"Mandatory Music" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 13. In this episode, Squidward's lack of talent lands him in a court-ordered music class.
Characters[]
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Squidward Tentacles
- Jellyfish
- Lady Upturn
- Larry the Lobster (cameo)
- Bubble Bass (cameo)
- Chad
- Billy
- Fifi
- Music cop 1 (single appearance)
- Music cop 2 (single appearance)
- Incidentals
- Scary snails
- Mrs. Sturgeon (single appearance)
- Fergus (single appearance)
- Nelly (single appearance)
- Otto (single appearance)
- Voice on cop radio (heard)
- The Maestro (single appearance)
Synopsis[]
Squidward playing his clarinet.
It's a bright and sunny day, and Squidward brings attention to himself in a booth at a park. telling everyone to gather around for a free concert performance. Everyone's got high hopes and are excited to enjoy themselves there, but it leads to musical disaster, as the octopus's abysmal talent leads to destruction and terror throughout the fields. Squidward is kicked out by an angry mob, and finds himself heading to the streets of Bikini Bottom, where he attempts to prove his musical talent to the public once more - which creates more mass damage, even to the point where buildings collapse. When planning to continue his routine "one more time," he's interrogated by the music police, getting his clarinet evicted and forced to take mandatory music education at Little Flipper Music Academy.
Squidward at music class.
Squidward finds himself degraded in music class, and his attempts to act rebellious (sitting at the back of the class so no one can see him) or a superior (introducing himself as a musical genius) are futile, being foiled and made fun of. Shortly after this, a new student pops up in class, and it turns out to be SpongeBob himself, only making Squidward more miserable. All of the students are then asked by their teacher to play their instrument so she can indicate their skill level. Most of the students prove to be equally awful, except SpongeBob, as his "flute-nose" technique proves to be the most superior of all of them, even getting the other students excited enough to follow him around. Squidward then has to play his clarinet, belted to a stroller following its eviction. His talents are worse then ever, audibly torturing all of the students. Meanwhile, SpongeBob once again performs his "flute-note" music to the class, and all of the other students join him and form a mini-band. Squidward tries to join in with their tune, being given lots of different instruments, but ends up being progressively worse and worse at each of them. After trying to a play a broom that starts a fire (subsequently getting extinguished), Squidward's arrogance and stubborn attitude leads him take back his clarinet, creating a musical tornado that throws almost everyone out of the school. The music cops soon surround the department, and demand Squidward to stop playing, to which he refuses.
In response, the cops call in a robot maestro, which shoots a cork into Squidward's clarinet, putting an end to his turbulent tornado. Squid's put under musical arrest, and his clarinet's shredded to nothing but wood. He sobs to himself, thinking that he'll never play music again. While trying to comfort Squidward, SpongeBob gives him a tissue that when sneezed out, creates trumpet-esque noises. It turns out that Squidward finally found out his musical talent, with his music being loved by everyone. The school's teacher declares Squidward as the most improved student in the class. Squidward is then performing to various Bikini Bottomites at the park and everyone cheers on for him, and an iris zooms in and cuts Squidward's nose off, emitting an "Ow" as the episode ends.
Production[]
This episode was confirmed by Cartoonlounge.de on December 20, 2022.[1]
Art[]
Background design[]
- Traditionally painted by Amy Lewis in gouache[2] and line and editing digitally drawn on top[3] in Photoshop. Layouts by Rebekie Bennington and others, and art direction by Peter Bennett.[4]
Storyboards[]
- Plussed by Ibrahim J. Corona.[5]
Music[]
| ( ‣ ) Production music |
| ( • ) Original music |
| ( â—¦ ) SpongeBob music |
• Lucky Loofah - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Title card.]
• Another Day in the Park - Nicolas Carr [Park visitors attend Squidward's free concert.]
• Free Concert - Nicolas Carr, James King [Squidward playing clarinet for the park visitors.]
‣ Dramatic Background - Kurt Rehfeld [Park visitors throw Squidward out of the park.]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene.]
• One More Time - Nicolas Carr, James King [Squidward playing clarinet while walking through Bikini Bottom.]
‣ Four Evil Men (d) - Trevor Duncan [Squidward's clarinet playing throws Bikini Bottom into chaos.]
‣ A Shocking Revelation 1 - Laurence Cottle [Music police stop Squidward's clarinet playing.]
‣ Orchestral Drama 7 - Jerzy Matukis [Music police order Squidward to take a music reeducation class.]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene.]
‣ Eccentric March - Peter Hope [Squidward gets taken to Little Flipper Music Academy.]
• Thats What They All Say - Nicolas Carr ["Hey, you can't degrade me like this!"]
‣ Orchestral Drama 7 - Jerzy Matukis [Music police get called to another location.]
• Vibe & Harp Hits - Nicolas Carr [Squidward notices the other students in the class.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 16A - Jeremy Wakefield ["I wouldn't be caught dead sitting in front of this class!"]
‣ Lambs in Clover - Jack Strachey [Mrs. Sturgeon begins the music class.]
• 12th St Rag - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob joins the music class.]
• Kill Me Now - Nicolas Carr ["Kill me now."]
• A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["To begin, I would like each of you to play your instrument to gauge everyone's skill level."]
• Tangled Guitar - Nicolas Carr [Fergus plays the guitar.]
• A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Good effort, Fergus."]
• The Drum Audition - Nicolas Carr [Nelly plays the drums.]
• A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Interesting technique. Otto, would you play a little on your keytar?"]
• Beginner Synth Bass - Nicolas Carr [Otto plays his keytar.]
• A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Otto's keytar breaks.]
• Pied Piper Pants - Nicolas Carr, James King [SpongeBob playing his nose flute.]
• Cringe Worthy Hurrah - Nicolas Carr [Students cheering for SpongeBob.]
• Silly Bob Conversation 1 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Excellent nose flute technique, Mr. SquarePants."]
• Pure Genius - Nicolas Carr, James King [Squidward plays his clarinet for the class.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34A - Jeremy Wakefield ["It did sound like you had some kind of stroke."]
• Trying Something Different - Nicolas Carr [Squidward playing the harmonica.]
• Painful - Nicolas Carr [Mrs. Sturgeon closes her ears.]
• Mandatory Music Jam - Nicolas Carr, James King [SpongeBob and classmates play their instruments.]
• Clarinet Hurricane - Nicolas Carr, James King [Squidward creates a tornado with his clarinet notes.]
‣ Fierce Fight - Gerhard Trede [Squidward creates a tornado with his clarinet notes.]
• The Maestro Full Mix - Nicolas Carr [Robot maestro shooting corks at Squidward.]
• Bad Slide - ProjectSAM Symphobia Colours: Animator [Squidward falls to the ground.]
‣ Orchestral Drama 7 - Jerzy Matukis [Music police arrest Squidward.]
• Koa Constrictor 2 Instrumental Intro - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward is upset.]
• Solo Classical Baroque Trumpet - Nicolas Carr [Squidward plays music with his tissue.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 12E - Jeremy Wakefield ["In fact, it was your nose."]
• Solo Classical Baroque Trumpet - Nicolas Carr [Squidward blows on his tissue.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 7A - Jeremy Wakefield [Everyone smiles at Squidward.]
• Don't Breath the Water - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["I think we can all agree Mr. Tentacles is the most improved student in the class."]
• Squidwards Baroque Trumpet - Nicolas Carr [Squidward playing his nose in the park.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31A - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward's audience calls for an encore.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31D - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward sheds a tear.]
• Squidwards Baroque Trumpet - Nicolas Carr [Squidward does an encore.]
• Shave and a Haircut - Nicolas Carr [Ending.]
Release[]
- This episode is available on the SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 23 digital collection and The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD.
Trivia[]
General[]
The title card with the sheet music for the theme song.
The sheet music used for the theme song.
- The sheet music in the title card background is exactly the same as the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song.
- Similar to season 6's "Professor Squidward," SpongeBob and Squidward are seen in a music class together. However, SpongeBob and Squidward are both students rather than the latter acting as a teacher.
- The frame in which Squidward is about to blow on his clarinet in music class is traced from "Pineapple RV," in which he screams "D'oh, I can't do it!" while driving SpongeBob's pineapple RV.
- The frame would later be used again in "Gary's Playhouse."
- When SpongeBob plays on his nose, it is exactly like how he does on the series' theme song.
Episode references[]
- The scary snails from "Have You Seen This Snail?" and the book Where's Gary return in an alleyway in the streets of Bikini Bottom. Squidward's awful clarinet playing causes them to hiss and attack each other.
- Squidward taps on his nose to create music in the same way he did while in the bathtub in "Squid Wood."
Cultural references[]
- The melody the class plays is very similar to the song "Spill the Wine" by Eric Burdon and War.
- The melody of the first movement to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik is heard when the Maestro attacks Squidward.
Errors[]
SpongeBob's body outline is a lighter shade.
- When SpongeBob says, "Soitenly" to Mrs. Sturgeon, his body outline has a lighter shade.
- This error also occurs in "Sea-Man Sponge Haters Club."
Videos[]
