MUS 226 World Music

Course Title:  MUS 226: World Music

Course Description

Explores music emanating from cultural traditions around the world within their respective socio-cultural contexts. Introduces basic elements of music. Increases global awareness and enhances knowledge of the origins, evolution, aesthetics and purposes of music from an ethnomusicological perspective. Lecture 3 hours. 3 credits.

General Course Purpose

Broaden the awareness of world cultures through an examination of music produced within the cultural contexts of social groups throughout the world. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites 

None

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

Communication

• Effectively communicate music observations through written and/or oral communication

Civic Engagement

• Demonstrate receptivity to the diversity of cultures and life experiences within societies

• Identify values that other cultures can bring to society to promote civic engagement

Cultural and Social Understanding

• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of music in different socio-cultural contexts

• Identify historical factors that influence the evolution of music within a culture

• Recognize/describe how aesthetics vary from one culture to another

• Identify commonalities and value differences between cultures

Personal Development

• Augment listening skills through assignments/assessments designed to listen analytically and critically to music

• Evaluate music from other cultures using appropriate musical terms and an understanding of aesthetic values

• Demonstrate receptivity to understanding world cultures to make informed personal and interpersonal decisions 

• Cultivate personal goals related to music listening, participation, or performance attendance

Introduce Basic Elements of Music

• Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic elements of music

• Identify instrument groups: aerophones, idiophones, chordophones, membranophones and electrophones

• Describe various approaches to learning how to play an instrument

• Explain the difference between the processes of improvisation and composition

World music cultures and traditions

• Recognize various genres of non-classical music stemming from at least 4 geographic regions or cultural traditions 

• Identify instruments specific to those genres

• Identify specific historical/socio-cultural factors that influenced the music

Apply the above objectives while considering case studies from at least 4 separate cultures and traditions, such as: 

• Central and South Asia, e.g., Uzbekistan, Caucasus, India, Nepal

• Far East, e.g., China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea

• Middle East, e.g., Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia

• Africa, e.g., Western, Northern, Eastern and South Africa

• Carribean, e.g., Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica

• Latin America, e.g., Peru, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina

• Music from North America, e.g. jazz, blues, bluegrass, country

• Native North America, e.g. Iroquois, Navajo, Apache, Lakota

• Diaspora communities

Major Topics to be Included

Personal Development

Introduce Basic Elements of Music

World music cultures and traditions