2016-2017 Academic Catalog

Nov 24, 2024

2016-2017 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

MUSC 210 - Seminar in Music History and Criticism

The Music History Seminar takes up specific topics and themes in music history that open onto larger cultural contexts and interdisciplinary lines of inquiry. The seminar is based on active discussion and student research with a depth and a focus not possible in a survey course, and will develop the student’s critical skills, as well as the ability to write and talk about music in meaningful ways. Seminar topics change each year. The course welcomes music majors and minors, as well as interested students from other disciplines. May be taken more than once for credit. MUSC 102 and/or MUSC 104 are recommended, but not required.

Spring 2015 Music and Politics

The topic of this year’s Seminar in Music History will be Music and Politics. The seminar will explore interactions between music and politics. We will study the intersections of politics, culture, and music primarily in two particular contexts, Germany in the first half of the twentieth century and the US in the second half of the century. Focal points will include musical politics before and during the Nazi era in Germany, music and cold war politics in both countries, and the politics of popular music in the US in the 1960s and 1970s and beyond. The latter part of the semester will be driven by projects on topics chosen and designed by students. The course is open to any interested student. The coursework will be designed to be accessible to students who have little or no formal training in music. The crucial prerequisite is a curiosity about music, politics, history, and cultural critique.

May be repeated for credit.

Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year