he “Film Music: Exploring the Evolution of Music in Film” class is now being offered to students as an option for the Fine Arts general education requirement.

The course is a survey of musical practices in film from the early twentieth century through the present. The class also focuses on distinguishing major eras of film history, composers and styles.

Course instructor Jemmie Robertson said the course was proposed two years ago and began its curriculum in summer 2015 after it was approved in spring of the same year.

“The course was first offered online in the Summer 2015 six-week session and then for the first time on campus in the fall of 2015,” Robertson said.

The summer session of the course was taught primarily through Desire2Learn. The on-campus lecture involves PowerPoint presentations, clips from various films and music samples of important musical cues, Robertson said.

Robertson said his inspiration to begin such a course at Eastern derived from a 20^th Century Music course he had taken during his doctoral studies at Northwestern University.

“During that course, it became apparent to me that the evolution of film music parallels the many great and diverse developments in musical practices throughout the century and beyond,” Robertson said.

The on-campus course began with a discussion of German composer Richard Wagner’s opera “The Ring Cycle” as well as his other works. Robertson said Wagner’s influences can be heard throughout several pieces of film music.

The class also focuses on the themes and musical motifs from famous films such as “Citizen Kane,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars”. Robertson touches on recent films that have been released outside of the required textbook’s production.

Several of the film scores heard throughout the course include pieces by famous composers James Horner, John Williams, Hans Zimmer and many others.

Robertson said that a course that specifically focuses on music in film is unprecedented at Eastern although there are courses offered that do touch on film music.

Robin Murray, the film studies minor coordinator, said that this course is one of many of the interdisciplinary courses that will be soon to be integrated into the film studies minor.

“The film music class will become an elective in the film studies minor,” Murray said.

Murray said that those minoring in film studies are required to take at least three electives, and this course will become available to students in the future.

Murray said the new course fills in a gap in the film studies curriculum by way of music because film music is an integral part of film studies.

There is something for everyone encompassed in this course, Robertson said.

“Like Rock? We cover films with great Rock ‘n Roll soundtracks. Like Jazz? We cover that too. Country? Check,” Robertson said.

Kaitlin Cordes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]