A teaser for my YSU talk in February

Abstract:

The music for cinematic male heroes and superheroes, be they set in real history, an alternative reality close to our own or are from an entirely different universe, all share a number of fairly obvious characteristics. Percussion and brass, starting either quietly and growing in volume or starting with a big bang; a short, repeated motif with lots of staccato, suggesting a march or other impressive entrance. But what kinds of music are used for women in leadership roles? How are their skills and powers and the situations in which they must use them aurally signified? I will explore the music for two very different female leaders: Queen Elizabeth I, as depicted in two films directed by Shakur Kapur; and Zoe Washburne of Joss Whedon’s television show Firefly. In each case, I will discuss the ways in which scoring for female characters in the imaginary past and future requires the use of musical tropes and attributes familiar to modern audiences, yet still evoking different points in history.