Musicology/Ethnomusicology

Classes in the musicology/ethnomusicology department are available for music students as well as non music students.

Our Intro to Musicology is one of the most popular classes for non music students to join in and is offered in both fall and spring semesters.
Upper level musicology classes allow music students the opportunity to go outside the normal western influence and study a diverse background of musical cultures and genres.

This course explores the relationship between concert music and popular music of the 20th century. Students learn the basic elements of music and critical listening skills, apply those skills to a variety of music from concert and popular styles and analyze the relationship between the styles. Students use a variety of activities, including group work and individual presentations, to achieve these goals. Offered alternately with Music 131 and 132.

This course introduces students to the study of music in cultural and historical perspective. Students explore a broad array of classical and vernacular traditions from throughout the world with the goal of formulating and answering questions about music’s nature and about its use by people in diverse times and places. Students also develop essential skills for thinking and writing critically about music-related subjects. Counts toward BA music major and all BM majors. Offered every fall and spring semester.

This course presents a study of the historical development of jazz, from its roots in blues and ragtime at the “beginning” of the 20th century to the present, focusing on its principal forms and styles, its role in American culture, and contributions of major artists. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and Africa and the African Diaspora and race and ethnic studies concentrations.

This course explores how musicians and music researchers impact society. Building on skills and concepts developed in Music 141, this course addresses questions related to ethical musicking in an unequal world. Students study a series of case studies, experience hands-on workshops with local performers, and design community engaged music research proposals. Studying local examples of engagement with music and musicians from around the world prepares students to carry out collaborative musical work wherever they are.

Prerequisites: MUSIC 141, or permission of the instructor.

This course introduces students to the cultural, theoretical, and aesthetic discourses of the Javanese Gamelan tradition. Incorporating lectures, discussions, audiovisual materials, and performance sessions with internationally renowned artists, this interdisciplinary course teaches students about historical and contemporary contexts for gamelan performance, shadow puppet theatre, and dance, and their relationship to religious practice, gender roles, and social and political life in Java and beyond. No previous musical experience required. Offered annually. Also counts toward Asian studies major.

Students encounter the history and development of Western European music from the Middle Ages to ca. 1750 and study the genres and styles of music from monophonic chant to concerted music of the Baroque. Offered periodically in the fall semester.
Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.

Continuing the study begun in MUSIC 241, students encounter the history and development of Western European music from ca. 1750 to the present and study the major forms, styles and representative literature of the Classic and Romantic eras and the 20th and 21st centuries. Offered periodically in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.

Students study how music can engage and advocate for those on the margins of society, inspiring social justice movements. Analyzing historical and current events, class members design a musical project that can empower a people, group or organization in addressing moral and social problems such as racial inequality, rural or urban violence, or prison reform. A Christian normative framework, along with religious and secular alternatives, help guide the ethics implications pertaining to this subject. Offered periodically during Interim.
Prerequisite: MUSIC 114 or permission of the instructor.

Students encounter in-depth studies in a specific topic or area of musicology. The content and nature of this course are determined by the instructor and the music department. Sample topics include American music, South Asian music, Opera, and Music, Gender, and Sexuality. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered each semester.
Prerequisites: MUSIC 141, or permission of instructor.

Students explore how Somali diaspora communities have made important visible and audible contributions to the cultural landscape of Minnesota, while studying and learning to perform the interconnected arts of Somali poetry, music, dance, and theater. Interactions with local Somali musicians and community leaders, a visit to the Somali mosque, and collaboratively working to discern and support the needs of a community partner organization that serves Somali families provides students with hands-on experience in community engagement.

Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor. This course includes an academic civic engagement (ACE) component. Students that are interested in the course but haven’t met the prerequisite are encouraged to submit a requirements override with rationale for registering.