MENAME Winter 2022 schedule

short link: http://bit.ly/mename22s

MENAME will run every Thursday from Jan 6 until April 7, with the exception of Reading Week (Feb 24).

Classes (6:30 - 9:30 pm) are in 3 parts:

1. Lectures/presentations (about 30-45 min)
2. Warm-up exercises (about 15-30 min)
3. Rehearsals (from about 7:30)

Instructors are usually available by 6 and stay until everything has been put away. Your assistance in setting up chairs, and putting them away afterwards would be greatly appreciated!

On this schedule - to be filled in week by week - we'll summarize what we covered in each class in each of these categories, so you can review during the week.

Assignments (including readings/listenings/viewings), Repertoire, and quiz review sheets, are available online in Google Drive:
http://bit.ly/mename22g Theory resources on maqamat and durub are available via the main course webpage http://bit.ly/mename Also see http://maqamworld.com

Within that folder, assignments are listed this google sheet, with links. Note that all assignments are to be submitted via eClass (http://bit.ly/mename22e) by 6pm - i.e. before the class for which it is due.

Week 1: Jan 6: Introduction & Meeting for consent

Note: all enrolled for-credit students are admitted. If you have not yet enrolled but wish to do so, please contact one of the instructors.

Introductions...

Greetings (in various languages):

• Arabic:
  • السلام عليكم as-Salāmu ʿAlaykum
  • اهلا وسهلا Ahlan wa Sahlan
• Persian
• Turkish
• Greek?

The People

• Greet in any language
• Then introduce your area of musical interest, expertise, or research
• Add a short solo performance (music or dance ...) or show your instruments if you'd like!

The course: general

• Brief history of MENAME from 2004.
• MENA: Middle East and North Africa
  • Countries
  • Languages
  • Religions
  • History
  • Musical characteristics:
    • "organic diversity" - tremendous variety, but connected
    • centrality of the voice and language; instruments (takht); heterophony; limited improvisation; modes and rhythms; dances
  • Our journey this term: Iran to Greece

The course: the nuts and the bolts

• MENAME website: http://bit.ly/mename - links everywhere else.
• Other mnemonics:
  • http://bit.ly/mename22 (current syllabus)
  • http://bit.ly/mename22s (schedule)
  • http://bit.ly/mename22e (eClass)
  • http://bit.ly/mename22g (Google Drive folder)
• Covid related issues and requirements
• Arrive and leave on time, participate and pay attention throughout, no side conversations during rehearsals (but enjoy the social break!)
• Please help set up chairs at the beginning, and help stack them at the end
• Attendance will be taken each class.
• Keep break to 10 min. No 3 course meals :) No food in Studio 27.
• No electronics! (no phones, tablets, computers allowed, whatsoever) Take notes with pen and paper. I will distribute repertoire on xeroxed sheets (lyrics, notations)
• Arrange these sheets in a notebook, and bring them to every class.
• Practice exercises and repertoire as part of your homework
• Credit students also have specific homework assignments, resulting in a writing assignment nearly every week. Submit these assignments on eclass by 6pm
• Graduate students enrolled in 548 will prepare a research paper on a topic related to our musical journey.
• There will be 3 quizzes, with review sheets distributed in advance, and no other homework due those days.

Calendar: dates to note...

• • Final concert Thurs April 7
  • Quizzes (from 6:30): Feb 17, March 10, take-home final due April 14

Music!

• Song introductions our first piece or two and we can get started learning them? First we review the lyrics. People will need help with pronunciation. Then we listen. You can play pieces from your phone or laptop - there's a plug to connect to the room's speakers. We can try that beforehand.
• Introduction to the Music & Warmup
  • Introduction to iqa`at or durub (maqsum, masmudi, sa`idi, wahda, bamb, malfuf), clapping or using dum/tek
  • Percussion exercise: clapping/drumming
  • Introduction to maqam hijaz: singing/playing
  • Singing/playing and clapping/drumming
• Songs: Iran and Azerbaijan
  • "Aghrab-e Zolf/Gozelim (Persian and Azerbaijani lyrics)
  • "Tir-e Ghamat".

Week 3: Jan 20

Homework Assignments

Assignments are listed on the course schedule here.

Remember homework to be handed in is always due on the day it is listed, before class! You must submit reading reviews for each reading, listening, or viewing before class on Thursday! Each review is one paragraph (or, at most, two), in two parts: first, you should demonstrate that you’ve completed the assignment (reading, listening, or viewing) by telling me what it’s about (what are the main points?); second, you should demonstrate that you’ve thought about it, by telling me what you think of it (what are its limitations?). If there's more than one item (reading, listening, viewing) be sure you discuss all of them. You don't have to write much on each. Use the eClass site to submit all assignments. Late submissions will be downgraded (see course outline for details).

All assignments due on a particular day will be submitted together, since eClass provides a single link for each Thursday (note that there aren't assignments for every Thursday). For more details on assignments, see course outline.

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 4: Jan 27

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 5: Feb 3

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 6: Feb 10

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 7: Feb 17. Quiz #1

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 9: March 3

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 10: March 10. Quiz #2

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 11: March 17

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 12: March 24

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 13: March 31

Rehearsal segment

warmup:

Songs:

Week 14: April 7

Final concert!

Week 15: April 14

Undergraduates: Final take-home quiz due

Graduate students: Final research paper due