2010 Spring MUSIC 70-01
Bulletin Course Description Study of the components of music (e.g. melody, rhythm) through comparative listening to styles from different places and times, ranging from current popular artists to classical, jazz, and world music. Discussion of the shared and unique aspects of these styles, their historical and cultural links, and how those shape our tastes. Instructor: Davidson, Gilliam, Kelley, McCarthy, Meintjes, or staff
(Instructor named in bulletin description above may not be current. For current instructor, see listing below.)
Title MUSIC, SOUND, AND STYLE Department MUSIC Course Number 2010 Spring 70 Section Number 01 Primary Instructor Kelley,Anthony M Prerequisites
Synopsis of course content
The most basic definition of music is simply “organized sound.” With that in
mind, the goal of this class is to examine the kinds of musical sounds that are
a part of western culture and the ways in which these sounds have been
organized by composers from early modern times up to the present. This
course will be taught from the perspective of the contemporary listener, and
it will take full advantage of our tendency to juxtapose many different styles
of music on a single playlist. Seen in this light, music has neither progressed
towards perfection nor declined in quality over time, and a song by Schubert
(circa 1820) has more in common with a song by Prince (circa 2000) than
cultural arrogance would assume. Therefore, rather than progressing
chronologically like a traditional music appreciation class, we will move
through the various musical sounds and forms of our musical culture from
the simplest songs and dances to the most complex symphonies and operas,
culminating with the music of the modernist avant-garde, which seems to
defy form altogether. We will juxtapose jazz standards and German romantic
Lieder, Renaissance dances and hip-hop tracks, classical symphonies and
progressive rock albums, modern theatrical musicals and Baroque operas.
Through these inquiries, we will gain a new insight into that seemingly-
indescribable thing that is the musical experience, and we will develop the
skills that make a person an intelligent and critical listener, fully prepared to
encounter and comprehend both old and new music in any venue.
Textbooks
None; all listening material and any incidental readings will be distributed
electronically.
Assignments
Since the focus of this course is critical listening, students will be expected to
listen to a set of musical examples prior to each class meeting. These
listening assignments will vary from a few songs to an entire symphony or
opera act, but will generally average out to about 30 minutes of music a day.
Short readings will occasionally be assigned in order to help elucidate a
musical work under discussion. Daily listening is crucial to participation in
class discussion, which will be worth 10% of the final grade.
Additionally, students will be required to attend two extracurricular live
performances of any musical style over the course of the semester and, in
each case, write a short critical evaluation of their experience. These concert
reports, due at the end of the semester, will be worth 20% of the final grade
(10% each).
Exams
Each week, we will have a short quiz over the previous week’s material.
Rather than focusing on composer trivia or rote identification of tunes, the
quizzes will test the critical-listening skills gained in this course, such as the
ability to hear the form in a previously-unknown song, to identify
instruments in different combinations, or to describe the differences among
styles within a single genre. The quizzes, in total, will be worth 30% of the
final grade.
Additionally, there will be a cumulative final examination for this class in a
format similar to the weekly quizzes, which will be worth 40% of the final
grade.
Term Papers
None (see Assignments).
