An exploration into the music that has defined the soundtrack for countless Western films over the past 100 years!
Chandor Gardens Foundation was pleased to offer another instalment in the ongoing Wine & Words Speaker Series, with Dr. Paul Cortese, Assistant Director for Operations in the TCU School of Music who presented "Big Sky Music! - The Western Film Score" at Chandor Gardens on Saturday, May 18, 2024
Cowboys, Indians, gunfights, and adventures on the frontier have all been represented by various musical treatments. Dr Cortese highlighted the composers who developed the ‘horse opera’ score, while examining the musical language and devices used to transport the audience to another time and place—the American Old West.
The film score creates a film's emotion and mood for each scene. Western movies have not only masterfully used music to communicate emotions and mood to the audience, but to also influence the emotions and moods of the audience. Dr Cortese shared music and film clips from well-known Western movies showing how the film score plays such an integral role to the overall audience experience.
The presentation started at 7:00 P.M. (doors opened at 6:30 P.M.)
Tickets: $30 (included wine & beer)
Dr Paul Cortese
Dr. Paul Cortese is the Assistant Director for Operations in the TCU School of Music. He manages organizational and promotional projects including the performance hall box office, website updates, YouTube video channel, jury examination system, print advertising, event project management and general facility services. Dr. Cortese is the Director of TCU’s Summer Music Institute, which offers instrumental workshops and music camps to middle and high school students across north Texas.
Dr. Cortese is an instructor, who developed and teaches Survey of Film Music to non-majors for Fine Arts credit. He oversees and programs the School of Music’s Recital Hour class, which features student performances and guest lecture presentations. Dr. Cortese’s research interests include teaching artistry for social change and musical performance practice in the variety theatre (vaudeville) and early silent film era.
As a classically trained guitarist, Cortese has performed both acoustic fingerstyle repertoire and electric contemporary music styles. He has taught a wide range of guitar students from young beginners, to college students and advanced adult players. Dr. Cortese holds degrees from Syracuse University (B.M.), New England Conservatory (M.M.) and Texas Christian University (Ed.D.).
