Hawaii Pacific University
MUS 2101 Music in World Culture Section ____
Semester and year, meeting times
Instructor: Name, contact information and other relevant information about the instructor.
Course description:
A course that deals with a wide variety of musical traditions from around the world,
including "classical," "folk," and "popular." Students learn to differentiate between different types of music
and often have the opportunity in hands-on sessions to play instruments from around the world such as
the Javanese gamelan.
Course prerequisite: WRI 1200 or consent of the instructor
General Education Requirement: This course is classified under the World Cultures Theme and meets
the requirement for a course in World Cultures B: Engaging with Difference. The course also satisfies
the Art, Aesthetics and Creativity requirement.
General Education Student Learning Outcomes and the Five Themes: HPU’s general education
curriculum is focused around five themes. This course emphasizes the World Cultures Theme and
provides students with opportunities to achieve the following related general education student
learning outcomes.
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Students will engage with and interpret the various manifestations of cultures
including verbal and visual texts, institutions, behavior, and performance. They
will do so by listening, watching, and participating in ethnic music performance practice.
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Students will develop the ability to use other people’s experiences as a way to reflect
critically on their own ways of understanding the world. The course focuses on the
cultural role music plays in society and on addressing the question How does the study of
world music help you to understand other cultures? Students will study the compositional
elements and performance practices of music in different cultures and explore the idea of
music as both an international language and as uniquely expressive of each culture.
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Students will develop the vocabulary and conceptual skills needed to appreciate and
respond to aesthetic activity from cultures other than one’s own. They will do so by
studying the compositional elements and performance practices of music in cultures other
than their own.
The course also addresses the Communication Skills Theme by providing students with opportunities to
achieve the following related general education student learning outcome:

Students will analyze the way people communicate within and across cultures, genders,
generations, and organizations and develop skills in communicating across these domains.
Music is a major mode of communication within and across cultures, genders,
generations, and organizations. Students will study how and why this is true.
Note: Purple text shows places where specific course information must be filled in. Red text contains
explanatory notes to the instructor which should be deleted before using the syllabus. Blue
explanations above should be rephrased by the individual instructor to reflect the specific approach in
that section of the course. Course-specific outcomes below are an example and may also be rephrased
or modified by the instructor.
Course-Specific Student Learning Outcomes for MUS 2101 Music in World Culture
MUS 2101 is designed so that students will:
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Deepen an understanding and appreciation for world music through listening and watching
historical and modern performances
Deepen an understanding and appreciation for world music through the use of recordings, CDRom, videos, and/or the Internet
Explore world music from a historical and cultural context
Explore non-western music and its impact and influence on western classical music of today
Approach the study of world music and ethnomusicology from a global perspective
For the rest of these required syllabus items see the details in the faculty handbook. Delete this note
once the syllabus is complete. For online courses there are some additional requirements given at this
link.
Texts List textbooks with ISBN’s and include this language as well
All textbook information (pricing, ISBN #, and e-books) for this course can be found on the HPU
Bookstore website: hpu.edu/bookstore.
If you have any questions regarding textbooks, please contact the HPU Bookstore at:
Phone:
808-544-9347
Or e-mail:
jyokota@hpu.edu
mmiyahira@hpu.edu
Assignments and mode of evaluation
Summary of important dates and deadlines (if the schedule is a separate document and due dates are
not given with the description of the assignments).
Class rules and policies (including regarding attendance, late work and academic dishonesty)
Schedule of events (may be attached separately)