"In a world such as ours it is necessary to understand why a madrigal by Gesualdo or a Bach Passion, a sitar melody from India or a song from Africa, Berg's Wozzeck or Britten's War Requiem, a Balinese gamelan or a Cantonese opera, or a symphony by Mozart, Beethoven, or Mahler, may be profoundly necessary for human survival."

--John Blacking (1928-1990)

COURSE GOALS

The primary goal of this course will be to expand your awareness of the power of music, both as a human expression and a reflection of culture. This semester (Spring 2006) our focus will be on music from Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan, with side trips to the US and Jamaica. We will try to identify shaping trends and influences, the hybridization of multiple music cultures, and will examine the concept of "globalization" as it might apply to music. Our discussion will include raising the question of whether the appropriation of aspects of music from a Third World country is not so much a creative project as it is a cynical attempt at commercial gain.

In order to accomplish our goals we will need to know how to listen to music in an active and conscious way, and this will require the identification and analysis of the elements of music at work in each musical example we listen to. (These include melody, rhythm, harmony, form, and timbre.)

At Millsaps, course in the Core are designed to help develop liberal arts intellectual abilities. (Follow the link to read about the abilities developed in this course.)