Course Name (short): Anthropology of Music
School: All Sheridan Schools
Program(s): Degree Breadth
Program Coordinator(s): Sean McNabney
Course Leader or Contact: Anna Boshnakova
Originator: Adele Dodge
Designate: Kavita Mathew
Version: 3.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Calendar Description
Students learn to observe, describe, and analyze different types of music behaviour as a projection and expression of human thoughts, emotions, abilities, and creativity, applying the principles of anthropology and ethnomusicology in this interdisciplinary course.

Typical Instructional Format

Courses may be offered in other formats.

Section I Notes: This course was recoded September 2012. Formerly SOCS15738GD

Detailed Description
Students learn to observe, describe, and analyze different types of music behaviour as a projection and expression of human thoughts, emotions, abilities, and creativity, applying the principles of anthropology and ethnomusicology in this interdisciplinary course. They learn to place this subfield of cultural anthropology within the larger context of anthropology which consists of archaeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and anthropological linguistics. Exploring the function of music from cross-cultural, social and personal perspectives, students enhance their musical literacy and cultural appreciation and awareness. Through the use of interactive lectures, audio and video clips, discussions, role plays, hands-on activities, simulations, and music listening exercises students develop their knowledge and understanding of music as diverse human behaviour.

Program Context

 To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated 
the ability to:

1.  Explain the key concepts and fundamental research techniques of
    anthropology of music.

2.  Differentiate between cultural, verbal, physical, symbolic, 
    social, learning, sexual, abnormal, aesthetical and ethical 
    music behaviour.

3.  Discuss the function of music in ancient and contemporary cultures
    with reference to the self, and your society.

4.  Apply the anthropological and ethnomusicological key concepts
    and research techniques in the analysis of music.

5.  Identify music-related artifacts.

6.  Explain the value of the anthropology of music in the 
    contemporary world.

7.  Develop critical thinking skills and first-hand insight into the 
    field of anthropology of music.

8.  Analyze primary and secondary sources on anthropological and
    ethnomusicological topics.

Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

TESTS:                                  3 @ 20% = 60%

TAKE-HOME ASSIGNMENTS:                  3 @ 10% = 30%

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES     10%

TEST AND ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOL 

To encourage behaviours that will help students to be successful in 
the workplace and to ensure that students receive credit for their 
individual work, the following rules apply to every course offered 
within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.  
            
1. Students are responsible for staying abreast of test dates and 
   times, as well as due dates and any special instructions for 
   submitting assignments and projects as supplied to the class by 
   the Professor.
2. Students must write all tests at the specified times. Missed 
   tests, in-class activities, assignments and presentations are   
   awarded a mark of zero. If an extension or make-up opportunity   
   is approved by the professor as outlined below, the mark of zero  
   may be revised by subsequent performance.  The penalty for late   
   submission of written assignments is a loss of 10% per day for 
   up to five business days (excluding weekends and statutory 
   holidays), after which, a grade of zero is assigned.  Business
   days include any day that the college is open for business, 
   whether the student has scheduled classes that day or not.  
3. Students, who miss a test or in-class activity or assignment or 
   fail to submit an assignment on time due to exceptional
   circumstances, are required to notify their professor in advance
   of the class whenever possible.  A make-up test may be supplied 
   for students who provide an acceptable explanation of their  
   absence and/or acceptable documentation explaining their absence
   (e.g., a medical certificate).  All make-up tests are to be 
   written at a time and place specified by the professor upon the
   student's return.  Alternately, students may be given an 
   opportunity to earn the associated marks by having a subsequent 
   test count for the additional marks.  Similarly, exceptional 
   circumstances may result in a modification of the due dates for
   assignments.
4. Unless otherwise specified, assignments and projects must be 
   submitted at the beginning of class. 
5. Students must complete every assignment as an individual effort  
   unless, the professor specifies otherwise.
6. Since there may be instances of grade appeal or questions 
   regarding the timely completion of assignments and/or extent of   
   individual effort, etc., students are strongly advised to keep,  
   and make available to their professor, if requested, a copy of  
   all assignments and working notes until the course grade has been 
   finalized.  
7. There will be no resubmission of work unless this has been 
   previously agreed to or suggested by the professor. 
8. Students must submit all assignments in courses with practical  
   lab and field components in order to pass the course.

Merriam, A.P. 1980.  The Anthropology of Music.  Northwestern 
University Press.

Recommended Reading:

Ashmore, M. and R.J. Sharer.  2010.  Discovering Our Past.  A Brief
Introduction to Archaeology.  McGraw-Hill NY

Schultz, E., R.H. Lavenda, R.R. Dods. 2009.  Cultural Anthropology.
A Perspective on the Human Condition.  Oxford University Press.

Wright, C. and B. Symms. 2009.  Music in Western Civilization.  
Schrimer Cengage Learning, Boston, MA

Boshnakova, A. 2008.  Reading Ancient Greek Music in Documents, 
Images and Artifacts: on the Practical Application of Musical 
Archaeology.  In: E. Hickmann/R. Eichmann/L. Koch/A. Both (Hrsg.), 
Studien zur Musikarchaeologie VII, 337-345.

Lawn, R. 2007. Experiencing Jazz.  McGraw-Hill NY

Van Ess, Donald H. 2007. The heritage of musical style, rev. ed. 
Univ. Press of America.

Nils L. Wallin, Bjorn Merker, Steven Brown (editors). 2000.  The 
Origins of Music.  The MIT Press.

Boshnakova, A. 2007. Hermeneutics of teh Archaeological Artifact:  
Destruction and Reconstruction of the Lost Meaning.  In:  K. 
Boshnakov (Ed.), Jubilaeus VI: Àíòè÷íîòî íàñëåäñòâî íà Çàïàäíèÿ Ïîíò. 
Sofia, 51-102.

Hicks, M. 2000.  Sixties Rock: Garage, Psychedelic, and Other 
Satisfactions Music in American Life. Chicago, IL: University of 
Illinois Press.

Course Details:

Week 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE AND INTRODUCTION TO THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF 
MUSIC
- overview of course content and outcomes
- what is ethnomusicology?
- what is anthropology?
- what is anthropology of music?
- theory, research methods and techniques in anthropology of music

READING: CHAPTER 1 

Week 2

MUSIC AND CULTURE: MUSIC AS CULTURAL BEHAVIOUR

- uncovering the centuries: how to understand what under the earth is?
- material and non-material culture: from "the visible" to "the 
invisible"
- excavating sites (tools, digging, recording), stratigraphy or 
dating (archaeological context of the musical artifact): how old it 
is, who used it, and how it was used, conservation, publication)
- sounds from the past
- in-class assignment and activity 1

READING: CHAPTER 14 

Week 3

MUSIC AND CULTURE: MUSIC AS VERBAL BEHAVIOUR

- the nature of music
- the elements of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics and 
colour, musical texture and form, musical style)
- musical notation 
- in-class assignment and activity 2 

READING: CHAPTER 6


Week 4

MUSIC AND CULTURE: MUSIC AS PHYSICAL BEHAVIOUR

- musical instruments (stringed instruments, wind instruments, 
percussion instruments)
- reconstruction of the sound
- musical performance
- the language of the dance
- in-class assignment and activity 3 
- test review 1

Assignment # 1 DUE (10%)

READING: CHAPTER 6

Week 5

TEST # 1  (20%): Weeks 1-4  inclusive

Week 6

MUSIC AND SOCIETY: MUSIC AS SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

- faces from the past and present
- the Public
- the Musician (a performer, a music teacher, a composer)
- the musical studio - the process of composing
- musical records
- in-class assignment and activity 4 

READING: CHAPTERS 7 and 9

Week 7

MUSIC AND SOCIETY: MUSIC AS SYMBOLIC BEHAVIOUR

- is music the universal language?
- music, language, and communication
- music and emotions (hearing "major" and "minor")
- music and colours
- in-class assignment 5 

READING: CHAPTERS 12 and 5

Week 8

MUSIC AND SOCIETY: MUSIC AS LEARNING BEHAVIOUR

- why do we need to study music?
- music and everyday life
- music and beliefs (worship, ritual and music)
- "looking" at music (museum exhibitions and collections)
- in-class assignment and activity 6 

READING: CHAPTER 8

Week 9

MUSIC AND SOCIETY: MUSIC AS SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR

- the musician as a sex symbol (faces from the past and present)
- the study of song text
- text and melody
- in-class assignment and activity 7 
- test review 2

Assignment # 2 DUE

READING: CHAPTER 10

Week 10

TEST # 2 (20%): Weeks 6-9 inclusive

Week 11

MUSIC AND PERSONALITY: MUSIC AS AESTHETIC BEHAVIOUR

- musical aesthetics and the interrelationship of the arts
- now and then (classicism, impressionism, exoticism, 
  modernism, jazz, rock: the music of rebellion)
- in-class assignment and activity 8 

READING: CHAPTER 13

Week 12

MUSIC AND PERSONALITY: MUSIC AS ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR 

- the psychedelic effects of music
- psychedelic music (characteristics)
- "Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll"
- music and psychopaths
- in-class assignment and activity 9

READING: TBA

Week 13

MUSIC AND PERSONALITY: MUSIC AS ETHIC BEHAVIOUR 

- the ethical power of music 
- the healing power of music (music therapy)
- the philosophy of music
- music and cultural dynamic
- in-class assignment and activity 10 
- test review 3

Assignment # 3 DUE (10%)

READING: CHAPTER 15


Week 14

TEST #3 (20%): Weeks 11-13 inclusive