About the Book

Movies to Listen To is an expansive look into the first 100 years of film music, delving into music in the movies composer by composer, film by film. The book traces scoring trends, innovation, and technological developments that have helped to shape film music over the decades. Focusing predominantly on English language, live-action films released in the United States, Movies to Listen To celebrates the contributions of film composers from the silent era through to the 21st century. With an intentional focus on as diverse a group of composers as possible, you’ll be delighted by sections featuring some of your favorite films and composers, as well as sections that introduce you to brand new sounds and stories. From the brilliant composers of the Golden Age, to ingenious songwriters, to jazz masters, to electronic music pioneers, Movies to Listen To will guide you through the development of the music that brings the movies we watch to life. As you dive into the stories of these composers and the films for which they wrote, you will find countless additional facts, stories, and trivia that further contextualize when and how that music was written.