Musical Cultures of the World

Ethnomusicologists study music in human life. Music is with us as we articulate and define social identities -- punk rocker, student, Japanese-American, member of a sorority, Catholic, radical, etc. --and as we acquire new identities through rites of passage such as weddings, graduations, and initiation ceremonies. Many of life's most intense moments are accompanied or created by music, but music can also be part of the everyday, with us as we work, move, and socialize. This course is about what music does in human life and what it means to participants. In other words, it is about the myriad ways that music makes us human. We will address musical meanings and practices in selected regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. As you encounter music in an increasingly connected world, this course will provide you with a new awareness of musical diversity and of the social implications of music making. To satisfy a Ways requirement, this course must be taken for at least 3 units.