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MUS285 World Music

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  A guide to the understanding of non-Western and ethnic Western music through guided listening experiences of representative musics throughout the world; the study of the affect of demographics and geographic concepts within a culture; and the resulting impact on America’s diverse musical culture.

PURPOSE:  Since the Industrial Revolution, human population has increased dramatically.  Along with this proliferation, technology has transformed human lifestyles.  As humans enter the 21^st century, the Information Age will allow further and more extensive communications between previously distant peoples.  Yet as our technology improves, many of us in the U.S. are ignorant to the immense cultural diversity presently inhabiting Earth.  We can communicate and travel to vast areas of the world, yet we know, or understand very little of these people and places.

OBJECTIVE:  To expose students to numerous realms and regions of the world to help them better understand these varied cultural and physical environments from a musical and geographic perspective.  In doing so, students will become more aware of these places, and understand how they fit into the future evolution of the world; its politics, economy, and cultural direction.

INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGNATION (IS):  To present the world from an interdisciplinary view, a significant portion of this course (about 20%) will focus on geography from around the globe.  Mike Jurmu will be presenting material about geography from different realms as we study them. Since no textbook to cover this material is required and it is critical to be looking at maps and listening to Mike’s explanations simultaneously, it behooves you to attend.

last updated September 8, 2005