Course introduction

This course provides an introductory survey of various musical traditions in a global perspective, exploring music both as a phenomenon of sound and as a phenomenon of culture. As we survey music from around the world, we will emphasize the social context of music, including social structure, geography, globalization, mass mediation, concepts of religion, instruments, aesthetic priorities, and cultural beliefs that inform music within given cultural contexts. The focus, therefore, is on how music works in the world. This leads us to also ask how the world works within music.

Throughout the course, you will investigate the ways in which people, whether individuals, communities, societies, nations, or otherwise, interact with music. How do different groups of people from very different places within the world—be they geographic, economic, ethnic, religious, etc.—create and utilize musical sounds throughout their lives? How do these diverse perceptions about musical activity, or even what “counts” as music, build, sustain, or tear down social structures, interpersonal relationships, or even theological beliefs?

The course is organized around a series of units that explore the place of music in relation to social, political, and economic forces in communities around the world. There is no expectation of previous musical or music theory study for this course. There is no expectation of technical knowledge for the class other than accessing the materials. Any further requirements will be explained and demonstrated where needed.

Required materials: music access

There is no required textbook for this class. Our readings are primarily from the World Music Textbook and similar open, online resources. Links to assigned materials will be linked from within the course.

You will need to be able to do required listening, however. The easiest ways to do that are through streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, or others that are similar. As I write this now, Spotify offers one month of free access for students and service for around $5 per month after that through their website. You are also welcome to find other sources for listening, if you prefer, though that may take far more time and energy in some cases!

If you plan on using your laptop for most of your listening, a pair of good headphones or speakers is worth it. Laptop speakers cannot fully reproduce the sound of most music, so quality external speakers or headphones will change the way you hear music on an everyday basis. And quality does not mean expensive!

Course overview and structure

The course is organized around a series of units that explore the place of music in relation to social, political, and economic forces in communities around the world. There is no expectation of previous musical or music theory study for this course. There is no expectation of technical knowledge for the class other than accessing Canvas. Any further requirements will be explained and demonstrated where needed.

Each module will have an overview and a series of pages that includes:

1. an overview of the main themes;
2. an overview of and introduction to the module’s readings, films, and other materials;
3. listening examples from both Spotify and other web resources;
4. any embedded lectures^{See footnote}; and
5. required assignments, and their directions (including grading rubrics).

Note that some semesters may include different assignments or may not have some of the assignments mentioned in this introductory module.

Choices

This course allows for a degree of choice on your part. As you follow the modules, you’ll start to see that in some cases, there are a few different readings or films and you options about which ones to review for class. In other cases, all readings will be required of everyone. Pay close attention and if you are confused about a particular module or set of readings, go ahead and ask so that I can make sure it’s clear.

Showing your work

Because we have choice built in, though, there are no tests that revisit specific readings or material. Instead, you will need to show that you completed and understand the readings you chose by referencing them clearly within your assignments. Be specific, share what you read, and relating it to own experiences!

Grading, expectations, and resources

This course introduction section will differ depending on your own requirements and expectations. This section might include policies related to grading, deadlines, attendance, or similar academic concerns alongside institutional resources and related institutional syllabus language.

Discussion grading

This is a sample rubric for discussion posts in an online course.

This rubric should serve as a guideline for you for all discussion assignments. Each discussion is worth 15 points. 11 are from the initial post and 4 are from your comments.

Initial post (total of 11 points):

• 4 points: Your answer or argument should be clear and demonstrate thoughtfulness. There should be detail in how you approach the topic and the ways in which you link it to material outside of the class.
• 3 points: Relate your thinking to the course material. Do this in ways that are specific and clear and—this is important—demonstrate that you have a grasp of the relevant course material. The easiest way to do this is with specific references to music, musicians, and ideas from the materials.
• 2 points: Is it clear that you reviewed and revised your work with care and attention? I suggest reading your material out loud before submitting. (Yes, draft everything in a file that you can save, just in case submission websites fail, you don’t want to lose your work!)
• 2 points: Does your work meet the requirements? Is it on time?

Comments (total of 4 points):

• Comment on two posts from your classmates. Each one should be substantial, thoughtful, and organized as described above. Each comment is worth 2 points for a total of 4.
• Don’t skip out on commenting: that’s a terrible reason to lose credit!

Assignment: Autobiography and universals

This is a two part first assignment. The first bit is about you, a chance to introduce yourself to the class. The second gets into how we hear, appreciate, and understand music.

Part 1

For this discussion, you will write the first of your two “musical autobiographies” of the semester. This will be a 300 word mini-essay discussion board post in which you discuss the ways in which you interact with and engage music within your life (how you “musick”). This can range from performing on a stage to watching videos on YouTube to humming as you saunter down the street.

Take this as an opportunity to share your background in music and how it has shaped your life. Describe how particular musics, songs, and genres have influenced your tastes or affected you in some other way. This can be broad and personal, but you should reflect critically on what you listen to and why.

Recommended: Allow me to provide an example. Describe your own musical interests and experiences, especially related to how they brought you to where you are now. Consider how sharing of yourself can help to humanize the course, especially in the case of online asynchronous delivery.

My story is obviously pretty involved. Yours may include more about your family or childhood, or how you hang out with friends, or what you do when you go out. Throw some artists and songs in, make it specific. If you struggle to hit 150 or so words, think harder about ways that you engage music that may not jump out at you right away. If you prefer to submit these privately to the instructor and graders, send me an email and we can set that up.

Part 2

It’s a common trope that music is a “universal language” or that experiencing music is somehow creating something shared, bringing us together. There are some insights to draw from this kind of terminology, but the “universal” idea flattens a great deal of what makes music and musical experience different, what makes it personal.

For this prompt, you will read two short articles and respond to them with your own ideas and by relating what they say to the coursework. The first is by an ethnomusicologist named Sean Williams called “Music as an International Language? — Think Again.” The second is about a handful of recent comparative projects that try and explore how music works across the world: “What Makes Music Universal.”

After reading these two, reflect on how they approach this idea of universality in musical experience. Compare the arguments of these authors and what each perspective illuminates regarding how we understand music. Then, I would like you to consider your own musical experiences: do they point toward universal experiences? Shared experiences? Connection? Disconnection? What is the difference between all of these ideas?

To receive full credit, be sure to use many specifics. This is both in your own reflection (talk about artists, songs, times you listened or participated, etc.) and in terms of how you relate these readings to others from the course so far. Review the discussion grading rubrics above for details.

Notes