FYS: Seven Musical Myths (Remixed)

3 Credits.

Every playlist is a self-portrait: an increasingly intimate aggregation of works that affirm our musical values. Beneath those values lie unexamined assumptions about how music is made, for whom it is made, and why it should be appreciated. Some myths, understood as cultural narratives or inherited beliefs, can be tested directly. Is anyone truly tone deaf? Other myths require us to look outward, toward the vast literature on music's evolving means of production and its shifting audiences. The most revealing myths concern what music intends and communicates. These are the myths that ultimately challenge us to consider what our favorite music says about us as individuals. This First-Year seminar will complicate the recommendation algorithm of your streaming service.