and that is what makes the piano a great instrument for Athena. It can also be played in different ways to generate different effects, from a more commanding tone like in Warrior of the Mind (see excerpt) and My Goodbye to a calmer, sometimes even sadder, tone like in We'll Be Fine and I Can't Help But Wonder.

  4. Siren - Whatever Instrument Represents the Character or, In Epic, Mallet Instruments (Excerpt is from Suffering)

    I learned this from Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

    Okay, here's the big question: Which character uses mallet instruments?

    I'll give you a hint. The character is on this list.

    Polites.

    You see, the Sirens messed up the instrument and the vibe of Penelope as a whole. This is because the crew plugged their ears. This is a great pointer that this isn't really Penelope (because we were all wondering why she was stranded in the middle of the ocean and suddenly had a daughter), since we know Penelope's instrument is the viola. That's why the music in Suffering (see excerpt) seemed a little fishy.

    Ha ha, get it?

  5. Antinous - Electric Guitar (Excerpt is from Little Wolf)

    Info is from Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

    The cool thing about the instruments in Epic is that they often represent specific ideas. In the song Little Wolf (see excerpt), Antinous is using an electric guitar like Odysseus, showing they're trying to take his place. This was such a cool idea.

    Please comment whether or not the suitors' voices are also his instrument (like Eurylochus's instrument is the crew's voices).

  6. Eurylochus - The Crews' Voices (Excerpt is from Luck Runs Out)

    Jorge Rivera-Herrans considers this to be an instrument, and he created Epic, so I'm trusting him.

    In so many songs, the crew's voices are used in sync with Eurylochus's music. Let's take a close look at some prominent and important examples.

    1. Full Speed Ahead: We can consider the crew singing "Eurylochus" to only Odysseus singing "Polites," as well as the fact that they repeat Eurylochus's words when he sings. This shows that he is considered to be a leading and important figure.

    2. Luck Runs Out (see excerpt): The crew saying "How" with Eurylochus shows that they are leaning toward Eurylochus and feeling the same way about everything. Eurylochus is just the one voicing the emotions for them.

    3. Mutiny: As they're fighting, you can hear the crew worriedly say Eurylochus and Odysseus's names, showing that they are nervous. While the electric guitar is playing (signaling both that Odysseus is fighting and that Eurylochus is trying to take Odysseus's place, according to Jorge), Eurylochus's instrument is in the background too, confirming who is fighting.

  7. Calypso - Handpan and Steel Drum (Excerpt is from Love in Paradise)

    This gives Calypso that islandy feel, which sounds great in Love in Paradise (see excerpt).

  8. Aeolus - Flute (Excerpt is from Keep Your Friends Close)

    Aeolus is given her airy feel through the use of this instrument. It is used in three songs:

    1. Storm: The crew sees the island in the sky and is introduced to what I'd guess is Aeolus's motif. It gives it a magical, airy feeling.

    2. Keep Your Friends Close (see excerpt): Odysseus meets Aeolus as this instrument is played.

    3. Ruthlessness: The instrument is again tied with the wind, which is perfect in the musical.

  9. Polites - Mallet Instruments (Excerpt is from Open Arms)

    This is mostly used in Open Arms (see excerpt), where Polites is being very happy and sunshiny. This makes this instrument perfect for him.

  10. Tiresias - Organ (Excerpt is from No Longer You)

    Did you ever get that unsettling, almost evil feeling from Tiresias's song No Longer You (see excerpt)? I guess you know why now. This gives him such a cool, dangerous feeling. Or, rather, what he's talking about.

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