EDP3306

Introduction to World Music

Dr R Smith

6 points - 2 hours per week - First semester - Peninsula - Prerequisites: EDP1305 or EDP1306 or lecturer's permission.

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to: demonstrate familiarity with the main forms, styles and repertoire of selected musical cultures; demonstrate familiarity with aspects of the social structure, history and cultural practices of the selected areas; show an understanding of the ways in which a musical tradition is formed, preserved and changed within a culture; distinguish aurally the different styles of music studied; demonstrate an understanding of form, style and function in the musics studied through participation in practical creative and recreative exercises; and demonstrate an understanding of some of the methods used in ethnomusicology by applying them to a familiar aspect of music performance in their own culture.

Synopsis This subject introduces students to a study of music in culture through selected cases studies which may be drawn from: Africa; Europe; Japan; China; Indonesia; and India. Topics emphasized will include musical change and transmission; universals in music; musical instruments; and ethnomusicological methods. Students will make a detailed study of selected recordings and videos, with emphasis on an understanding of the cultural context of the performance.

Assessment Written assignment (2,000 words) (40%); exam (60%).

Recommended text

Titon J T Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples (3rd edition) New York: Schirmer Books 1996

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