MUS 365: Regional Topics in Ethnomusicology [TOP: MUSIC IN PUERTO RICO]
TR 4:00-5:50 PM Room: 142 Frohnmayer Music Building
This version of the course focuses primarily on the island of Puerto Rico. The classic trope about its music is that it resulted of the mixing of three cultures: African, European, and Native American. This orientation, however, asks us to think critically about the relationship between our ideas of music and race. We will explore the ways in which genres are described in terms of racial stereotypes as well as attempt to understand how history both supports and undermines these culturally engrained notions. Because of Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the United States, we will also examine how people in the United States, including those of Puerto Rican descent, see Puerto Rican music, which often reflects the politics of Puerto Rican sovereignty. In addition to reading, discussion, and listening, students will also work to attain basic skills for performing several of the featured genres. This course fulfills the IC (International Cultures) Multicultural Requirement.
Selected Texts Include:
The reading or listening materials will be made available on the course Canvas site and include authors like Frances Aparicio, Peter Manuel and Wayne Marshall.
MUS 451/551: Introduction to Ethnomusicology
TR 10:00-11:50 AM Room: CH 103
Ethnomusicology is often defined as “the study of music in/as culture,” but what does that mean? This class begins with a brief overview of the history of the discipline (Rice) from its origins in U.S. cultural anthropology and German comparative musicology. We will then explore the key concepts one senior ethnomusicologist (Turino) has developed over the course of his career to understand musics as diverse as those found in fiestas patronales in the Andes, Bira ceremonies in Zimbabwe, and contra dances in the Midwest. Finally, we delve into a prize-winning ethnography on Ewe ritual (Friedson) to appreciate what an in-depth fieldwork study can produce. Graduate students participating in the class will be assigned additional readings, class preps, and more intensive writing projects. This course fulfills the IC (International Cultures) Multicultural Requirement.
Selected Texts Include:
Friedson, Steven M. 2009. Remains of Ritual: Northern Gods in a Southern Land. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Rice, Timothy. 2013. Ethnomusicology: A Very Brief Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
Turino, Thomas. 2007. Music as Social Life: the Politics of Participation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
