Primarily a listening course employing a variety of listening strategies, the musical examples are primarily from word music of non-Western cultures such as Japan, Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America. However, approximately a third of the examples will be from the major style periods of the Western Music tradition. This is an interdepartmental course with Art and Japanese Studies. Selected subjects from the history of the arts in Japan are the focus of this course. It is taught by the fine arts staff.
Emphasis is placed on a few important periods and forms.
Subjects include Buddhist sculpture and architecture, gagaku, noh, ink painting, tea ceremony, wood-block prints, and kabuki. This course divides the study of musical structure into both analytical and compositional approaches as well as constant ear training via Solfege and dictation. Although the music studied and composed is based in the Western tradition, this course makes attempts to cross-relate ideas toward a better understanding of all music. Open to all students. The study of Western music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, baroque, and classical eras.