Music 371WM - Analytic Studies: World Music

The main focus of this course is to facilitate a culturally sensitive analytical engagement of musical traditions from different parts of the world. The course surveys some of the theoretical and methodological issues that have shaped the field of ethnomusicology and influenced the study of musical traditions, and examines musical examples from different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Emphasis will be on understanding musical structures as defined in specific traditions, and the ways in which musical performances/compositions relate to and are shaped by factors emanating from the cultural environment in which they are situated.