Reviews of Peer-Reviewed Journals in the Humanities and Social Sciences
We give you the scuttlebutt on academic journals—aiding you in selecting the right journal for publication—in reviews that are sometimes snarky, sometimes lengthy, always helpful. Written by Princeton University graduate students and Wendy Laura Belcher.
Music and the Moving Image
For those interested in publishing articles that explore the relationship between music and visual media (film, TV, computer, mobile phone, multimedia).
Summary: Music and the Moving Image is one of the leading journals on the research of music and visual media in conjunction, ranging from the music used in film, TV, computer, mobile phone, and multimedia. The journal is published in collaboration with the Film Music Society, and it encourages scholars and practitioners of audiovisual studies to submit their work.
The journal’s executive editors and editorial board are comprised by some of the most renowned and influential scholars in the field of music and motion picture, including Ronald H. Sadoff, Robynn J. Stilwell, Rick Altman, Royal S. Brown, K. J. Donnelly, Caryl Flinn, Claudia Gorbman, and David Neumeyer.
Topics from recent issues have varied from discussions of film scores, music editing, narrative studies, sound and affect, and musicals. Most of the articles explore contemporary films and television in the 21st century – the entire special issue of fall 2020 was devoted solely to the rom-com musical television series, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – but sometimes older material as well, such as Shostakovich’s score to New Babylon (1929, dir. Kozintsev, Trauberg) and Unzere Kinder (1946, dir. Gross, Goskind).
Although the journal is published in English, it encourages submissions on the relationship between music and moving image in non-English speaking nations and diverse cultures. Moreover, authors of accepted articles are from all around the world, and they range from professors, graduate students, and practitioners; the most recent issue has featured two articles by graduate students out of the three publications. Also included in the journal are interviews with scholars and film composers as well as annual bibliographies that are carefully selected by librarians and scholars, which could be very helpful for students and enthusiasts who may be seeking further reading.
The intended audience for this journal is likely to be those who are fairly familiar with both fields of music and motion picture, but the articles are accessibly written, always accompanied by clear instructions for the reader. Popular film composers (Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer) are still commonly studied, as well as younger musicians and composers (Hildur Guðnadóttir) and music editors (Suzana Peric).
Overall, Music and the Moving Image attempts to create a welcoming environment for well-established scholars and graduate students alike.
Journal trends: Music editing, filmmaking, story telling, sound and affect, trauma, diegesis/nondiegesis, familiar/unfamiliar, Howard shore, sound studies, literature and visual arts, motivic transformation, narration, voice, foreign films, tv shows, musicals
Introductions: 2-3 pages
About Wendy Belcher
