This course is an exploration of the history and aesthetics of the use of music in cinema, primarily the Hollywood film from the so-called silent era to the present. (We will not cover musicals, documentaries, or short films.) The course will include the development of skills of listening analysis and writing about music in the context of narrative film. There are no prerequisities; no background in music or media studies is required.
| Film spotting | 36% |
| Other assignments | 28% |
| Paper | 24% |
| Presentation | 12% |
Assignments: Assignments will include some video lectures and responses, reading and listening responses, and online quizzes. Readings will come both from the textbook and articles on Canvas. These assignments are due the Wednesday before the corresponding Thursday film viewing. Because a whole week's homework is due at once, I encourage you to work on the assignments in advance of the due date and not leave all components until the night they are due.
Film spotting: Instead of in-person class screenings of films, I will provide files to be streamed from a Google Drive and viewed at your convenience ("asynchronously"). Please don't download or share these files. As you watch this film, you will write down the time and content of music cues, a process we call spotting. We will discuss the film at the following class. Although the ideal film viewing experience may be in a darkened room with a large screen and audience, this option will allow you to review and study sections. You can recoup some of the advantages of this lost experience by giving the film your whole attention as you watch (don't multitask). Popcorn is optional.
Paper: You will write a 1500-word interpretive analysis on the score for a single feature-length film (not a musical). Part of your work will include the submission of a film selection, spotting sheet, outline, and bibliography.
Presentation: You will present to the class an interpretative analysis of a single scene or topic from the film that you have written your paper on. These presentations will be evaluated in part by peers and should not exceed 15 minutes.
Participation and Illness: Because of the seminar format of this course, your attendance and participation in class discussions is vital to the success of everyone's experience. Your conscientious participation in the peer evaluation process is also very important. Therefore, each unexcused absence beyond the first will result in one letter grade deduction from your final grade in the class. If you have reason to believe that you are ill, please contact Student Health and me, but don't come to class if you have any symptoms. I will excuse any absences because of illness, but you should seek advice and treatment as needed from Student Health. Absences because of travel for family death and religious holidays will also be excused. Travel for grad school visits, conferences, sports, or spring break will not be excused.
Masks: Masks are not required in this class, but we will respect the decision of anyone in class to wear a mask. Do not come to class if you have any symptoms (see above). If you have a persistent cough or are sneezing, even if you know that it's not because of a Covid infection, please consider wearing a mask and not sitting next to other students.
Accommodations: HMC is committed to providing an inclusive learning environment and support for all students. Students with a disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions) who may need some accommodation in order to fully participate in this class are encouraged to contact Educational Accessibility Services at access @ g.hmc.edu to request accommodations. Students from the other Claremont Colleges should contact their home college's disability resources officer. You will find information about disability resources on the college website: https://www.hmc.edu/student-success/accessible-education/.
| Week | Assignments due | Film spotting | Class meeting |
| 1 | Fri. Jan. 19 1:15 p.m. Early history and aesthetics of film music | ||
| 2 | Wed. Jan. 24 11:59 p.m. Assignments 1 and 2 Hickman 1st ed. chapters 1-4, 14 2nd ed. chapters 1-2, 9, pp. 170-175 |
Thu. Jan. 25 11:59 p.m. Assignment 3 Max Steiner: Casablanca (1942) |
Fri. Jan. 26 1:15 p.m. The Romantic Legacy; the practice of film scoring |
| 3 | Wed. Jan. 31 11:59 p.m. Assignments 4 and 5 Hickman 1st ed. chapters 10-13 2nd ed. chapters 9, 11 Film choice form |
Thu. Feb. 1 11:59 p.m. Assignment 6 Aaron Copland: Of Mice and Men (1939) |
Fri. Feb. 2 1:15 p.m. Modernism in early sound films |
| 4 | Wed. Feb. 7 11:59 p.m. Assignment 7 Hickman 1st ed. chapters 15-17 2nd ed. chapters 13-15 |
Thu. Feb. 8 11:59 p.m. Assignment 8 Alex North: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) |
Fri. Feb. 9 1:15 p.m. The 1940s and 50s and the Decline of the Studio System |
| 5 | Wed. Feb. 14 11:59 p.m. Assignment 9 Hickman 1st ed. chapters 18, 20 2nd ed. section on Psycho Paper bibliography |
Thu. Feb. 15 11:59 p.m. Assignment 10 Bernard Herrmann: Psycho (1960) |
Fri. Feb. 16 1:15 p.m. Bernard Herrmann |
| 6 | Wed. Feb. 21 11:59 p.m. Assignment 11 including paper spotting sheet, outline Hickman 1st ed. chapters 21-22 2nd ed. chapters 17-19 |
Thu. Feb. 22 11:59 p.m. Assignment 12 Ennio Morricone: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) |
Fri. Feb. 23 1:15 p.m. The Western film score |
| 7 | Wed. Feb. 28 Hickman 1st ed. chapters 23-24 2nd ed. chapter 19 |
Thu. Feb. 29 Assignment 13 Jerry Goldsmith: Alien (1979) |
Fri. Mar. 1 Modernism in the 1960s and 70s |
| 8 | Wed. Mar. 6 11:59 p.m. Paper due Hickman 1st ed. chapters 25-26 2nd ed. chapters 21-23 |
Thu. Mar. 7 11:59 p.m. Assignment 14 John Williams: ET: The Extraterrestrial (1982) |
Fri. Mar. 8 1:15 p.m. John Williams and the return of Romanticism |
| 9 | Wed. Mar. 13 Spring break |
Thur. Mar. 14 Spring break |
Fri. Mar. 15 Spring break |
| 10 | Wed. Mar. 20 | Thur. Mar. 21 Assignment 15 Philip Glass: The Illusionist (2006) |
Fri. Mar. 22 The influence of Minimalism |
11 | Wed. Mar. 27 | Thur. Mar. 28 | Fri. Mar. 29 Caesar Chavez holiday No class |
| 12 | Wed. Apr. 3 11:59 p.m. | Thur. Apr. 4 11:59 p.m. Assignment 16 Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) |
Fri. Apr. 5 1:15 p.m. Modern Films |
| 13 | Wed. Apr. 10 11:59 p.m. |
Thur. Apr. 11 11:59 p.m. | Fri. Apr. 12 1:15 p.m. Guest Speaker |
| 14 | Wed. Apr. 17 11:59 p.m. | Thu. Apr. 18 11:59 p.m. | Fri. Apr. 19 1:15 p.m. Presentations |
| 15 | Wed. Apr. 24 11:59 p.m. | Thu. Apr. 25 1:15 p.m. | Fri. Apr. 26 1:15 p.m. Presentations |
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