MUS 111
Music Cultures of the World Fall 2019
Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
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Class Details

This course introduces a variety of musical traditions from around the world, from highlife and hip hop in Ghana to Balinese Gamelan and Indian classical genres. Students will develop a working knowledge of musical terms, influential musicians, and concepts relevant to performance genres hailing from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Beyond engaging with music’s sound and structure, we will address its capacity to express personal and group identity, and its ability to both reflect and shape broader social ideas and circumstances. In particular, we will consider music’s global circulation, and how its contents and meanings reflect those processes. Reading and writing assignments are combined with direct engagement with music and musicians. No prior musical training required.
The Class: Format: lecture; combined with discussion and workshops
Limit: 30
Expected: 20
Class#: 1860
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: class attendance and participation, regular short writing assignments and projects, and a final paper
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: current or prospective majors in Music, Anthropology, Sociology, Arabic Studies and Asian Studies, as well as current and prospective concentrators in Africana Studies and Latina/o Studies
Distributions: Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
DPE Notes: Not only are students exposed to a wide range of musical material from across the globe, they also consider how music becomes meaningful and powerful in light of local contexts and the politics of circulation. Discussions and written assignments address issues including gender identity, economic disparity, the politics of cultural preservation, and music's potential in situations of political unrest.
Attributes: MUS World Music/Ethnomusicology

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