Musical Genius

Undergraduate

Is there such a thing as “musical genius”? What exactly are the qualifications, and who gets to decide? In this course, we explore how the answers to these questions have shifted in the past three centuries, investigating when and where—and especially how and why—the notion of musical genius became so pervasive and powerful. To this end, the course draws upon a range of materials: we listen to music; parse primary historical sources; analyze news coverage and podcast episodes; and read from a range of academic subfields, including music history, ethnomusicology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, disability studies, critical race studies, gender and sexuality studies, and music education. We compare and critically analyze discourse about a range of figures dubbed musical geniuses, from L. v. Beethoven and W. A. Mozart to Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, Aretha Franklin, and Vijay Iyer. Building upon this historical context, we also interrogate the significance of musical genius in today’s world, considering the proliferation of genius-themed self-help literature, the politics and procedures of the Macarthur Genius Grant, invocations of genius and talent on social media, and additional issues of interest to students. Beyond gaining a robust understanding of the history of ideas like genius and talent, we contemplate the benefits and challenges of conceptual history as a scholarly enterprise more broadly. HU TTh 1:05pm-2:20pm