Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quandary involving the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people (Muggles).
Through 2010, the first six books have been made into films by Warner Brothers; it is the highest grossing film series of all time so far. The seventh book is being made into two movies which were released as scheduled: Part I on November 19, 2010, and Part II, the series finale, on July 7, 2011.
There have been four Harry Potter movie soundtrack composers to date. John Williams was the first composer to enter the series. He composed the soundtracks for the first three films. Williams' Hedwig's Theme is the main theme in the Harry Potter series and is heard at the start of each installment. It has been kept constant throughout the movie franchise; the theme has been slightly modified throughout the years due to different composers, but the main structure of the music is present. Other composers that have contributed are Patrick Doyle and Nicholas Hooper. Doyle produced the soundtrack for the fourth movie, Goblet of Fire, and Hooper composed scores for Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. Both introduced their own personal themes while also keeping a selection from John Williams. In January 2010, composer Alexandre Desplat was confirmed to produce the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.
A style of rock music known as wizard rock has arisen from Harry Potter fandom. The earliest Harry Potter-themed rock song is conventionally traced to 2000 when the Los Angeles based pop-punk band Switchblade Kittens released an "Ode to Harry" from the perspective of Ginny Weasley. Harry and the Potters originated the Harry Potter-themed band which became the genesis of a fandom centered genre of music called wizard rock. The genre is characterized by songs about the Harry Potter universe, which are often humorous. Bands performing live may cosplay, or dress as, characters from the Harry Potter series.
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