Introduction to World Music (2011)

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 diaspora 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, history, notation or ethnomusicology is a prerequisite for taking this course.

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.

• Reading review. A written review on one course reading of your choice. Your review should be polished, and contain two sections: 1) a summary of the content of your chosen reading (200-250 words); 2) a critique of your reading (250-300 words), briefly evaluating its approach and methods, its possible biases and its significance for the study of world musics. This reading review counts for 10% of your final grade. Reviews that do not respect the word limits 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 6 (Fri, Oct 14).

• 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 2 to 7). 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 8 (on Monday, Oct 24).

• 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 500 and 600 words in length. 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. This essay counts for 20% of your final grade. Please submit your paper both in hard copy and electronically (by email). DUE WEEK 11 (Mon, Nov 14).

• Listening quiz. A test to be performed in class in 50 minutes. A number of music samples will be played for you in class and you will be required to provide basic information about them (i.e. performer, country, music genre) by filling in a questionnaire. All samples will be drawn from class materials. Halfway through the course you will be given a playlist of 12 to 15 samples, out of which only 8 will be chosen for the test by the instructor. DUE WEEK 13 (Mon, Nov 28).

• 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 8 to 13); 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