Sunway Second semester 2008 (Day)
The musical, social, political and commercial aspects of popular music and its development in Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, China and Japan will be examined. The history and major categories of popular music are studied to discover how these styles have influenced each other and relate to the surrounding culture. The ways in which the 'business' of music affects musical style is a central issue in examining cultural trends.
On successful completion of the unit students should have a basic knowledge of popular music developments and a general knowledge of the major styles and stylistic trends of popular music in Asia. The student will distinguish specific musical characteristics that define popular music traditions and develop a framework in which to identify, categorise and assess popular music styles in a wide variety of musical contexts.
Written (2500 words): 40%
Examinations (2 hours): 40%
Listening tests: 20%
3 hours (1 x 1 hour lecture and 1 x 2 hour seminar) per week