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Composer Topics (346-0-2)

Topic

John Cage

Instructors

Ryan Dohoney
ryan.dohoney@northwestern.edu
Office Hours: Email instructor to arrange a meeting.
Professor Dohoney teaches courses in ethnomusicology, experimental music, US and African popular music, music in Cold War culture, queer music studies, and sound studies. He is currently at work on two book projects: a historical ethnography of the premier of Morton Feldman&apos;s <i>Rothko Chapel</i> and a study of New York City&apos;s music scene in the 1970s and 1980s written through the musical networks of experimental composer-performer Julius Eastman. His work as a composer of collaborative experimental music theater works has been presented at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Center, Portland Center Stage, Performance Works Northwest, and Robert Wilson&apos;s Byrd-Hoffman Watermill Center.

Meeting Info

Deering Library 200: Fri 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

This course explores the music, writing, and collaborations of John Cage (1912-1992) through archival materials held in Northwestern University Library's Special Collections. It will introduce students to the rich historical documentation held on site as well as develop students' skills using archival material. The course will focus largely on John Cage's collaborations with other musicians and artists including Merce Cunningham, David Tudor, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Morton Feldman, Cathy Berberian, Joan La Barbara and Charlotte Moorman. The class will meet in Deering Library 200 and is limited to 15 students. Familiarity with music notation is helpful but not required.

Learning Objectives

Students will gain deep knowledge of John Cage's musical life, his impact on culture, and his cultural networks. Students will also gain hands-on experience working with primary source materials and develop skills doing original research in archives.

Teaching Method

Lecture, workshop, discussion, original archival research

Evaluation Method

Participation and original research

Class Materials (Required)

None.

Class Notes

This course is an intensive research course and will require considerable time outside of classtime in the McCormick Library of Special Collections. Please note that their hours are M-F, 9-4:30pm.