MUS 416

Fall 2025 All Classes

All Classes

Credit: 3 hours.

Introduction to the anthropological study of music, including the role of music in the world's societies and non-Western musical systems and cultures.

Same as ANTH 416. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or consent of instructor.

MUS 416 class schedule data for fall 2025
CRN Type Section Time Day Location Instructor Section Details
39682
Lecture-Discussion
A
2:00PM -3:20PM
MW
Music Building
Camal, J
Part of Term:
1
Date Range:
08/25/25-12/10/25
Section Info:
Topic: "ANTHROPOLOGY OF MUSIC AND SOUND." What can we learn if we listen to the world rather than look at it? This course will examine the different ways in which people’s listening is shaped by cultural, economic, technological, and historical factors. Topics we will cover include: acoustic epistemologies; the political economies of sound, silence, and noise; music as a social activity; the development and impact of sound technologies on our societies, including music production; the role of sound in creating and maintaining racial boundaries; and more. This course is not intended as an introduction to the growing field of sound studies; rather we will privilege ethnographies and other texts that bring transcultural perspectives to the study of music and sound. This will be a course on the anthropology of music and sound but also an effort to do anthropology in sound. Seminar time will be divided between discussions of assigned readings and hands-on explorations of our audible world. By the end of the semester, students will have acquired the methodological and theoretical tools needed to conduct and present research in sound, including podcasts, sound installations, performances, and compositions. This seminar does not require prior musical training. Students from any Music major are welcome to enroll.
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