Functions of Film Music - The Right Way?

In previous posts, I have written about both "the 8 functions of film music" - Cohen and "The relation of music and picture" - Pauli which both deal in a bullet point system of how film music is made up.

Pauli states that there are three basic categories when it comes to understanding the relation between picture and music: Paraphrasing, Polarisation and Counterpoint.

1) Paraphrasing: The specific character of the music corresponds with the specific content of the picture, the effects are presumably additive.

2) Polarisation: The specific character of the music moves the ambiguous or indefinite content of the picture toward the the character of the music.

3) Counterpoint: The specific character of the music conveys irony or comments on the content of the picture in another way.
(taken from previous post)

As previously stated, as I am looking to shift the perception of a character through my musical themes that Polarisation is the direct relation between my film and picture. This is due to the character of the composed music takes control of a scene with no initial meaning and creates a meaning and emotion for the subject.

Now the question here is because I believe this to be the case, does that mean that the 8 functions of film music are obsolete. Are they needed when we have just discovered the function to the film music that I am going to use. 

The quick answer here is no. 

The 8 functions of film music are technical rules that allow music to apply to film. Yes my music may provide polarisation found in Pauli but it also heightens a sense of reality and absorption found in Cohen's notes. Infact one may argue that having a specific character of music that is pushed upon a subject directly ties in with some of Cohen's points. They may direct to the subject to take the viewer to the 'supra-reality' where they understand the underlying psychological thoughts of a character. The character of the music may communicate a meaning to further the narrative of the film and the music may still direct our attention to important areas on screen through associated congruence. 

I don't believe that these are two completely different functions of film music but rather two ways of looking at film music that overlap. The 8 functions of film music almost act as a more technical guide that can be added on top of Pauli's relation of music and picture. Music is used in different ways from film to film and because of this different factors and rules can break down the use of that music. For my project, the 8 functions of film music cover an all over basis of what music does in film, pauli comments on how music narratively changes an outcome on how we see a subject or "hear a subject".