Ethnomusicology of the Arab World (Fall 2014)

short link to this page: http://bit.ly/arabmusic14
short link to weekly content pages: http://bit.ly/arabmusic14

Course

Music 468 / 568: Area Studies in Ethnomusicology: The Arab World
Meetings: Fall 2014, Tuesday and Thursday, 12:30 - 1:50 pm, HC 2 34

Instructor

Professor Michael Frishkopf
Office: 334D Old Arts Building
Office hours: Wednesday 1:00-3:30, by appointment
Tel: 780-492-0225, email: michaelf@ualberta.ca

Goals

This course will survey music cultures and trends in the Arab world (broadly defined), from the 7th century to the present. We will develop a critical perspective, by contextualizing music designated as "Arab" within Arab nationalism from the 19th century onwards. Likewise, the concept of "Arab world" will be problematized, and extended to the diasporic community. Historical and music theoretical approaches will be adopted, but the course will focus on the sociology and anthropology of music. We will examine localized musical dialects--urban and rural—characterizing societies and cultures from Morocco to the Gulf, as well as broader mediated forms, and music media themselves, from phonodiscs to satellite TV. Aesthetics of music, the metaphysical, gender and sexuality, politics, coloniality, and globalization are all topics to be taken up. A significant component of the course is sensory immersive, including listening, and a number of music-related films, both documentary and feature. The objective is for you to learn about these multifacted music cultures, and, through them (and by means of their critical analysis) to begin to understand the Arab world (so frequently misunderstood) in a new way.

This course requires a Community Service Learning component, including 20 hours of service supporting a Cairo-based folk music organization, El Mastaba. This component will entail conducting research in support of El Mastaba's social, educational, research, and archival mission: to document and ensure the continuity of traditional Egyptian musical forms.

We'll use eClass for course management, in conjunction with this wiki. You'll find weekly assignments posted on eClass site, as well as protected resources. All assignments must be uploaded via eClass.

NB: This course can be taken at either of two levels: 468 (regular) or 568 (advanced). If you are an undergraduate, you should be enrolled in 468. Graduate students should be enrolled in 568. Expectations for 568 are slightly higher throughout the course.

Course Schedule

eClass site includes course schedule (readings, listenings, assignments), plus protected resources.

Weekly pages includes lecture notes and listening/viewing examples, week by week.

Course Format

Preparation for class

Readings, listenings, viewings will be finalized on the Moodle (see below) by the Sunday prior to class. For each reading, you should prepare a reading report: one or two paragraphs of summary and critique, for your own reference. (These need not be handed in, but are useful for discussions and writing SC papers. Optionally, you may submit them to the Moodle’s Reading Report Database to share with others).

In class

Each class will combine several kinds of activities (to keep things interesting):

1. lectures with AV examples
2. student presentations
3. class discussions
4. sensory immersion, via extended listening or viewing (e.g. films, concerts)
5. musical practica (ear training, composition, improvisation, experiments), sometimes followed by discussion.

Course Requirements

• Regular attendance and participation. Complete preparatory readings, listenings, and viewings before each class. Come prepared with written notes, comments, questions, and critiques. Be able to state each reading’s main points in one or two sentences, and develop a critical perspective: what’s missing? What are the author’s assumptions (perhaps unstated)? Participate in class activities, including discussions. During the term, everyone will present one reading in class, asking probing questions and stirring discussion.
• Map quiz. Identify 22 countries of the Arab League, their capitals, and approximate populations.
• Two synthetic-critical (SC) papers. Each paper draws together five weeks’ worth of readings, listenings, and viewings, by comparing, contrasting, and critiquing them. These are relatively short assignments (4 pages for students enrolled in 468; 6 pages for those enrolled in 568); no additional research is required. Do, however, cite the readings as you discuss them, using any standard for scholarly references, and list all references cited in any standard bibliographic format at the end of the paper. You must reference every assigned reading (optionally, for extra credit, listenings and viewings as well) at least once in one of the two papers. Submit SC papers via eClass. (I’m evaluating these assignments with two questions in mind: (a) did you do the readings? (b) did you think about them?)
• Event ethnography: an ethnographic report on an Arab music or dance performance in Edmonton, including concerts, nightclub performances, rehearsals, or workshops (3 pages for students enrolled in 468; 5 pages for those enrolled in 568). We can all use the eClass' News Forum to alert each other to upcoming events. Attend, participate, observe. In your report, discuss the venue, people, behavior, discourse, music, sequence of events. Try to make connections to what we’ve learned in the course, citing readings as needed. Submit via eClass. Extra credit: transcription and analysis of the music (you’ll need permission to record), with special attention to maqam.
• CSL component, including....Research paper (10 pages for students enrolled in 468; 15 pages for those enrolled in 568) plus derived media-rich online version. There are five components: (1) The research paper topic includes a tentative title, research question, one paragraph abstract, and a short bibliography. (2) The outline indicates the structure of your paper, and provides a full bibliography. (3) The oral presentation (20 minutes) summarizes your principal findings, and will be delivered during one of the two final weeks. (4) The research paper itself is due at the end of the course, along with (5) an online version (presented via blog, course wiki, wikipedia, website, or other cyberpublication channel), comprising the same paper, augmented with audio-visual materials. Submit all written assignments via eClass.
• Extra credit: Maintain an eClass blog, documenting your experiences learning about music of the Arab world, and comment on others’ blogs. Submit reading reports to eClass's Reading Report database, for general reference. Contribute to the course glossary and wikipedia index. Join MENAME.

Note: all page counts refer to double-spaced, 12 pt, 1” margin, Times New Roman text pages, not including bibliography.

Course Resources

El Mastaba Community Service Learning Project. This is a CSL course. Here is where we'll organize our contributions to El Mastaba, a folk music organization based in Cairo, Egypt.

Other course resources

Evaluation and grading

The evaluation of each requirement is on a scale from 0-4 points. These scores are combined according to the percentages indicated in order to produce a final numeric grade. This grade is rounded to the nearest numeric value in the table below, in order to determine the final letter grade. In exceptional cases the grade A+ may also be assigned. Expectations for 568 are higher than for 468.

attendance and participation: 8%
map quiz: 6%
reading presentation: 6%
each SC paper: 12.5% (25% total)
event ethnography: 15%
research paper topic: 5%
research paper outline: 5%
research paper presentation: 10%
research paper (text and online version): 20%

All weekly assignments are to be uploaded to eClass before class on the due date. (This is very important so you'll be prepared for class.) Thereafter, an eighth point will be deducted, and an additional eighth point for each subsequent day of lateness (e.g. 8 days' lateness lowers an A to a B). The final research proposal must be submitted by the end of the day on its due date; thereafter, an eighth point will be deducted for each day of lateness.

All course components are evaluated using letter grades, or numbers on a scale from 0-4. Letter grades are converted to their numerical equivalents, then combined in a weighted average (as given above), rounded to the nearest numeric value and converted to a letter grade. Number-grade conversions are performed according to the following table:
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
F: 0.0

Official statements

Course prerequisites: none
Course-based ethics approval, Community service learning: Required
Past or representative evaluative course material: see instructor
Additional mandatory instruction fees: No

Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar. (GFC 29 SEP 2003).

Academic Integrity
“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 with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx ) and avoid any behaviour that 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.

Learning and working environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to: • Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or • If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department. For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ ). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=110

Academic Honesty:
All students should consult the information provided by the Office of Judicial Affairs regarding avoiding cheating and plagiarism in particular and academic dishonesty in general (see the Academic Integrity Undergraduate Handbook and Information for Students). If in doubt about what is permitted in this class, ask the instructor. Students involved in language courses and translation courses should be aware that on-line “translation engines” produce very dubious and unreliable “translations.” Students in language courses should be aware that, while seeking the advice of native or expert speakers is often helpful, excessive editorial and creative help in assignments is considered a form of “cheating” that violates the code of student conduct with dire consequences. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process.

Recording of Lectures:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.

Attendance, Absences, and Missed Grade Components:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within two days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult sections 23.3(1) and 23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences will result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed-in or completed as a result. In this course, 8% of your grade depends on regular attendance and energetic participation.

Policy for Late Assignments:
See Evaluation and Grading, above.

Specialized Support & Disability Services:
If you have special needs that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know during the first week of the term so that appropriate arrangements can be made. If you are not already registered with Specialized Support & Disability Services, contact their office immediately ( 2-800 SUB; Email ssdsrec@ualberta.ca; Email; phone 780-492-3381; WEB www.ssds.ualberta.ca ).

Previous students' research

Course research from previous years....