Selected Topics in Music Literature for Non-Majors (175-0-3)

Topic

Music and Politics

Instructors

Pia Marie Rodriguez

Meeting Info

RCMA 1-172: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

How does music intersect with politics and shape political thinking? This course offers a survey of music's involvement in political life, from the sixteenth century to the current day. Content will be drawn from diverse times, genres, and geographies, with special attention given to dimensions of agency and power.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to identify, compare, and offer critical perspectives on musical works from a wide array of cultural and political contexts. Through comparative analyses and inquiry-based learning, students will become adept at recognizing the historical, political, and musical factors which determine how political messages are artistically created and received. Students will be able to critically listen to music, recognizing how their own historical-political contexts shape the way in which they think about music as politicized or depoliticized.

Teaching Method

Course meetings will be divided into lecture and active learning components, with the exception of exam days. Active learning components are frequently discussion-based and collaborative, involving presentation of the student's idea to a peer or the entire class.

Evaluation Method

Students will be evaluated through attendance and participation, four unit assessments, and a final oral exam. All components are weighted equally. All assessment types will have listening components and open-ended questions relating to musical material and ideas from class. For oral exams, students will be tested on musical examples of their choosing in accordance with the instructor's requirements. Final oral exams will be conducted in person.

Class Materials (Required)

None required for purchase. All reading materials will be provided on CANVAS.

Class Materials (Suggested)

Notebook and writing utensils. Electronics are not permitted, unless required by an active learning activity.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
SoC Additional Distro