Lecture, discussion. This course takes the view that our experience of music is mediated by biology, society and culture. As such it tells us a lot about who we are in relation to our cultural and physical environment. Like other forms of communication, music can be studied in terms of its texts, institutions, and audiences. Unlike other forms of communication, music is best understood from an interdisciplinary perspective that deals with the physics of sound, human biology, and musicology. In addition to asking the question “What does the music mean?” I urge you to ask: What is the chain of biological, physical, social, and cultural events that render music meaningful and popular? What sorts of networks and emotional affiliations make musical performance/ consumption possible, whether it be a concert, film, public transport, shopping mall, Walkman, funeral, file sharing, etc.? How do the modes of listening vary across these fields? How do boundaries shift with the globalization of music, especially with the advent of digital distribution on the Internet? The course consists of assigned readings and responses, lectures, listening exercises, screenings, performances. There is a mid-term and final. You will be asked to do group presentations. (Course capacity is 25) Course Eligibility*: Open to Senior & Junior Communication majors only Notes: Students who have previously taken COMM 497O should not enroll in this course. This course serves as an Integrative Experience (IE) requirement for BA-COMM majors.
Percentage of Latin Am and/or Latino Content: 30-40%