Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Media Studies
Second Department
Music
Reader 1
Ming-Yuen Ma
Reader 2
YouYoung Kang
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2024 Isabel Li
Abstract
Play, Then is a 8-minute short narrative classical music film that centers on a young Chinese American cellist who must face his relationship with music when his mother asks him to play for his ailing grandmother. The prevailing context of my film is the genre of what I call “classical music films,” which are narrative films, usually fictional, that explore cultural depictions of classical music and musicians through a visual cinematic story. Play, Then subverts expectations in classical music films by positioning an Asian American classical musician as the protagonist of the film and featuring a lesser-known classical piece. As a dual thesis in media studies and music, this film is a culmination of my experiences writing, directing, and producing narrative films, and analyzing, performing, and writing about 19th century classical music as an avid violinist.
Recommended Citation
Li, Isabel, "Play, Then: Reimagining The Classical Music Film" (2025). Scripps Senior Theses. 2468.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2468
