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Course Description

Summary

This course will be a hands-on introduction to ethnomusicology, the study of music in its social and cultural contexts. Ethnomusicologists think about the role music plays in everyday life. How do music and musicians build community, ignite protest and revolution, articulate racial identity, express and complicate gender and sexuality, or affirm faith? Some ethnomusicologists do research halfway across the world, while others study music in their own cities and towns. One of our classes each week will focus on developing applied techniques in research and fieldwork, including preparing questions, giving and transcribing interviews, field recording, music transcription, listening exercises, writing an ethnography of a live performance, and many other activities. In our second session, we will learn about the study of music and culture itself, reading from a range of texts that explore ethnomusicology’s intersections with fields like Anthropology, Black studies, Performance Studies, Indigenous Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and more. For the final project, students will conduct a short music fieldwork project at a local field site of their choice. This course is open to all students. Homework will be substantial and will include readings, listening assignments, short presentations in class, and papers.