...RYERSON UNIVERSITY Department of Philosophy and Music CMUS 501, Winter 2015 Traditional Musics of the World Class Times: Wed: 6:30-9:30 pm Room: POD368 Instructor: Gerry McGoldrick E-mail: gerrymcg@ryerson.ca Office Hrs: Wednesdays before or after class COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course examines musical cultures around the world, focusing on traditional genres. Course content covers conceptual, structural, rhythmic and modal systems. The functions and meanings of music in diverse cultures will be examined. Music from various regions, including East and South East Asia, Africa, and North America, will be discussed. GOALS OF THE COURSE: To survey specific musical cultures from around the world. To develop an understanding of how these cultures are reflected in their musics by examining their creation, uses, elements, transmission, and value. To improve your ability to discuss and understand musical concepts and pieces through analysis of basic musical parameters. COURSE EVALUATION: Listening Quiz 1 10% Week 6 Test 1 25% Week 6 Essay 30% Week 10 Listening Quiz 2 10% Week 13 Final Test (In-class) 25% Week 13 Please notify the professor, in writing, of any accommodations requested during the term for religious observances or disability, by the second class as per university policy. Any alterations in assignments, tests or deadlines will be discussed in class prior to implementation. This course is lecture-based...
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...Chapter 1: Questions To Consider 1. Music is universal in the sense that music is heard everywhere, all around the world there is music. Music is not a universal language because it does not follow the strict rules that languages follow when carrying certain meanings. Music is not as black and white as language, different people from different cultures might interpret different feelings and emotions from a piece of music then someone from some where across the globe. 2. When you classify music as “classical”, “folk”, or “popular”, you are inevitably categorizing music and valuing one genre higher than another. It is hard to have a neutral categorizing system to identify such a broad subject. 3. An ethnomusicologist might approach the study of Western classical music music more in depth than a musicologist would. An ethnomusicologist has phases and they must go through extensively when studying one type of music. A musicologist might just study the artifacts used to make that music. 4. Fieldwork is the first-hand study of music at its origin. Fieldwork is very important to ethnomusicologists because they throw themselves in to the culture, recording, photographing, living, eating the life where a certain music originated. This way that can have the best understanding of the deep complex culture of music they are studying. 5. You must have an interdisciplinary approach when studying World Music because there is so much music from so many different cultures that you...
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...Chapter 1 questions 1. What do ethnomusicologists mean when they say, “Music is universal, but it is not a universal language”? Music cannot convey specific meanings though specific symbols and it is questionable whether music can really can transcend linguistic barriers. 2. What are the potential problems in classifying music as “classical,” “folk,” or “popular”? They assert a hierarchal value system in which classical is typically considered highest, folk of a much lower value, and popular at the lowest level. 3. How might an ethnomusicologist approach the study of Western classical music differently from a musicologist? They would take into consideration their cultural context. 4. What is “fieldwork”? What is its importance to the study of world music? Fieldwork is a first hand study of music in its original context, it allows us to travel to a specific area where there is musical curiosity. 5. In what ways does world music study require an interdisciplinary approach? You have to look at it through all the different aspects. 6. What is ethnocentrism? Have you ever experienced it? The unconscious assumption that ones own cultural background is “normal,” while that of others is “strange” or “exotic.” Chapter 2 questions 1. Which of the four basic components of music is most helpful in identifying a world music tradition? why? The most helpful way to learn to recognize a world music tradition is to become familiar with its media. In order to identify a specific...
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...330 January 22 2015 Homework 1 Chapter 1 1. What do ethnomusicologists mean when they say, “Music is universal, but it is not a universal language”? No matter what country we come from, no matter what culture we represent, music exists in everyone’s life. Music can express emotions among different cultures. Therefore, music is universal. However, music needs people to perform and is affected by cultures. Facing with the same music, different people may have different understanding. Also, different cultures may have various interpretations. Therefore, music is not s universal language. 2. What are the potential problems in classifying music as “classical,” “folk,” or “popular”? Usually when people define folk, classical and popular music, they have to consider the background and history information. However, not everyone understands its background information. When people want to classify some new kinds of music, without background information, it may create some problems. For example, the definition of folk music relates to 19th century European culture. If people don’t realize its meaning, the definition may interfere their thinking. 3. How might an ethnomusicologist approach the study of Western classical music differently from a musicologist? Ethnomusicologists focus on the relationship between music and culture. When ethnomusicologists approach the study of Western classical music, they will analyze Western classical music under the background of history...
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...Perry Sherman Mufhl 330 August 28, 2015 Questions to Consider Chapter 1 1) What do ethnomusicologists mean when they say, “Music is universal, but it is not a universal language”? A) Ethnomusicologist believes that music transcends many cultures differently. All societies have music or some sort whether it’s through dance, rituals, chants, or instrumental. Ethnomusicologists argue that music from a language standpoint of communication it can’t be mutually understood due to the complex music systems. 2) What are the potential problems in classifying music as “classical,” folk, “or “popular”? The potential problems of a classifying music as classical folk or popular are that the terms used carried a different set of meanings and attitude in the different eras. For example folk carries a lot of the Romantic Era and it creates problems when discussed with non-European music. Classical associates with music form Ancient Greece and Rome but at times describe the highest value of something. Popular may refer to music that is adopted on a broad base of media outlets. 3) How might an ethnomusicologist approach the study of Western classical music differently from a musicologist? An Ethnomusicologist approach would to examine and study the culture. To enhance their study, they would try to get firsthand experience in one the cultures rituals or ceremonies. A musicologist approach would to create musicals scores close to the original content from primary sources...
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...Chapter1 Q1. What do ethnomusicologists mean when they say, “Music is universal, but it is not a universal language?” A1. “Ethnomusicologists use this phrase to bring cultures together. The problems with the metaphor are many. First, music is not a language, at least not in the sense of conveying specific meanings through specific symbols, in standard patterns analogies to syntax, and governed by rules of structure analogies to grammar. While attempts have been made to analyze music in liquistic terms, these ultimately failed because music is a totally different realm. Second, it is questionable whether music really can transcend linguistic barriers and culturally determined behaviors, through some forms of emotional communication, such as crying, are so fundamentally human that irrationally all perceive it the same way. What we see with music does not support the motion that music is a universal language, unfortunately, and we do not believe such a concept to be useful in examining the world’s music.”(3) Q5. In what ways does world music study require an interdisciplinary approach? A5. “World music causes have no such canon, and certainly no list of great composers. The world is too large and there are too many choices consensus to form. Therefore, one must consider not only how to organize such a course but what to include. What should every world music student knew? If the organization is geographical, what genres and particular examples should ‘represent’ a country or...
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...My future predictions By: Stephen Brown Table of Contents Chapters Page Chapter-1 Introduction pgs 1-2 Chapter-2 History and changes of EMI pgs 2-4 Chapter-3 History of Music Industry pgs 4-6 Chapter-4 Negative effects on Music Industry (past and present) pgs 6-8 Chapter-5 Conclusion pg 8 References pg 9 1 In recent years and in the past there have been constant changes in the selling of music cds by corporations within the industry. Over the years many different situations have caused music corporations abroad to be faced with negative results and now just as before new problems exist which must be analyzed and corrected or the industry will suffer. In the nineties events such as mega retailers undercutting prices of the industry contributed to what was considered as the major music selling problems them. Within the last several years until now, factors...
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...Instrumentals : A Music Into Our Ears A Research Paper Presented to The Class of Miss Rachelle Lynne A. Rosales Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo High School In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Subject English IV Submitted by: Josh Gabriel Hornilla John Gabriel Celis IV – Gomez Chapter I 1 Introduction Instrumental songs are music that can entertain us and relieved stress. It can also be a fun of everybody when playing an instrument like piano, guitar drums, etc. In this generation, many people likes the genre of Hip Hop, R & B, Rock, Pop, and the famous genre nowadays is Korean Pop (K-Pop). So the researchers want to know if Instrumental songs are important in our everyday ...
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...Essay on “The Great Gatsby” by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The book ”The Great Gatsby” written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, processes lots of different themes. One of those themes is the so-called “American dream”, a dream of success. One of the main characters, Jay Gatsby, you could say is living this dream. His life is extravagant and filled with all the material goods money can buy, Yes Jay Gatsby has it all, or does he? All of this is seen from our narrator’s point of view Nick Carraway, who also along with Gatsby is one of the main characters. In my essay on ”The Great Gatsby” I have chosen to keep my focus on chapter 3, the chapter takes place at Nick Carraway’s first party at Jay Gatsby’s Place. As mentioned earlier the narrator of the book is Nick Carraway, with a 1st person limited point of view, so we hear every thought Nick Carraway has “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house …”. The fact that we hear every thought Carraway has helps us relate and understand the way he acts. Negatively 1st person narrative is unreliable to the reader, because we only se the situation from one point of view. It’s also a disadvantage because the main character isn’t aware of all events. And therefore as a reader we are very eager to hear what’s going on and what the other characters are thinking. In the book there is also use of direct Talk between the Reader and the narrator “Reading over what I have written so far, I see that I have …”. Because of this we get...
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...Extra Credit and chapter 12 South Asia 1. Why does Indian classical tradition dominate the musical image of South Asia in the west? 2. Discuss the following terms important to a Hindustani classical music performance: Raga, Alap, Gat, Tala, Rasa. 3. Compare and contrast Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions. 4. How do filmi songs differ from Qawwali songs? 5. In what ways is Indian music spiritual? 6. What made India and Indian music attractive to the “world traveler” or “hippy” generation of the 1960s and 1970s? Southeast Asia 1. To what extent are the terms classical, folk, and popular appropriate labels for describing Southeast Asian Music? 2. What are some factors that help maintain traditional Southeast Asian music in the face of modernization? 3. Metrical cycles are characteristic of many Southeast Asian music. How do they work in the sites reviewed? 4. How do the types of “heterophony” found in Vietnamese Tai Thu, Thai Piphat, and Javanese Gamelan differ? 5. Though Thailand and Vietnam are both part of Southeast Asian, what historical and cultural factors have determined the present musical differences? 6. Compare Javanese and Balinese Gamelan in terms of their function and use. How do their differing functions affect their respective musical styles? East Asia 1. How do attitudes toward traditionality and modernization affect music differently in china than they do in Japan and South Korea 2. In China how did the Cultural Revolution affect the development...
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...Case study Topic: Disney’s FROZEN as a global pop culture phenomenon FROZEN has been a global sensation with great reception by audiences around the world with its original song “Let It Go”. Let It Go was translated into many languages which captivated people around the globe of all ages . This move by Disney can be seen as a form of “media globalization” via the means of YouTube and theatrical releases on Television in different countries with different cultures and languages. The reception of the film can be seen as a “cultural process” or Cultural globalization which is the intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the globe . Academic Sources 1) Mollet, T. 2013. “With a smile and a song …”: Walt Disney and the birth of the American fairy tale.” Marvels & Tales 27 (1): 109-24. In this journal article, Mollet reviews on how Walt Disney’s production is now being seen as crucial to the construction of the modern American society through his contribution to the formation of a new United States nationalism . The author approaches the topic using cultural studies and textual analysis ofn Disney fairy tales to exemplify how they reflect the dominant (?) culture of America. Her research focuses on analysing Disney films such as “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs”, “Three Little Pigs”, “Wizard of Oz” and how these films and their characters portray the unstable society and culture of America during the great depression and other different time periodslines. The...
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..."Marketing" "The marketing-plan of Apple Computer" "entering the digital music revolution" "Course Lecturer: John F. Sykes" "Author: Urs Gaudenz" "Submitted: January 22nd 2004" " CONTENTS" "1 Introduction 4" "2 Methodology 4" "3 Digital Music Revolution 5" "4 SWOT Analysis 6" "4.1 Opportunities 6" "4.2 Threats 6" "4.3 Strengths 7" "4.4 Weaknesses 7" "5 The Market Entry 8" "5.1 The Market for Portable Music Players ...
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...Chapter 1 Introduction to Statistics LEARNING OBJECTIVES The primary objective of chapter 1 is to introduce you to the world of statistics, enabling you to: 1. Define statistics. 2. Be aware of a wide range of applications of statistics in business. 3. Differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics. 4. Classify numbers by level of data and understand why doing so is important. CHAPTER OUTLINE 1.1 Statistics in Business Best Way to Market Stress on the Job Financial Decisions How is the Economy Doing? The Impact of Technology at Work 1.2 Basic Statistical Concepts 1.3 Data Measurement Nominal Level Ordinal Level Interval Level Ratio Level Comparison of the Four Levels of Data Statistical Analysis Using the Computer: Excel and MINITAB KEY TERMS census ordinal level data descriptive statistics parameter inferential statistics parametric statistics interval level data population metric data ratio level data nominal level data sample nonmetric data statistic nonparametric statistics statistics STUDY QUESTIONS 1. A science dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of numerical data is called _______________. 2. One way to subdivide the field of statistics is into...
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...10:30am-1:30pm 311 Level: * Jonathan Chism, chism@rice.edu, Office hours: Thursdays, 1:00pm-4:00pm * Darrius Hills, darrius.d.hills@rice.edu, Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00pm-4:00pm * Jason Jeffries, joj1@rice.edu, Office Hours: Wednesdays, 9:00pm-12:00pm Course Description: Understanding religion as the “Quest for Complex Subjectivity” or more simply the effort to make life meaningful in complex ways, this course explores the relationship between Hip Hop culture and religion. That is to say, this course is concerned with discussion of the ways in which Hip Hop culture discusses and provides life meaning in complex ways. This will be accomplished by: (1) discussion of the history and content of Rap Music; (2) examination of religion in rap music; (3) exploration of the religious...
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...Chapter 8 1. How has Islam shaped conceptions of music for the peoples of the Middle East? In the Middle East, Islam is not just a religion; it is a way of life. Islam’s influence spread in the Middle East music conceptions. For example, the Arabic scale is strongly melodic, based around various maqamat or modes. Also, Mann explains that “under the wide rule of Islam, vulgar lyrics and suggestive dancing by women became illegal. Much post-Islamic music is used in ceremonial dance and recreation. (Mann)” In the Middle East, people may hear their songs of praise and prayer. The “World Music: A global Journey, says that “in addition to being suspicious of the sensual aspects of music Islamic aesthetics frowns on realistic representation in art, especially of the human form, to avoid the temptation toward idol worship. But as with sound, it may not always be obvious to outsiders what is considered art and what is not. (Miller 255)” Because, the influence of Islam has had great impact on people related with music, and people used to meditation, trance, and self-flagellation with one’s a higher sense of God while listening music. 2. What is modal improvisation? Is it primarily a compositional or a freely expressive form of performance? According to Henry, modal improvisation is that “a typical modal tune may have only two or three chords, and each may last 8 or even 16 measures. In one sense, modal playing is much easier than playing changes, since it does not require your brain...
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