Charlotte Greenspan writes about the adaptability of Irving Berlin and his music. Berlin paid attention not only to different ethnicities in his songs, but also to the entertainment trends and technological developments of time. He also wrote patriotic songs during the First World War. Greenspan notes that although Berlin was always conscious of the era, there is also a timeless quality to many of his songs. As sound emerged in film Berlin left the stage and moved to California to write songs for films, one of his first was The Jazz Singer. After not having much success in Hollywood, Berlin left to go back to the stage, only to return in 1935. Greenspan writes that Berlin signed a contract with RKO that allowed him more creative freedom than any of the studios he had worked with earlier in his career as well as a good share of the profits. Greenspan looks at the film Top Hat for which Berlin did the music. She describes each of the five songs as “unusual in one way or another.” She also explains how the music functions in early sound films and addresses the issue of why the characters are singing? Greenspan claims that in this film Berlin wrote songs that interesting so they could be played repeatedly and so they could be recognizable. This was Berlin’s method of plugging a song in a film. Greenspan also notes how Berlin lengthened songs and adapted form to fit the film so a piece was not repeated over and over. She examines this more with an in-depth analysis of Berlin’s song “Cheek to Cheek” which is nine minutes long in the film Top Hat.
Greenspan then turns to the compiled score for Alexander’s Ragtime Band. This film is significant because it details the development of the popular song and is also a biography of Berlin, in a sense. The film’s score only had three pieces composed for it, the rest of the twenty-three pieces were compiled from previous works. Greenspan uses this film to show how popular songs were placed in film at that time and also shows its significance in the history of film and Berlin’s career.
Greenspan concludes her article with an explanation of how Berlin went to Hollywood and adapted himself for scoring films. He not only developed his style for film music but put songs in films in a way that was original and innovative.
This article gives an interesting look at the early film score and how the popular song fit into it. Irving Berlin is an Icon and he demonstrates the connection between the music and film worlds. He shows how the two adapt and fuse together.

Robert Faulkner takes an ethnographic approach to how a composer makes it in the Hollywood film industry. He establishes the role of the composer as a freelancer in the industry and looks at how a person breaks into the industry and possibly becomes one of the elite few at the top. There is a lot of competition and it is important to find jobs that expand connections and visibility as well as experience. In the first chapter, Faulkner discusses the inequalities inherent in the film industry and how important productivity, and sustained productivity, is to success. He separates the industry into the center and periphery and describes the process of moving from the periphery into the center. The composer’s role is laid out step by step. Each film and score is a different business and another credit. In Chapter two, Faulkner concentrates on how to break into the industry and the importance of networking and connections. Each score that is composed can make or break a composer and keeping continuous work is another difficult aspect of the industry. Faulkner uses the example of breaking into the industry through Universal TV. He places a lot of emphasis on referrals. Faulkner also details the process of sponsorship and how that aids a composer in coming up in the industry. Sponsorship is risky and tricky, but it is necessary in order to help newcomers climb the ladder. Chapter three looks at the next rung in the climb to scoring fame. In this chapter, Faulkner highlights some of the contradictory things and expectations a composer deals with as he starts to raise his status in the industry. The bulk of the chapter reiterates the importance of social networking and connections as well as the perils and complications of getting typecast and how to avoid it. Chapter four is about the commercial composer and how the commercial and marketing aspects of a film shape and limit and composers work. The exact role of a film composer to a film must be learned and changes for each project. The last part of the chapter deals with the tension between the composer and the commercial viability of the score. In the next three chapters, Faulkner examines the issues surrounding what he calls the middle area as well as issues of career mobility. Faulkner places a lot of emphasis on ties and alliances. Faulkner then turns to the concept of “tall orders.” This section of the book deals with problems that arise within collaborations, the crew and interpersonal relationships and how a composer has to work with and deal with these problems. In the eighth chapter, Faulkner moves back to the centrality model he set up earlier and again examines the importance of having a lot of work and social networking. Faulkner, here, takes a look at some of the major composers who are at the top of the industry. He also looks at how budgets are allocated to the film music and how that subsequently affects the composer and who gets hired for the jobs. Faulkner follows this argument with a chapter on how being at the top then shapes your career and the issues of selectivity. The final chapter is a look at the differences between the major players and the people trying to climb the ladder in. Faulkner begins be restating his points and his arguments about the importance of productivity and continuity and the steps it takes to reach the top of the industry. He shows how the process of a composer is similar to other positions. The book is really great in the sense that because it is an ethnography there were a lot of quotations and factual stories to highlight the points that Faulkner is making. The amount of first hand accounts really allows the reader to get a good understanding of the industry and the process of coming up in it.

Smith, Jeff (Jeffrey Paul). Sounds of commerce : marketing popular film music / Jeff Smith. [0231108621 (cloth : alk. paper)] New York : Columbia University Press, c1998.
Call#: Van Pelt Library ML2075 .S65 1998

Jeff Smith's The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music details the interaction between the film and music industries in relation to a popular film score and soundtrack. The book opens with a musical theory analysis of the classical and popular film scores. Smith details the history of the pop score and the necessity that it is composed or compiled from popular music genres and styles as well as it being highly accessible to the audience. Smith argues that a pop score can function in the same dramatic manner as a classical score highlighting themes and character traits as well as serving the plot, despite its difference in sound and structure. Smith follows his musical analysis with a more business-oriented chapter detailing the interactions between the film and music industries. He continues with a closer look at cross promotion and beginning in the 1950s, how the emphasis on jazz begins to shift more to pop music. Smith follows his business analysis with case studies on the popular scores of three films Breakfast at Tiffany.s, Goldfinger and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. First, Smith looks at Henry Mancini. work on Breakfast at Tiffany's. In this section he shows how the pop score functions within the larger signification in the film as well as how Mancini took the pop score and used it to make a viable soundtrack album. Smith cites Mancini.s background in Jazz as an important influence on how he was able to adapt the score into commercial success through the monothematic score. Next, Smith focuses on John Barry.s Goldfinger. Here, he shows again Jazz.s important influence on Barry as well as the importance of the musical theme in selling and promoting film. Smith demonstrates how the repeated use of a theme allows the audience to draw associations if they know the reference, while maintaining a function beyond that so the theme functions effectively for those who are unaware of its history. Finally, Smith writes about Ennio Morricone and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This chapter focuses on the interpolated song, which Smith says drives the narrative and sells itself as a commercial product. Morricone developed a style based on his training and Italian roots which, unintentionally, made his scores extremely popular. Smith also examines the effects of Scopitone and Cinebox on film scores. After the case studies, Smith shifts his focus back to the pop score as a whole first focusing on the 1960s and the compilation score. The final chapter of Smith's book examines theme songs and soundtracks post 1975. This chapter looks at business models, focusing on the music industry and its conglomerates, as well as new functions in the role of film scores and soundtracks such as the position and role of the music supervisor. This chapter shows the development of the studios and music labels and their continuing work together. Smith.s book provides a helpful and interesting analysis of the synergy of the film and music industries. His case studies are interesting choices that highlight many different aspects and functions of the popular film score as we know it today.

Charlotte Greenspan writes about the adaptability of Irving Berlin and his music.  Berlin paid attention not only to different ethnicities in his songs, but also to the entertainment trends and technological developments of time.  He also wrote patriotic songs during the First World War.  Greenspan notes that although Berlin was always conscious of the era, there is also a timeless quality to many of his songs.  As sound emerged in film Berlin left the stage and moved to California to write songs for films, one of his first was The Jazz Singer.  After not having much success in Hollywood, Berlin left to go back to the stage, only to return in 1935.  Greenspan writes that Berlin signed a contract with RKO that allowed him more creative freedom than any of the studios he had worked with earlier in his career as well as a good share of the profits.  Greenspan looks at the film Top Hat for which Berlin did the music.  She describes each of the five songs as “unusual in one way or another.”  She also explains how the music functions in early sound films and addresses the issue of why the characters are singing?  Greenspan claims that in this film Berlin wrote songs that interesting so they could be played repeatedly and so they could be recognizable.  This was Berlin’s method of plugging a song in a film.  Greenspan also notes how Berlin lengthened songs and adapted form to fit the film so a piece was not repeated over and over.  She examines this more with an in-depth analysis of Berlin’s song “Cheek to Cheek” which is nine minutes long in the film Top Hat.
    Greenspan then turns to the compiled score for Alexander’s Ragtime Band.  This film is significant because it details the development of the popular song and is also a biography of Berlin, in a sense.  The film’s score only had three pieces composed for it, the rest of the twenty-three pieces were compiled from previous works.  Greenspan uses this film to show how popular songs were placed in film at that time and also shows its significance in the history of film and Berlin’s career. 
    Greenspan concludes her article with an explanation of how Berlin went to Hollywood and adapted himself for scoring films.  He not only developed his style for film music but put songs in films in a way that was original and innovative.
    This article gives an interesting look at the early film score and how the popular song fit into it.  Irving Berlin is an Icon and he demonstrates the connection between the music and film worlds.  He shows how the two adapt and fuse together.

Arnold’s article deals with the popular film song’s development in India and its relation to mass entertainment and non-Indian elements. The article examines film song production and distribution in the Hindi film industry from the 1930s through the 1950s arguing for the artistry and fundamentally Indian nature of these songs. With the first talkies, Arnold argues, the producers realized the importance, both culturally and commercially, of song within film. Song was integrated into films and used to communicate messages to the audiences. The early film music were derived from stage and folk songs and maintained a close link with the culture. As film song developed in India, the composers began to draw on musical influences from around the country, not only folk tradition. The music reworked tradition Indian musical elements such as rhythm and scales to create a new meaning within a film. This allowed the directors to create a sense of belonging for the story and “Indian musical identity” for the audience. Arnold cites the significance of this in the creation of a national identity prior to India’s independence from England.
Arnold, next, examines the audience’s response to early Indian film music and its meaning. She claims that the music was successful by evidence of record sales, radio song requests and articles in film magazines. She then explains the connection between the film and the music, and the importance of creating music that is meaningful within the film but simple enough that the audience can relate to it. Arnold continues with a look at the way music was made and connected to the audience post-1960. She claims that India’s film music is both a part of mass consumption and mass appeal. This is evident not only through the sales but what Arnold calls “the active participation in Hindi film song performance.” She further explains the great appeal of the Hindi film song to the people.
Arnold concludes with a look at the connections and importance of the relationships between the film industry, the television media and the government-run radio to the film song.
This article provides an interesting look into the function of film music in the Hindi world. It allows one to compare the work and the development of the film song in India to Hollywood.

An annotated bibliography relating different aspects of the Film and Music Industries and their intersection