Screen Music and Trauma

CoRA (Centre of Research in the Arts) at Oxford Brookes University invites proposals for MA by Research projects examining the pivotal intersection of soundtracks and trauma. While existing research has explored trauma through musical performance, the interplay between music and traumatic recovery, there remains a notable gap in the study of trauma and screen music across diverse media settings, including film, television, video games, and museum contexts. 

In our contemporary world saturated with pervasive visual media, the examination of musical soundtracks and their connection to trauma is exceptionally pertinent. The COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing global conflicts, natural disasters, and socio-political tensions have collectively heightened our awareness of trauma. As we navigate these complex challenges, our increasing reliance on music and visual media as tools for processing and  comprehending traumatic experiences has become evident. 

This research not only enriches the discourse within film studies but also engages with a range of fields such as politics, history, commemoration studies, and psychology. Employing prevailing film music theory, the primary methodological approach will involve detailed critical textual analyses of the most compelling traumatic sequences in each media case study, considering historical context, production specifics, and assessments of cinematography, narrative techniques, and musical scores. 

Project proposals may include studies of music and trauma in screen presentations of:

• the Holocaust or other war and/or genocide narratives, 
• Memorial Museums and their films, 
• COVID-19 or other pandemics, 
• 9/11 or other acts of terrorism, 
• personal trauma, and addiction-based trauma. 

Project proposals can be negotiated and developed with the supervisory team based on the applicant’s preference and experience.