Potterversity: A Potter Studies Podcast13 Maj 2024

Potterversity Episode 51: Music and Fantasy in the Harry Potter Franchise

Get swept away by the cinematic sounds of the Wizarding World.

We're joined by musicologist Dr. Daniel White (University of Huddersfield), who has a new book about the music of two major fantasy franchises, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. He talks about the musical foundation laid by John Williams in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and how subsequent composers built off his work both within the Harry Potter series and continuing into the Fantastic Beasts films.

Dan applies music theory to unpack what makes "Hedwig's Theme" so iconic and how it contributes to worldbuilding and evokes nostalgia. We look at the tone shifts between films and the recurring musical motifs that change throughout the series. Dan tells us about his methodology for analyzing film music, including ethnographic research interviewing audiences about their reactions and conversations with composers and music supervisors for video games, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks.

The theme parks offer an interesting blend of diegetic (in-universe) music, like Celestina Warbeck and the Hogwarts frog choir, and non-diegetic background music from the soundtracks. Fans have of course made their own Potter-inspired music in the form of wizard rock. While the music of Lord of the Rings is more epic in scale, covering different regions, races, and communities, Harry Potter tends to focus more on individual characters, their relationships, and more specific locations. Both share a theme of home and have become homes for audiences, inspiring the subtitle of Dan's book, The Music of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings: Sounds of Home in the Fantasy Franchise.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(121)

Potterversity Episode 74: Prisoners of Azkaban

Sirius Black wasn't the only prisoner of Azkaban—or the only victim of a deeply flawed penal system.Our guest for this episode is Marjolaine Martin, host of our French counterpart podcast at La Gazett...

10 Aug 1h 1min

Potterversity Episode 73: Harry Potter in Russia

Harry Potter is a global phenomenon - but how has it been received in Russia?Katy and Emily are joined Dr. Eliot Borenstein, professor of Russian and Slavic studies at New York University, to discuss ...

13 Juli 1h 10min

Potterversity Episode 72: Harry Potter and Identity

Why is it important to read Harry Potter critically? Katy and Emily talk about bridging the academic and fan worlds with Dr. Julian Wamble, who teaches a course called Harry Potter and Social Identit...

11 Maj 1h 12min

Potterversity Episode 71: Potter Meets Molesworth

We're going back to school, and specifically Latin class, on this episode.Dr. Mitchell Parks (Knox College) joins us once again to connect classical studies to Harry Potter, but this time, we're not l...

13 Apr 59min

Potterversity Episode 70: Harry Potter and the Call for Papers

This special episode is a call to join us at our favorite event of the year - the Harry Potter Academic Conference!The 15th annual conference is back in person at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia...

30 Mars 46min

Potterversity Episode 69: Potter Gets Stranger

We're entering the Upside Down to compare Harry Potter and Stranger Things following the Netflix series's final season. Spoilers ahead - proceed with caution!Katy, Emily, and producer Laurie reflect o...

9 Mars 1h 16min

Potterversity Episode 68: When in Doubt, Go to the Library

We're heading to Hermione's favorite place in this episode: the library!Ian McLaughlin, an PhD student in English who also holds an MLIS, joins Katy and Emily to reflect on libraries and librarians in...

9 Feb 1h 5min

Potterversity Episode 67: The Best Hope We Have

We're back with another episode recorded live at the 14th annual Harry Potter Academic Conference, which took place online in October 2025.Katy and Emily are joined by several conference regulars—prod...

12 Jan 58min