Introduction to World Musics

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the study of world music as a cultural phenomenon through an examination of the music of Asia, Africa, West Asia, the Americas, and European folk. The course begins with an introduction to methods of examining world music and reframes the study of music as a cultural phenomenon, comprised not only of the music itself but also behavior and conception. This approach helps students move beyond their preconceived understanding of music in order to open their ears and minds to a wide variety of music and cultural concepts, forming the basis for the case studies that follow. The remainder of the course focuses on cultural conceptions of music, examined through the lens of a selection of case studies, including, but not limited to, the music of the Celtic nations, the African continent, Central and West Asia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Native American culture groups. The music of these cultures is explored both as a product and reflection of culture and as an aesthetic art form. Through this approach, students not only develop a basic fluency in the characteristics of selected world musics but also gain a broader understanding of the general classifications and geographical divisions of world music and the ways in which music relates to and is a part of all world cultures. Assigned analyses and a final project provide students with the opportunity to explore particular types of world music not covered in the lessons in greater depth, examining both the music itself and the social context in which it is found. These analyses require students to think actively about contemporary musical developments around the world, including how they are affected by current socio-political events and cultural trends. World musics are best understood when students engage in the music and in discussions of the music and culture; thus there is also a class participation/discussion component for the purposes of evaluation. The course utilizes an interactive, multimedia online curriculum, including video-recorded performances, audio examples, and music notation files. The text and all musical examples are available to students online. The course is available for GA credit and also meets the definition of an International Cultures course. It does not satisfy any requirements for the major or minor in music.