Ecomusicology: Music, Activism, and Climate Change

Catalog description

This course will look at the intersections of music, culture, and nature. We will study how artists and musicians use music and sound to address climate change by surveying important trends in the young field of ecomusicology, such as soundscape studies, environmental musical criticism, acoustic ecology, and animal musicalities. Themes will range from music versus sound and the cultural construction of nature to aurality and the efficacy of sonic activism. Class sessions may include Appalachian coal- mining songs, Indigenous music from the Arctic, art music composition, soundscapes, field recordings, birdsong, soundwalks, and musical responses to environmental crises such as Hurricane Katrina and the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. Participation in the Solkattu Ensemble (Indian vocal percussion) is strongly encouraged. No prior experience in music is necessary. This course is part of the Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) and will participate in interdisciplinary events and/or collaborative projects with other SLICE students. May be counted for either humanities or social-science credit as MUHS 3272 or music component as MUSC 5272. Students must designate the