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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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Say you have trick-or-treaters coming to your house this year. You have a nice outdoor speaker system and would like to really set the mood for all the little pirates, ballerinas and Harry Potters who come around begging for booty. Or maybe you are planning to pretend you’re not home and are looking for a way to scare the crap out of anyone who comes within a few feet of your door. Allow me to give you a few suggestions for a soundtrack that will be just right for All Hallows’ Eve.

• Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (the classic Dracula theme song)

• Orff’s “O Fortuna” from “Carmina Burana”

• Anything by Philip Glass if you just want general weirdness

• Scores from old classics like “Psycho”

• Medeski, Martin and Wood’s “End of the World Party (Just In Case)”

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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.