Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0273 - Sonic Philosophy

This course will take sound and the sonic arts as both an object of inquiry and a provocation for thought. Reading texts by philosophers and cultural theorists, and examining work by composers, sound artists, writers, and filmmakers, we will investigate the ontology of sound and music, the nature of listening, technologies of audio recording and dissemination, time and space in the sonic arts, synaesthesia, and other issues. Each class will involve both discussions of theoretical texts and analysis of sonic art works. Readings by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Russolo, Cage, Cutler, Kittler, Dolar, Serres, Barthes, McCaffery, Deleuze, Goodman, O'Callaghan, and others. Sounds by Lucier, Amacher, Young, Kubisch, Marclay, Fowler, Winderen, De Boer, Kubick & Walsh, Hecker, and others.

Writing and Research In this course, students are expected to spend 6 hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.