Scoring the Movies: A History of Film Music

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026 at 07:00 pm UTC-05:00

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039 | Livingston

Livingston Public Library
Publisher/HostLivingston Public Library
Scoring the Movies: A History of Film Music
Advertisement
Even before films had synchronized sound, they were never truly silent—live music accompanied the images, setting mood and enhancing emotion.
In this engaging lecture, Professor Allen Cohen traces the evolution of music written for film, illustrating its journey with audio and video examples. We’ll explore how film scores developed from the late 19th century into the Golden Age of Hollywood, and how they have continued to adapt through jazz, pop, electronic, and digital innovations. Along the way, Professor Cohen will discuss the aesthetics of film music, its many functions in storytelling, the variety of styles composers have embraced, and the technological changes that have shaped the art form.
From the earliest picture palaces to today’s blockbusters, discover how music has always been essential to the magic of the movies.
Dr. Allen Cohen is Professor of Music at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His compositions have been played in Carnegie Hall and across the United States and Europe. He has also written dance arrangements for Broadway musicals, scores for off-Broadway musicals and plays, and music for several films and many radio and television commercials, and he has conducted three musicals on Broadway and many elsewhere. He is the author of Howard Hanson in Theory and Practice (Praeger/Greenwood) and the popular children’s book That’s So Funny I Forgot to Laugh! (Scholastic), and co-author of Writing Musical Theater (Palgrave Macmillan). He has served as a judge for the American Prize in music for many years, and he has presented papers about music and musical theater at conferences in New York City, Hawaii, Greece, and Germany.
This program is made possible with the support of The Friends of the Livingston Public Library.
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Livingston

Eco Crafting
Tue, 27 Jan at 07:00 pm Eco Crafting

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Beyond the Scale: Approaches to Weight Management
Wed, 28 Jan at 02:00 pm Beyond the Scale: Approaches to Weight Management

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Morris County Fundraising Gala Dinner | USA
Sun, 01 Feb at 06:00 pm Morris County Fundraising Gala Dinner | USA

Morris County

Adult Yoga Workshop: Open Flow Vinyasa Yoga
Wed, 04 Feb at 11:00 am Adult Yoga Workshop: Open Flow Vinyasa Yoga

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Road to Financial Freedom - VOM University NJ Seminar
Thu, 05 Feb at 06:00 pm Road to Financial Freedom - VOM University NJ Seminar

Eisenhower Conference Center

Quiet Reads: A Silent Book Club
Fri, 06 Feb at 04:00 pm Quiet Reads: A Silent Book Club

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

A Practical Spiritual Life: Integrating Spirituality into Everyday Living
Sun, 08 Feb at 02:00 pm A Practical Spiritual Life: Integrating Spirituality into Everyday Living

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Total Body Mat Pilates Sculpt for Adults
Fri, 27 Feb at 11:00 am Total Body Mat Pilates Sculpt for Adults

10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039

Livingston is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Livingston Events