Music 102 - Making Music History

This class is an introduction to music history that combines a close study of music from the Western classical tradition with research methodology and an orientation to the discipline of musicology. Organized by genres and concepts, the class looks at classical music as both a repertoire and an object of cultural study. In addition to covering a range of works, the course addresses their production, performance and reception through a study of their social and political context, and raises questions of power, representation and patronage. Students also examine their own ideas about the role of the artist, what it means to be a musician and the social future of this music. Students have the chance to do original research on a piece or topic of their choice and get a foundation in the College’s scholarly resources, especially the holdings at Josten Library and Special Collections.