Date

5-2026

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Music & Performing Arts

Major

Music

First Advisor

Violet Cavicchi Munoz

Second Advisor

John Wineglass

Abstract

Music is often thought of as a background element in storytelling, something that enhances a scene but is not essential to its meaning. However, this perspective overlooks the powerful role music plays in shaping how stories are understood and experienced. Across film, theater, and even interactive media, music does far more than accompany images or dialogue. It actively guides emotional response, constructs narrative meaning, and connects audiences to stories on a deeper psychological level. Unlike visual or verbal storytelling alone, music has the unique ability to communicate emotion without explicit explanation. A shift in melody, harmony, or rhythm can signal tension, resolution, or transformation before a single word is spoken. In many cases, music fills in the emotional and narrative gaps that visuals cannot fully express, allowing audiences to interpret characters, settings, and events in more nuanced ways. Because of this, music does not simply support storytelling, it becomes an integral part of how stories are told.

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Additional Files

Beginning_Of_The_End_Master_1.wav (43814 kB)

Whisked_Away_Master_1.wav (59785 kB)

History_Master_1.wav (42850 kB)

Burning_Master_1.wav (52071 kB)

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