Course overview

This course provides an overview of the world’s musics, using in-depth case studies from around the world. In each case, we will be sure to relate musical expression to its cultural context. While most of us primarily consider music a source of entertainment, in this course we will encounter many other contexts for the production of music: education, work, politics, religion, ethnic identity. A major concern will be globalization: what happens to a musical tradition when it comes into contact with the international music business and is commodified for American listeners? Our ultimate goal is to encourage critical thinking about the role of music in our own lives, in part by coming into contact with ways of life in which the role of music is different from what we take for granted.

This is a course in music history, not music theory or performance. This course assumes no particular background in music, such as the ability to read notation or to perform on an instrument. Therefore, listening assignments, both in class and on your own, are essential to the course experience. You will learn new concepts and techniques for listening to musical performances and analyzing them. At the conclusion of the course, you will apply these techniques by writing about a performance of your choice.

While the purpose of this course is primarily to broaden your background, rather than to provide specific job skills, nevertheless you will find that employers find broadly educated people more desirable as job applicants.