Studies in Ethnomusicology 2

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

A detailed examination of an aspect of the study of music as culture.

Available subject areas:

Semester 1, 2010:

Music Cultures of Asia (Co-ordinator: Professor Catherine Falk)

A study of selected styles of vocal and instrumental music from the Asian region.

Semester 2, 2010:

Latin American Music and Culture (Co-ordinator: Dr Melanie Plesch)

This subject explores the musical traditions of Spanish-speaking Latin America, focusing on the intersections of music, culture and language. A number of selected musical traditions will be examined including expressions from the Caribbean, Andean and River Plate regions such as Cuban son, Angentine tango, protest song and art music, among others. These repertoires will be approached from a twofold perspective, concentrating on the different musical genres and their original cultural contexts, as well as critically examining their representations in mainstream Western culture through an analysis of the presence of Latin American music in media.

Rainforest Societies and their Music (Co-ordinator: Professor Catherine Falk)

Students in this subject will gain understanding of how groups of people organise themselves and their sonic communications in a specific acoustic environment. This subject is based on the seminal musical ethnographies of Colin Turnbull (on the Mbuti of central Africa); Anthony Seeger (on the Suy¡ of Amazonian Brazil); Marina Roseman (on the Temiar of Malaysia); and Steven Feld (on the Kaluli of central highland New Guinea).

On completion of this subject students will have developed:

• A critical knowledge of literature and audio-visual recordings;
• An ability to pursue knowledge independently;
• A vocabulary and listening skills appropriate to the music cultures studied.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.