Course Highlights
MUET220: Selected Musical Cultures of the World
(January 2-January 22)
Have you ever heard the sounds of the Central African Forest people? Have you ever heard the throat singing of the Mongolians? Have you ever sung Karaoke in Japan? Become (Be) a world traveler and indulge in a variety of sounds from all around the world, and understand why different parts of the world have formed their distinctive ways of life and music. Music has played an important role in these cultures, and at the same time, culture has influenced the construction of musical sound. This course investigates selected world musical cultures by examining diverse materials of music (sounds, repertories, structures, instruments) and also by examining the cultural context in depth. The course includes discussions, which address concerns regarding social and cultural factors, such as religion, gender, politics, and identity, to help better the understanding of music-making around the world.
This course is targeted to undergraduate students and satisfies CORE requirements for Distributive Studies History and Theory of Arts (HA) and Human Cultural Diversity (D). Through cross-cultural approaches, this course aims for students to develop critical thinking skills, and understanding of the diversity and differences that exist in the system of global society.
Faculty
Sunmin Yoon has learned and researched a variety of music and cultures in and out of the United States as an ethnomusicologist. She has studied and performed a variety of world musics such as Thai ensemble music, Chinese fiddle, Korean and African drums, Japanese zither and so forth. Recently she has conducted fieldwork in Mongolia for her doctoral dissertation.
