The purpose of this class is to investigate the ties between music, ritual, and performance. We will look at several case studies; this semester many of them will represent Central Asian practices. As we study what to most students will be unfamiliar modes of performance our goal is to uncover some basic relationships that can be applied to other musical and non-musical contexts.
At the heart of this colloquium are questions such as: What is special about musical performance? How does context affect performance? What are the ritual dimensions of performance and performance preparation? In what ways are the ritual dimensions of performances taken for granted or hidden from general perception? How does affiliation with ritual affect the way people respond to, or evaluate, performers and performances? What makes a performance 'musical'? What can musical performances tell us about other domains of performance in our lives? We will be discussing these questions from a wide-range of perspectives, many of them supplied by those of you who join the colloquium.
In some sense you can think of the semester as a journey, not unlike the one undertaken by the author of your core text. We'll begin by preparing to travel, then we'll explore new territory, and finally we will return to more familiar ground and test our perceptions on subjects closer to home. In the final weeks of the semester end each of you will share with the group an analysis of a performance that attracts your attention, be it a performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute, a Madonna video, or an aboriginal dream ceremony.
At the end of this colloquium you will:
This colloquium will operate largely as a discussion seminar. For such a format to work regular class attendance is essential. You should come to class having read or prepared the assigned material and prepared to ask questions of the instructor and your classmates. In-class discussions are not duplicated in any text and cannot be made-up outside of class hours. Attendance will be recorded.
All students in the seminar are responsible for the following:
| Regular attendance and class participation | Measured by evidence of pre-class preparation, willingness to engage in discussion, and completion of small weekly projects such as definition searches, constructing interview questions to ask guest, and timely submission of project proposals. | 40% |
| Reading logs | Evaluated twice for range of content, care in constructions, and evidence of reflection. | 25% |
| Final Projects | An examination of a performance chosen by the student. Submitted either as oral presentations or on-line; these projects will expand the range of the course and encourage comparative reflection. | 25% |
| Final Exam | As part of the final stage of the course each student will write project evaluations and a 250 word essay (in-class) reflecting upon and identifying the most valuable dimensions of the semester's activities. | 10% |
| Week | Date | Topic/Assignment |
Preparing to Travel (Packing) | ||
| 1 | Aug. 28 | Orientation to course, structure, materials, inviting sounds, personal interests |
| 2 | Sep. 4 | Performance Frames (with a nod to Goffman)/ Individual contributions. |
| Sep. 7 | Class field trip - Russian string music (bayan-domra) - the Semyonovs of Moscow - Sunday, Sep. 7 at 2:30 PM in Holsclaw Hall - UA School of Music ($6.00). | |
| 3 | Sep. 11 | Modes of Transmission and Development. Tensions between aural versus notated practice. In-class discussions of passage from Kingsbury (TBA). |
| 4 | Sep. 18 | Mapping: Encounters with geography and language. Read: preface to Levin: pages xii-xvii. Reading logs due for first check. |
Exploring | ||
| 5 | Sep. 25 | Three new acquaintances: a scholar, a composer, and a jadid. Read and discuss: Chap. 1 - Tashkent. Topics and pages to give special attention: pp. 10-29 venues, values, learning, and expression. |
| 6 | Oct. 2 | Hosts, Guides and Patrons. Read and discuss more from Chap. 1 Tashkent. Special attention to pp. 33 - 51 defining musicality; 51-68 masters and rebels. |
| 7 | Oct. 9 | Age and Value. Read and discuss the closing part of chap. 1 - Tashkent, pp. 69-84. |
| 8 | Oct. 16 | First Class Interview. Visit from Yafa Shemayeva - musician from Uzbekistan |
| 9 | Oct. 23 | (SEM) no class - prepare proposals for individual projects. Journals due for second round of comments. |
| 10 | Oct. 30 | Religion, Ritual and Musical Performance. Read and discuss Chapter 2 - Bukhara. |
| 11 | Nov. 6 | Second Class Interview. Visit from Yafa Shemayeva and her father, noted linguist. |
Returning Home | ||
| 12 | Nov. 13 | (CMS) no class - Research day. Work on Projects. |
| 13 | Nov. 20 | Project sharing - oral presentations |
| 14 | Nov. 27 | Project sharing - oral presentations |
| 15 | Dec. 4 | Project sharing - oral presentations |
| Final Exam | Dec. 18 | Conclusion of Final project presentations and in-class wrap-up essay. (Thursday, Dec. 18 from 11:00 - 1:00 PM) |