MU292 - Worlds of Musical Meaning
In this introductory course to the musics of the world, we will survey several rich and dynamic performance and cultural practices from around the globe. Through ethnographic case studies, hands-on musical performance, and body movement classes, we will approach the study of music and cultural meaning across various historical and social contexts. Our exploration will uncover the many and varied meanings inherent in musical expression, and how music forms an essential means through which people understand themselves and their worlds (including investigations of popular music, sacred and spiritual soundscapes, musical traditions rooted in historical processes, as well as sound practices of rituals, dance, and rites of passage). This class will teach you how to listen to, analyze, participate in, identify, discuss, and perform a selection of basic music-making styles from around the world. Yet the question begs: How on earth can we cover music from around the globe in a single block? The short answer is: We can't. Instead, this class will be devoted to engaging with a wide range of local community musicians and artists – recognizing that a diverse “world of music” exists locally and can be engaged right outside our doors. In the process, we will interrogate the limitations and radical possibilities of a 'world music” survey course while also gaining a fuller understanding of how music can help us understand the human condition – the world, its peoples, and the transnational movement of people over time – from the perspective of sound. (Not offered 2025-26).
1 unit
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