In this six-week seminar, discover how film music enhances storytelling, mood and character. When we talk about film music, we are not just talking about background sound. Music is the emotional engine of a film: it defines characters; sets tone and place; builds suspense; and blends jazz, classical, and pop styles into lasting cinematic impressions.

We will focus both on how instrumental scores drive emotion and storytelling and how songs carry the story. But we will also explore the full range of film music – from torch songs and jazz standards to pop classics that became part of the cinematic moment. In this series, songs are not just occasional highlights, they are woven throughout the narrative alongside the score.

We will trace the evolution of film music beginning with early sound cinema and explore how composers shape emotion across six core themes:

• How Music Shapes Movies
• Drama and Romance
• Comedy and Romance
• Action and Adventure
• Film Noir and Jazz, Part 1
• Film Noir and Jazz, Part 2

You will meet influential composers such as Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin and John Williams – artists whose work redefined how movies sound and feel. Ideal for film lovers and lifelong learners alike, this course celebrates the artistry of film music and its power to make stories – and melodies – truly unforgettable.

Note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part 2 (in spring 2027) will expand the lens to spotlight the interplay between scores and songs in cinematic storytelling – from Bond to the Beatles and beyond.