Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0237 - Listening to Japanese Sound Cultures

"Listening" occupies a special place in Japanese cultures. Whether it be in the haiku poetry, religious ceremonies, political protests, or mundane activities, listening enables people to transcend spatiotemporal boundaries, connect with the invisible and intangible, and engage in the world and the self in a deeper philosophical consciousness. This course explores Japanese sound cultures, with special attention to the underlying unique conceptions of "listening": how have people in Japan cultivated distinct sensibilities in listening, and how, in turn, such sensibilities have shaped Japanese sound cultures. Course materials are drawn from diverse sources across different art forms as well as quotidian sound-making and listening activities across history. This is NOT a Japanese music course. Students are invited to open their ears, senses, and minds to unique cultural values, sensibilities, and practices of listening in Japanese sound cultures and rigorously question their own practices of "listening." Keywords:Japan, listening, sound cultures

Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.