MUS 11 - Stephen de Filippo

Folk Music

Australian Music: Place, Politics & Power

This course is rooted in the belief that music is a powerful lens through which we can explore the notions of place, history, spirituality, law, and collective wisdom.

From the heart of Australia's rich cultural tapestry, we delve into the world of folk music and its unique role in shaping the nation. Beginning from time primordial to the present-day, this course offers a chronological exploration of Australian history, with a strong emphasis on key historical events and a deep dive into the music that reflects and responds to these historical narratives.  Drawing inspiration from the dual narratives of Aboriginal traditions and settler heritage, we explore how folk music serves as a storytelling medium that intertwines with the history and politics of the country, weaving through the colorful threads of tradition folk, country, popular, experimental, and classical genres. This music not only sings of the land but also speaks eloquently about it.

(Offered SU25: SS1, SS2)

MUS 13 - Pauline Ng

Worlds of Music

Music and Tonal Languages

This 5-week course examines the relationship between music, pitch perception, and tonal languages in Asia, and explore how these components shape musical structures and one’s auditory experiences and relationship with pitch. By understanding the functions of pitch variations and lexical tones in tonal languages, students will gain insight into how linguistic tones influence compositional practices. Through case studies, listening sessions, and analysis, we will explore the creative process of setting tonal language into music. The course will culminate in a final project where students critically analyze a work of their choice that sets text in a tonal language to music.

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 13 - Katherine Pittman

Worlds of Music

Political Histories of the Marching Band

This course covers an introductory history of marching bands beginning in the 14th century Ottoman Empire and extending through the 20th and 21st centuries’ institutionalization of collegiate school bands and drum corps as semi-professional marching arts organizations. The course will document the political valence of marching band practices which have historically transmitted nationalist and militaristic aesthetics and social norms. These histories will also reveal how local band leaders and community members challenge, adapt, and subvert these norms. Throughout this session, students will be asked and equipped to reflect upon the political constraints and affordances of a musical tradition that is Big, Loud, and Live.

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 15 - Cheuk (Cherrie) Ling Yu

Popular Music

Japanese Anime Music and Transnational Desire

“Japanese Anime Music and Transnational Desire” introduces the transnational aspect of the development of Japanese anime music starting from the end of the Second World War. Through learning about the complex sociopolitical background of Japanese anime music history, students will discuss the contemporary racialization and sexualization of “Japaneseness.” Furthermore, students will reflect on how transnational listeners, including themselves and their peers, contribute to the transnational development of anime music and sound.
(Offered SU25: SS1)

MUS 15 - Kevin Schwenkler

Popular Music

Independent Music of the 2000s: Indie Labels, Bedroom Production, and The Internet

In this course we will explore the early 2000s' massive changes in the capacity for small-scale, independent music production known as bedroom production. We will listen to music from this era (beginning really in the mid-late 1990s) and learn some basics of what these technical changes were. We will explore related topics of late-90s/2000s internet media culture including the dawn of internet piracy and the early cultivation of online fanbases. How did these shifts interact with the existing music/media landscape? Who benefited from the new affordances of bedroom production? What sorts of music thrived in this environment and how did they sound?

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 15 - Alejandrina Medina

Popular Music

Latinx Feminist Aesthetics

This course evaluates popular culture through the lens of Latinx Feminist Aesthetics, which is to say we will focus on the production of social categories such as race and sex, and how music, sound, and performance allow us to analyze this production. In plain terms, we will use popular music to learn histories of social organization, with a particular attention to Latinidad in the previous century. I hope to show you how to use popular music as a tool to help you understand the world around you, and how you might employ this tool in our current political and social climates.  By invoking Latinx, we take no geographical, national, or diasporic privilege, instead relying on critical thought the hemispheric cultural imaginary referred to as las Américas.

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 80 - Michelle Mackenzie

Special Topics

Ambient Music, Ambient Sound

The course offers a historical overview of ambient music and sound, as well as technical methods and critical approaches to its production. Recorded sound will be the primary musical material that students will explore, and the material with which they will develop basic recording, composition, and production techniques.  In this course, ambient sound is understood as an expression of culture, history, technology, and sonic environments. Beginning with the formation of Eno’s Ambient Records in the late 1970s, we will explore the sonic practices, and historical, technological, and philosophical shifts that led to the emergence and subsequent development of the genre.  Previous musical knowledge is not required; the course proceeds from the notion that anyone can begin recording, editing, and composing their own ambient works using everyday devices, sounds, and creativity.

(Offered SU25: SS1)

MUS 80 - Kosuke Matsuda

Special Topics

Performing Silence: Exploring Japanese concept of silence and music examples

The Performing Silence course examines the role of silence in music by exploring Japanese literature and culture, where silence shapes various art forms. By learning composers like Toru Takemitsu, Toshio Hosokawa, and John Cage, we’ll delve into how silence has evolved as a powerful element of music, beyond a simple pause. We will also explore nuanced forms of silence in Japanese culture, such as Ma (brief pause), Sei-jaku (tranquil quietness), and Chin-moku (speechlessness). The course aims to deepen our understanding of silence’s impact in music and expand perspectives on performance and listening. No music background is required.

(Offered SU25: SS1)

MUS 80 - Matthew Chung

Special Topics

Aesthetics and Creativity: Foundations of Music for Generative AI

This course surveys aesthetic thought as a foundation and guide for computational creativity and AI.

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 80 - Natalia Merlano Gomez

Special Topics

Experimental Music in Latin America

This class introduces students to experimental music practices in Latin America. Throughout the course, we will explore five main topics. In the first week, we will focus on the pioneers and institutions that have supported the development of experimental practices on the continent. The second week will delve into the local scene, examining festivals, venues, and communities. We will highlight performers and creators during the third week, including solo artists, ensembles, and collectives. The fourth week will address female communities and explore gender perspectives within the field. Finally, during the last week, we will investigate archives and the role of the Internet in developing radio and music labels, as well as broadcasting these practices to improve accessibility. Each topic will be analyzed through a lens that considers social movements and the broader social context, incorporating elements of race, class, and gender to foster a critical approach

(Offered SU25: SS2)

MUS 80 - Aaron Mencher (C00)

Special Topics

Course Description: Introduction To Film Scoring

This course is designed to be an introduction to the technical aspects of film composition. In this course, students will learn the history of film composition, basic compositional skills, and technical skills specific to film composition. The culminating assignment in the class will be a score for a short film and a brief written reflection on their film score

(Offered SU25: SS2)