Introduction to World Music (2010)

Music 102. Introduction to World Music

Classes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 2:00PM - 2:50PM

Location: FAB 2-20

Instructor: Dr. Federico Spinetti (spinetti@ualberta.ca)

Teaching assistants: Niyati Dhokai (ndhokai@ualberta.ca) and Mahsa Pakravan (pakravan@ualberta.ca)

Office: 3-34A Arts & Convocation Hall; office hours: Wednesday 10:00AM - 12:00PM, Friday 12:00PM - 1:50PM; tel. 492-7534. NOTE: there will be no office hours on the following Fridays: Oct 15, Oct 29, Nov 19 and Nov 26. However, there will be office hours on Friday, Dec 10 (12:00AM - 1:50PM).

Course description

This course provides an introduction to the study of musics from around the world and to the discipline of ethnomusicology. It journeys across a variety of locations and musics, from continental Europe, to the Middle East, South and East Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America, Africa and the Anglo-American world. Issues addressed include the anthropological study of music; music of transnational diasporic communities; the construction and negotiation of cultural identities in music; the study of musics in their socio-historical, ideological and political contexts; music and religion; traditional and popular musics vis-à-vis processes of modernization, commodification and globalization; contemporary music technologies and media. The course makes extensive use of audiovisual materials in addition to lectures and readings. No formal knowledge of music theory, analysis, history, notation or ethnomusicology is a prerequisite for taking this course.

Media:Music 102 syllabus Fall 2010.pdf

This course is for undergraduate students only.

Aims and objectives

To promote appreciation for and understanding of a wide variety of music cultures worldwide.

To gain familiarity with the field of ethnomusicology and some of its methodological and theoretical approaches.

To promote a critical approach to the study of music.

To explore the possibilities offered by a number of methods and media to the process and outcomes of music research: fieldwork, analysis of texts and audiovisual documents, ethnographic writing, ethnographic filmmaking, field and studio recordings, etc.

To become acquainted with a number of music genres and musical practices in a variety of countries worldwide.

To study musical idioms and aesthetic perceptions in relation to their socio-historical contexts, and to develop a critical understanding of the role of music in culture and society.

To appreciate the diversity of cultural practices, collective histories and identity perceptions that flourish thanks to music worldwide.

Course requirements

Class attendance. The assignments and tests of this course will be based importantly on class and lecture content in addition to course readings. Attending class regularly is therefore essential to efficiently follow the progress of this course and to effectively complete its requirements.

Personal writing assignment. A short piece of writing (250-350 words) in response to the questions: What does “world music” mean to you? What experiences have you had with it [listening, playing, etc]? This assignment counts for 5% of your final grade (full mark given for completion and submission on time). Unjustified late submissions will be penalized by one full point on the letter grading scale (i.e. from A to A-, from A- to B+, etc). Please submit your piece both in hard copy and electronically (by email). DUE in WEEK 2 (Mon, Sept 20).

Reading summary. A written report on one assigned or additional course reading of your choice. Your report should be concise (250-300 words) and polished. It should provide a short summary of your reading, addressing its main contents and issues with clarity and accuracy. The reading summary counts for 10% of your final grade. Reports that do not respect the word limit set above will be downgraded by one full point on the letter grading scale (i.e. from A to A-, from A- to B+, etc). Likewise, unjustified late submissions will be penalized by one full point on the letter grading scale. Please submit your report both in hard copy and electronically (by email). DUE in WEEK 4 (Mon, Oct 4). For additional instructions regarding this assignment see Media:Reading Summary additional instructions.pdf

Reading review. A written review on one course reading of your choice. Your review should be polished, and contain two sections: 1) a brief summary of the content of your chosen reading (150-200 words); 2) a critique of your reading (300-400 words), briefly evaluating its approach, its possible biases and its significance for the study of world musics. This reading review counts for 15% of your final grade. Reviews that do not respect the word limit set above will be downgraded by one full point on the letter grading scale (i.e. from A to A-, from A- to B+, etc). Likewise, unjustified late submissions will be penalized by one full point on the letter grading scale. Please submit your review both in hard copy and electronically (by email). DUE in WEEK 5 (Fri, Oct 15). For additional instruction regarding this assignment see Media:Further instructions for reading review.pdf

Midterm questionnaire. A questionnaire to be completed in class in 50 minutes. It will contain short-answer questions asking you to provide basic notions and information relevant to the course content (from Week 1 to 6). Class/lecture content, assigned readings and additional readings (see under Class Schedule & Readings) will provide sufficient preparation for this assignment. The midterm will take place in WEEK 7 (on Monday, Oct 25).

Topic response essay. A written response to one weekly topic of your choice. Your paper should 1) present your chosen weekly topic by identifying its main research issues/questions; 2) drawing on course materials (class/lecture content; assigned and additional readings; class discussion if applicable) discuss how such questions and problems may be tackled; 3) formulate one or more original research questions that may encourage further exploration of the topic under consideration. Your paper should be polished and between 450 and 600 words in length. This essay counts for 20% of your final grade. Papers that do not respect this word limit will be downgraded by one full point on the letter grading scale (i.e. from A to A-, from A- to B+, etc). Likewise, unjustified late submissions will be penalized by one full point on the letter grading scale. Please submit your paper both in hard copy and electronically (by email). DUE WEEK 10 (Mon, Nov 15).

Final exam. A final exam paper to be completed in class in 2 hours. It will be divided in two parts: 1) a questionnaire containing short-answer questions asking you to provide basic notions and information relevant to the course content (from Week 7 to 12); 2) a list of essay questions related to each one of the course weekly topics. You will have to answer to one question of your choice in essay-like form. Class/lecture content, assigned readings and additional readings (see under Class Schedule & Readings) are required for this assignment. Date of exam TBA.

Academic integrity

You should be familiar with the Code of Student Behavior as published in Section 26 of the 2009-2010 Calendar and available online at http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/governance/studentappeals.cfm. “Policy about course outlines can be found in section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar”. (GFC 29 SEP 2003) “The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/governance/studentappeals.cfm.) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003)

Media:Quotes and sourcing.pdf

Assessment

Each assignment will be marked according to the numeric scale of evaluation given below. Individual assignment marks will be combined to obtain a final numeric grade, which will be translated into the correspondent final letter grade.

A = 4.0

A- = 3.7

B+ = 3.3

B = 3.0

B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3

C = 2.0

C- = 1.7

D+ = 1.3

D = 1.0

D- = 0.7

F = 0.0

The relative weight of each assignment on the overall grade is as follows:

Personal writing assignment: 5%

Reading summary: 10%

Reading review: 15%

Midterm questionnaire: 15%

Topic response essay: 20%

Final exam: 35%

Resources

There are no required textbooks for this course. A number of relevant books, articles and audiovisual materials are on reserve for you at the Music Library. Please note that most of the articles required for this course are available online through the University of Alberta Library databases. Relevant bibliographic or audiovisual materials that may not be available through the University Library will be handed out in class, included in this course mediawiki page or made accessible in my office. Our course mediawiki page will be an essential resource for updated reading assignments and class schedule.

Recording of lectures is permitted only with the prior written consent of the professor or if recording is part of an approved accommodation plan.

Class schedule and readings

Classes are organized by topic/issue; that is, by their theoretical focus and not by geo-cultural area or music genre. As a rule, each class addresses more than one geo-cultural area and/or musical genre. The same or closely related geo-cultural areas and/or musical genres may be revisited in different weeks, albeit from different theoretical angles. Likewise, while many theoretical issues will recur at different times across a number of classes, each class will focus specifically on one theoretical issue and explore it in some detail.

The readings listed below are provisional and may be rectified: please check this course mediawiki outline regularly for definitive reading assignments. It is important that you complete Assigned Readings by class time! Otherwise, you will fall behind and derive much less benefit from class meetings. Additional Readings are not required for class, but will be essential to preparing for the midterm questionnaire, the topic response essay and the final exam. Further Readings are optional and are for those of you who wish to explore any given weekly topic in greater depth.

Week 1 - Sept 13, 15, 17 - Introduction to the course

Week 2 - Sept 20, 22, 24 - Introduction to the anthropology of music

Week 3 - Sept 27, 29, Oct 1 - Traditions and post-traditions: challenging authenticity

Week 4 - Oct 4, 6, 8 - Globalization and locality in the popular musics of the world

Week 5 - Oct 13, 15 - Audiovisual and electronic media: worldwide uses and issues of representation

Week 6 - Oct 18, 20, 22 - Music, identity and nationhood

Week 7 - Oct 25, 27, 29 - Music, religion and ritual

Week 8 - Nov 1, 3, 5 - Musics of the world in the World Music market

Week 9 - Nov 8, 10 - Transnational migrations and diaspora musics

Week 10 - Nov 15, 17, 19 - Music, politics and resistance

Week 11 - Nov 22, 24, 26 - Music, conflict and violence

Week 12 - Nov 29, Dec 1, 3 - Worlds of film music