I will be away for the midterm exam and Graham Blair will be in to administer the exam, a film will be shown after the break which will include material for the final.
This means there will be no office hours on the day of the exam but I will have office hours on the Wednesday Oct 10 from 11-2 at MMAP. So if you have any questions please make sure to attend those hours. I will be away from Oct 11 – 17.
Assignment 1- “My Soundscape” – 2 pages (1.5 spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font) plus Sound Chart. You will be required to make note of all the sounds (both musical and non-musical) that you hear in one full day. These sounds will be listed in the chart while the written portion will be your reflections and discussions on the place of music and sound in your life.
- consider how these sounds fit into your life
- is it musical or non musical sound
- is it sound that you initiated or was it out of your control (initiated by someone else)
-If initiated by someone else….who was that? A person you know? A company?
- did you have a choice in listening to that sound?
- was the sound connected to advertising or marketing of a product?
- did it make you want to attend that event or buy the product?
- did you enjoy it?
- what genre was it?
- how does sound and music affect your life? What is its role(s)? how do you use it?
- how might music in your life be different from your parents or grandparents generations?
- think of other regular days in your life and the music you hear, what is it and why do you listen to it?
- ie. attend bar gigs, attend church, a particular cd you listen to for a particular reason or event, music you play for yourself
MUS 2014: Introduction to World Music
Fall 2007
Mondays 7-9:30
Room 1032 (Choral Room)
Instructor: Evelyn Osborne
Office: MMAP Grad Office Room
Office Hours:
MMAP Graduate Student room, 1st floor
Arts & Culture Centre
Or by appointment
Contact: evelyn_osborne@yahoo.com
Course Description:
“Introduction to World Music provides an introduction to the musics of selected cultures and
contemporary intercultural communities. Drawing on topics and issues in ethnomusicology, it focus on musical practices, beliefs, and techniques. It is intended to develop listening skills, broaden musical horizons, as well as to enable a deeper understanding of the way music functions in relation to social groups and individual lives.” (quoted from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s A Guide to First Year 2007-2008 30th edition found in PDF at the following address: http://www.mun.ca/advice/new_guide/FinGuide200708web.pdf)
Textbook: Titon, Jeff Todd ed. 2002. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World’s Peoples. 4th ed. Schirmer. (available at the MUN bookstore)
Corresponding CDs are on reserve at the Music Resource Centre (MRC) on the 2nd floor of the
Course Objectives:
1- To introduce the students to several musical traditions from around the world
2- To present potentially new perspectives about how to think and relate to music.
3- To involve students in the musics they study through listening, singing, clapping and movement.
4- To present music as a part of the social and cultural experience.
Course Evaluation:
10% Attendance and Participation
15% Midterm Exam – October 15
25% Final Exam – TBA
10% Assignment 1 - October 1
10% Assignment 2 - November 16
5% Listening Test 1 -October 10
5% Listening Test 2 – November 19
20% Final Term Assignment – November 26
Attendance and Participation – Music is inherently participatory whether you are dancing, performing or quietly, but actively, listening. I expect every student to do their best to actively participate in the course which will include discussion, singing, clapping, listening and movement. Attendance is necessary as there will be a number of points made during class time which will not be in the textbook, difficult to describe in notes, but will be on the exams. If you must be absent please notify me.
Midterm Exam- This exam will include both written and listening questions on material up in the first half of the course.
Final Exam- This exam will include both written and listening questions on material from the whole semester.
Listening Tests – These will include the recently covered listening examples and be marked in class before being handed into the instructor.
Assignment 1- “My Soundscape” – 2 pages (1.5 spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font) plus Sound Chart. You will be required to make note of all the sounds (both musical and non-musical) that you hear in one full day. These sounds will be listed in the chart while the written portion will be your reflections and discussions on the place of music and sound in your life.
Assignment 2 – “Concert Manners” – This assignment will require you to attend a public performance event (preferably of a non-Western tradition) and write, not only about the music, but the whole experience including the physical and social environment, the reactions and mannerisms of the performers AND the audience.
Final Term Assignment – Students may pick from one of the following options for their final assignment. A short proposal of which project you intend to complete will be due to the instructor several weeks in advance of the deadline. There will be no formal grade for this proposal however, if you have thought through your assignment in advance it will be a good asset for completing the paper.
1-“CD Article Review” – Review at least 4-6 CDs within one tradition. The writer will need to discuss each CD, compare and contrast the recordings and discuss how they fit into the tradition as a whole. Length- no less than 8 pages (12pt, 1.5 spaced, Times New Roman)
2- “Talk and Play” – Performance presentation. The student will provide a performance outside their common musical vocabulary along with a presentation discussing the music chosen and the tradition(s) from which it stems. A written copy of the aural presentation is also required. Total length – 15 mins.
3- “Interview Documentary” – an audio and/or videotaped interview with a musician from outside of your own tradition(s). A paper of at least 8 pages (12pt; 1.5 spaced; Times New Roman) discussing the whole process and the subjects covered in the interview. This project requires adherence to the ethical guidelines as set out by the
4- Term paper – A paper of at least 10 pages (12pt; 1.5 spaced; Times New Roman) discussing a specific musical tradition. A very good paper will select a particular focus, such as an issue, which pertains to this tradition. Examples could include: Globalization and the traditional music of X; The influence of politics in X music; Women and the music of X etc. Please feel free to discuss options with the instructor.
Late Policy: Assignments are due at the start of class on the date indicated. If received later in the day 3% will be automatically deducted; 5% the next day and 5% for each subsequent day it is late. If exams are missed a doctor’s note is required.
Academic Integrity/ Plagiarism: Plagiarism or improper citing of sources will not be tolerated in assignments. If a paper is proven to contain plagiarism it will receive a mark of ZERO. Measures in accordance with the university guidelines on academic misconduct will also be taken. Please see the following websites for information:
University Regulations (4.11 Academic Misconduct)
http://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=REGS-0748#REGS-0773
Academic Behaviour
http://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/2900_Academic_Behaviour.htm
Political Science
http://arts-srv.arts.mun.ca/political/students/plagarism.php
History Course
http://www.mun.ca/history/LindsayBryan/history4006/syllabus4006.htm
With the internet becoming more and more important and useful for research it is easy to “cut and paste” and not properly credit the author. The proper citing of sources in integral to the intellectual process and only fair! If you spend a long time (potentially a lifetime) working on your book (article, website etc) only to have someone come along and use your information without credit – it’s wrong and illegal! WHEN IN DOUBT CITE!!! I would rather see sources over cited than edging on/or being plagiarized. If you have any questions on how to cite please consult me I’ll be happy to provide help.
Course Outline and Dates: (this is subject to change; notifications will be given during class time in the previous week(s))
September 10 – Introduction to World Music
Read Chapter 1 Worlds of Music
September 17–
Discussion of Chapter 1
September 24 – North American Native Music
Read Chapter 2 Worlds of Music
October 1 –
Guest Speaker: Curtis Andrews on Tala in Indian Classical Music
Read Chapter 6 Worlds of Music
DUE Assignment 1 “My Soundscape”
Wednesday October 10 – Eastern European
Read Chapter 4 Worlds of Music
LISTENING TEST 1
October 15 – Lecture TBA
MIDTERM
October 22-
Read Chapter 3 Worlds of Music
October 29- Guest Speaker: Curtis Andrews on Drums in Africa
Read Chapter 4 Worlds of Music
November 5
Read Chapter 9 Worlds of Music
DUE FINAL TERM ASSIGNMENT PROPOSAL
Friday November 16 Asia/Indonesia
Read Chapter 7 Worlds of Music
DUE ASSIGNMENT 2
November 19 –
Read Chapter 8 Worlds of Music
LISTENING TEST 2
November 26 – Presentations and Wrap UP
DUE FINAL TERM ASSIGNMENT
