Intro to Ethnomusicology

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

When American and European scholars began studying music outside of Europe, they found that the task required such new tools for thinking about music’s relation to global cultures—so much so that a new discipline was established. As ethnomusicology developed, a more geographically diverse group of scholars began to question just what “culture” means in relation to music. Ethnomusicology now is an international study of global musical practices. This course introduces students to the history of the field, beginning with its association with anthropological theory and culminating in a present day perspectives on how music is entangled with critical issues in our world. We will read the influential texts that have shaped ways that ethnomusicologists think about music—all while learning to listen critically to the rich musical traditions of the world. Students will conduct fieldwork and analysis on a topic of his or her choice as a way of learning how ethnomusicologists do research.