MUSIC IN WORLD CULTURES (MUSC/ANTH 324) · Cardoso – Texas A&M University – Music in World Cultures – Spring 2015 1 MUSIC IN WORLD CULTURES (MUSC/ANTH 324) Spring 2015 Section

Cardoso – Texas A&M University – Music in World Cultures – Spring 2015

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MUSIC IN WORLD CULTURES (MUSC/ANTH 324)

Spring 2015

Section 501: MWF 12:40 AM-1:30 PM, HECC 100 Section 502: MWF 1:50-2:40 PM, HECC 100

Instructor: Dr. Leonardo Cardoso Email: [email protected] Office: LAAH 211 (Liberal Arts and Humanities) Office hours: To make an appointment, go to https://www.timetrade.com/book/3BLR1

Teaching Assistant: Christopher Johnson Email: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers a broad overview to various musical expressions throughout the world, including Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Europe. It will expand your musical vocabulary and increase your awareness of the importance of music in different cultural contexts. We will examine multiple ways of organizing sound from a sociocultural and ethnographic perspective, focusing on group identity and notions of race, gender, ethnicity, nationalism, and power. Additionally, the course is an opportunity to connect with your local community by attending and analyzing musical performances.

PREREQUISITES Previous experience with musical performance, including the ability to read or play notated music, is neither required nor expected. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Mountain Chief, Chief of Montana Blackfeet, in Native Dress With Bow, Arrows, and Lance, Listening to Song Being Played On Phonograph and Interpreting It in Sign Language to Frances Densmore, Ethnologist, March 1916, by Harris & Ewing, Smithsonian National Anthropological Archives. Source: http://siarchives.si.edu/blog/behind-portrait-frances-densmore-and-mountain-chief


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COURSE OBJECTIVES The objective of the course is to help you develop two skills, which may prove valuable in other courses and life in general: (1) critical thinking, and (2) critical listening. This means that I will challenge you to question taken-for-granted assumptions and arguments about music by engaging with various types of media and literature.

Critical Listening Critical Thinking

1) Attentively listen to, recognize, and describe the characteristics of a piece of music, such as melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, form, articulation, dynamics, and instrumentation.

2) Identify the characteristic musical features, historical and cultural background, important artists, and key pieces associated with various genres of popular music.

3) Explain how music reflects and affects what is going on in a particular time and place.

4) Describe the overall characteristics of musical traditions across the world, noting how they relate to historical, cultural, and technological aspects of a given society.

5) Engage with current musicians to explore the role of music in our local community.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

• All readings and audiovisual materials will be provided via eCampus. Some readings will be challenging. Rather than a total comprehension of the material, I expect a familiarity with key concepts and a willingness to grapple with the ideas presented.

• iclicker: available at the Texas A&M University Official Bookstore (http://tamu.bncollege.com). If you already have purchased an iclicker for another class you may use it for this course and you do not need to purchase a new one. For information on how to use and register the iclicker, access http://hdc.tamu.edu/Academics/Classroom_Equipment/Clickers/index.php.

PARTICIPATION

- Clicker activities: You may be asked at any time during lecture to submit a response to a question using the clicker. You should bring your clicker to every class session. You will earn 1 participation point for submitting an answer, and 1 extra point for each correct answer (when applicable). You MUST register your iclicker online by Friday September 5. Follow the registration instructions posted on Blackboard. At the end of the semester all points will be added. The final score will be converted to account for 10% of your final grade.

- Classroom etiquette:

o Punctuality: Arrive to class on time and stay for the full duration of the lecture. Tardiness and/or leaving early may result in loss of participation points.

o Use of laptops and tablets: You may use your laptop computer or tablet to take notes. Please use them wisely. Do NOT use your electronics for purposes unrelated to the class. It not only distracts you but also those around you. Should the use of electronic devices become a problem, you may be asked to put them away, loose participation points, or electronics may be banned from class entirely for everybody.

o Sitting arrangement: I encourage you to sit near the front of the class and away from the aisles.


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This will allow for minimal disruptions from students who may be tardy and facilitate class activities.

o Respect: Be courteous with your peers and instructor. We will discuss sensitive issues. Please respect students who disagree or challenge your point of view so that all feel free to express themselves.

– Bonus participation points: Students who continuously and appropriately participate in lectures—by volunteering opinions and thoughtful questions without being disruptive—can be awarded bonus participation points.

TEAMWORK

– Teamwork is a core value of this course. It will entangle group activities during lectures and written feedback to your fellow students’ projects.

ASSIGNMENTS

NOTE: No assignments will be accepted via email. I will accept document through eCampus only.

Concert Report/Album Review This is a short assignment (450-600 words). You will choose between writing a Concert Report or an Album Review. For a Concert Report, you will need to attend one musical performance and write an analysis of your experience and relating it to the topics discussed in class. Many events are free and on campus. A calendar of events/costs will be available on eCampus. For an Album Review, you will listen to an ethnomusicological production and read the liner notes of the album. Contact me in advance to check the album you chose is adequate. Further assignment guidelines will be available on eCampus. Ethnography Paper/Podcast You will design and implement a research project in order to experience first-hand how ethnomusicologists conduct their research, which is through observing, discussing, and analyzing the role and meaning of music in people’s lives. We will further discuss fieldwork options and practice fieldwork methods in lecture, and you will receive more specific assignment guidelines in class. You will complete this project in stages and revise based on feedback from your peers and instructor. You are required to submit the first two stages (the proposal and the outline + introduction + bibliography) and have them approved in order to receive any credit for your final draft. If you fail to do so, you will receive a “0” for your final paper.

EXAMS What exams are like: Questions are multiple-choice, matching, and true/false (all scantron). Part of the exam is based on listening identification. I will play excerpts that resemble the pieces available on eCampus and/or played in class, but might not be those exact pieces. You may be asked to identify each example’s musical characteristics, determine its genre, and recognize its relationship to specific historical and cultural contexts. The rest of the exam further assesses your understanding of the genres we will discuss and the role of music in world cultures. What material the exams cover: Exams can cover material from the readings, listening examples, lecture, guest artist performances, and other required readings or podcasts as noted on the course outline. The exams are not cumulative.


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Bring to each exam a #2 pencil and your UIN. Practice for exams: Ongoing review of readings (eCampus), class notes, and online musical examples is the best form of preparation. We will practice listening identification questions regularly in class. Test Absences: If you miss an exam, you can make it up ONLY if you have documentation for a university-excused absence, outlined in Student Rules 7.1.1-7.1.8. See http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07. These university guidelines will be strictly enforced. You will need to provide appropriate documentation for an excused absence to make up the test. Make-ups will NOT be given for an unexcused absence on any exam date.

Assessment Breakdown:

Percentage of Total Grade

(Due) Date

Participation 10% Midterm Exam 15% 3/6 Final Exam 20% 4/27 Concert Report/Album Review 10% 2/25 Ethnography Paper/Podcast Proposal 15% 3/30 Proposal peer review 5% 4/10

Ethnography Paper/Podcast 25% 5/8

Total 100%

Extra Credit Opportunities

It is the intention of this course to encourage active participation in musical experiences to the greatest extent possible. You can get extra credit points by attending performances and writing short ethnographic field notes. Extra credit opportunities will be announced in lectures and eCampus.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Upon accepting admission to Texas A&M University, a student immediately assumes a commitment to uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the philosophy and rules of the Honor System. Students will be required to state their commitment on examinations and written assignments. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the TAMU community from the requirements or the processes of the

Grading Scale: 95% to100%àA 90% to 94% à A- 87% to 89% à B+ 84% to 86% à B 80% to 83% à B- 77% to 79% à C+ 74% to 76% à C 70% to 73% à C- 67% to 69% à D+ 64% to 66% à D 60% to 63% à D- 59% & below à F


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Honor System. For additional information please visit http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu. * For those taking exams at the Disability Services Office, please remind me at least a week before the exam to send the test and listening examples over to their office. For the final exam, you will need to schedule a time to take the listening portion of the exam with me.


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COURSE SCHEDULE (Subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)

Unit Date Topic(s) Readings

W-1/21 What Is Music? Music and Aesthetic Universals

Read course syllabus. Register clicker.

F-1/23 Ethnomusicology: Music, Meaning, and Culture

Worlds of Music 1-9; 15-31

M-1/26 Pitch, Rhythm, Texture and Instrumentation

Worlds of Music 9-13

W-1/28 Form, Genre, and Style


F-1/30 Music and Ethnography (I) Worlds of Music 355-364

M-2/2 Blues Worlds of Music 116-137

W-2/4 Native American Music Worlds of Music 35-46

F-2/6 American Pop TBD

M-2/9 Popular Music in India: Bhangra and Bollywood

Worlds of Music 179-182; 187-191

W-2/11 India’s Classical Music Worlds of Music 182-187; 191-201

F-2/13 Indonesia: Gamelan Music Worlds of Music 213-219; 229-231

M-2/16 Chinese Traditional Music Worlds of Music 241-248; 252-256; 264-269

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W-2/18 History and Structures of Music in the Middle East


F-2/20 Music and Religion in the Middle East Worlds of Music 326-331

M-2/23 Popular Music in the Arab World: Rai eC: Suzanne – “The Journey of Rai”

W-2/25 General Principles and Narrative of Music in Africa à Concert Report/Album Review Due


F-2/27 Ewe and Shona Music Worlds of Music 72-87; 91-96

M-3/2 Music in South Africa: Zulu Choirs eC: Erlmann – “Migration and Performance”

W-3/4 Afro Pop and Afrobeat eC: Veal – excerpt of Fela

F-3/6 MIDTERM EXAM

M-3/9 Brazilian Urban Popular Music: Samba and Bossa Nova

eC: excerpts from Miller & Shahriari – World Music: a Global Journey; Moderno – “Bossa Nova”

W-3/11 Argentinian Tango

eC: Taylor – “Tango”

F-3/13 Music in the Andes


3/16-20 Spring Break

M-3/23 Mexican and Tex-Mex Music: Mariachi and Conjunto – guest lecture by Dr. Kim Kattari

eC: excerpts from Sheeny – Mariachi Music in America and Penas –The Texas-Mexican Conjunto (eC)

W-3/25 Music and Dictatorship in Latin America

Worlds of Music 279-283; eC

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F-3/27 Kaluli Culture eC: Feld – “From Ethnomusicology to Echo-Muse-Ecology”

M-3/30 Cuban Son à Paper/Podcast proposal due

eC: excerpt from Manuel et al. – Caribbean Currents

W-4/1 Jamaican Reggae

eC: excerpt from Caribbean Currents

F-4/3 Music from Hispaniola: Merengue and Rara


M-4/6 Caribbean Diaspora in the U.S.: Salsa and Steel Pan – guest lecture by Dr. Ian Rollings and Dr. Kim Kattari


W-4/8 Caribbean Diaspora in Europe: Zouk eC: excerpt from Gilbault - Zouk

F-4/10 Music Ethnography (II) à Ethnography proposal peer review


M-4/13 Western Absolute Music

eC: Hoffmann – “Beethoven’s Instrumental Music”; Sand – “Glimpses of Chopin Composing

W-4/15 The British Rave Scene eC: excerpt from Thornton – Club Cultures

F-4/17 Spanish Flamenco eC: Manuel – “Andalusian, Gypsy, and Class identity in the Contemporary Flamenco Complex”

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M-4/20 Maori and Polynesian Hip-hop

eC: Mitchell – “Māori and Pacific Islander Hip-hop in Aotearoa-New Zealand"

W-4/22 World Music eC: Kassabian – “Would You Like Some World Music With Your Latte?”

W-4/24 Film music and exoticism eC: Gorbman – “Scoring the Indian”

F-4/27 FINAL EXAM

M-4/30 Ethnographic project group discussion

No readings

W-5/1 Recap/Wrap up No readings

F-5/8 PAPER/PODCAST DUE (online submission)

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Documents

MUSIC IN WORLD CULTURES (MUSC/ANTH 324) · Cardoso – Texas A&M University – Music in World Cultures – Spring 2015 1 MUSIC IN WORLD CULTURES (MUSC/ANTH 324) Spring 2015 Section