Seattle Central Community College
Humanities and Social Science Division
Music 110
Introduction to World Music
Winter 2003
Section 02 Mon and Wed 6-8:30pm
Room: BA 101
Instructor: Brian Kirk
Office: BA 204
Telephone: 206 587-6338
E-Mail: bkirk@sccd.ctc.edu
Office Hours: 11am to 12pm Mon, Tuesday and Thursday and by appointment
Course Description
The music education tradition has placed an enormous importance on the study of music
primarily from a European perspective and Western cultural ideology. Over the last five
to ten years, music educators have become increasingly aware of the growing interest in
music produced by people from all parts of the world. Ethnic music’s popularity with its’
listeners illustrates a broad appreciation for the various cultural distinctions that make our
world so dramatically diverse and exciting. It is no longer acceptable to ignore the
musical and cultural contributions of the vast majority of the world’s citizens and solely
focus on one musical tradition. In the same regards, attempting to study to broad of an
area of musical culture on serves to convey a casual acquaintance with the subject matter.
This course is designed to introduce students to music, both secular and sacred, of various
nations around the world. This course will develop an understanding of the music
traditions of diverse cultures and societies of the Native America, America, Asia, India,
Africa, Latin America and Southeastern Europe. The course will also establish a narrative
that will include the following cognitive ideas:




Understanding music an unfamiliar music on it’s own terms…that is, as people
who make the music understand it.
To learn about the human activity of music through the study of the musician’s
life histories and biographies that help understand the cultural position of the
music.
The significance of the study of certain words of a song that help convey the
meaning of a musical performance in conjunction with the performers
understanding of the music.
The idea that learning about music making is fun and enjoyable in addition to
being educational.
(Titon xiv)
Music 110 page 2
Learning Objectives

To understand music as an entity that reflects the diversity of the world’s
religions, languages, aesthetic ideals, economy and social identity.

Human Relations – Recognition of the diversity of cultural influences, values and
contributions.

To develop a new personal relationship with the music of all cultures

Students will develop a stronger knowledge and understanding of the basic
elements of music

Communication – Read and listen actively to learn and communicate. Be able to
identify the specific style of music. Speak and write on the knowledge of the
origin of a cultural music and its’ practitioners.

Students will develop critical thinking and reflective thought through verbal and
written expression.

Students will develop a better understanding of artistic expression and the
creation of it through more perceptive viewing and listening.
Text
Titon, Jeff Todd
Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World’s People
Fourth Edition
Schirmer /Thomson Learning 2002
ISBN 0-534-59103-5
Music 110 page 3
Course Requirements
1.
The Two Research Papers
Students are required to select their own topics from the Music 110 textbook for the
Two Music Research Papers. Students may choose to write about genres of music,
specific instruments, singing styles, composers, performing artists’, social and
political events, evidence of acculturation, urbanization, etc. as relevant to a culture or
culture’s represented in the chapters of our textbook.
The paper should reflect a balance between the sharing of factual information along
with your own response, descriptions, and analysis of the music, history, specific
genre, instruments and singing style of that particular culture.
Try to research and view your topic from different perspectives. Ask the question,
“Why?” Be inquisitive. Put yourself into the paper. Become passionate about the
subject matter! Get excited about the creative process. Remember that you are
selecting the topic for each research paper; therefore you should be enjoying the
research process and the learning that accompanies it.
Critical Analysis
Your paper should include your descriptions of and responses to the actual
music that you have located and listened to. Write down anything you notice in the
music during your listening. Listen for different “layers” of musical activity (rhythms,
pitch ranges, instruments, singing, humming, chanting, grunts, groans, extraneous
sounds in the recordings) within the selection you are listening to. Listen repeatedly
(over and over again) to the music of your selected culture, genre, performing artist
and/or group. Note the context, style and purpose of the music.
The two research papers will be from four to six pages. (Keyboarded only)
Students will use MLA formatting for writing their research papers. A Works Cited
page must list at least six (6) sources and list all in-text citations for
quotes/paraphrases are required in your papers. It is recommended that students
purchase Rules For Writers by Diana Hacker to assist them with both the research
process and the writing of the research paper using the MLA Format.
Music 110 page 4
Each research paper is based on a variety of sources…our own textbook, reference
books, subject/topic specific books, scholarly journal articles, New York Times and
other periodicals, related music listening on the CD, or cassette or vinyl records,
film’s, videos and the world wide web (electronic media). Read and use the liner
notes from the recorded music’s J cards (for CD’s) and /or record jacket and cassette
tape information inserts. Students should take note that it is academically weak to
submit a paper that contains sources exclusively from the Internet (www.)
Select your topics early and begin the research right away. Do not wait until a
week before the paper is due. Your resultant product will be most inferior and as will
your grade.
Please make sure you cite all sources/authors and double check for accuracy.
Plagiarism will result in a 0.0 grade for your paper.
Due Dates
All Papers are Due At the Beginning of the following Class Days:
Research Paper #1
Monday: February 10, 2003
6:00pm
Research Paper #2
Wednesday: March 26, 2003
6:00pm
2.
Student Research Group Project
Students will form Research Groups of four to six people. Each group will research
the music and history of a specific culture or cultures within a specific geographical
area to prepare and organize a two day presentation that features lecture, hand-outs,
listening to recordings, viewing film/video, and possible performances of
music/dance from that culture.
Requirements for Groups to earn a 4.0 for the Student Research Group project
1. All Daily group Attendance forms must be turned in and the group must have
100% attendance, which means everyone comes to class each day and
participates. (Students must attend class after their group project is completed. If
you earn a 4.0 in your group project but fail to attend much thereafter, your grade
will be lowered from 4.0 to a 2.0 or possibly lower.
2. All Group Weekly Status Report Forms must be completed and turned in each
Wednesday until the group actually begins presenting their Student research
Group Project.
Music 110 page 5
3. The group must show evidence of strong preparation, organization and unity.
Practice alone and with your group.
4. Each group member must contribute (speak) during the week of the presentation.
5. All group members must strive to achieve the highest possible evaluations from
their peers. One good way to do this is to meet or exceed the criteria as listed in
the Group project Evaluation Form.
6. All groups will submit a detailed Outline of their presentation, and Bibliography
of all sources One Week before their start date.
7. Start your research (for the research paper and the Group Project) as soon as
possible. You are strongly encouraged to use the library here at Seattle Central.
Our library has a good collection of print materials and electronic databases.
Sources include CD-Rom’s, reference books, topical books, records, tapes,
compact discs, videos, films, slides, periodicals, and a vast array of electronic
information via the Internet. Our knowledgeable librarians at Seattle Central
Community College are excellent and eager to assist you with your specific
needs.
3.
Group Project Evaluation Forms, Personal Assessment Response Forms,
Daily Group Attendance Sheets, and Group Weekly Status Forms:
All students are required to complete Group Project Evaluation Forms for each
of the Student Research Projects presented throughout the quarter. The Group
Evaluation forms are due the day after a group has finished their project.
Students will also evaluate themselves and their own group by completing a
Personal Assessment Response Form is due within two days after you have
completed your own Student Research Group Project.
Each group is required to complete a Daily Group Attendance Sheet for each
day of the Quarter.
Each group is required to complete the Group Weekly Status Report Form and
turn it in each Wednesday of the Quarter until they actually begin to present their
Student Research Group Project.
Music 110 page 6
4.
Course Journal Requirement:
All students will submit a course journal of all materials and information they
acquired during the Introduction to World Music course. The information must be
keyboarded. The journal will contain all the information gathered daily form lectures
(your notes), music listening, handouts and each of the Student Group Research
Projects. This assignment mandates your attendance in each class meeting. It is
recommended that students begin keyboarding your notes at the end of each week.
Make sure that you get to the computer at the end of each Student Group Research
Project to insure that your journal will meet the course quality requirement. Waiting
to the last minute to begin your Journal keyboarding can and will result in a journal of
poor quality.
Grading and Percentages
Student Research Group Project
Attendance
Group Project Evaluation Sheets
Personal Assessment Response Forms
Daily Group Attendance Sheets
Group Weekly Status Report Forms
40%
Research Papers
40%
Course Journal Requirement
20%
Late Work Will Not Be Accepted.
Assignments must be submitted on or before the due date for credit.
Attendance and class participation are an integral part of the learning process.
Attendance sheets, located at the table in the front of the classroom are to be initialed
daily. A lowered grade will result for students who come to class habitually late or
who leave early. The very nature of our required assignments mandates your daily
attendance.
Differently Abled Students:
If you need course adaptations or accommodations due to a disability, have
emergency medical information to share, or require special arrangements in case of
emergency evacuation, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
Music 110 page 7
Works Cited
Elliott, David J. Music Matters. A New Philosophy of Music Education. Page 128.
Oxford University Press. 1995.
The keys to understanding the uniqueness and power of musical experiences and
music education include the following: an awareness of the contextual nature of
musicing and musical sounds as artistic-social-cultural actions, properties and
cognitive challenges; the contextual dependency of music cognition; and the
unequaled phenomenology of auditory experiences as events that seem to enter
us…
“becoming in that process not so much something that we have but something that we
are.”
Music 110 page 8
Introduction to World Music
Give Strong Consideration to the Following
Ideas for Possible Inclusion in your
Student Research Project
Within the culture(s) has there been:
music that is functional – music as an accompaniment to ritual, work festival, dance, theater, religion,
life achievements, etc.?
substantial documentation by, or of your culture(s) enabling you to obtain historical data dating back
several millennia? If not, indicate why, and indicate when (approximately) historical data begins for
your culture(s).
periods of stability and or instability?
periods considered to be “National?” (Free from outside influence)
periods to be “International” – influence, whether subtle or blatant, from other cultures?
a passive climate of adherence and satisfaction in their own ways of living, with little or no desire to
assimilate, conquer/dominate other neighbor or distant cultures
an aggressive posture of conquest/domination?
monocracy, democracy, theocracy, communism, etc.?
one primary religion, two or more religions simultaneously, or in succession; monotheism, polytheism
or no religion at all?
an emphasis on creative arts, music, crafts, visual art, dance, etc.?
instruments that fall under any of the classification categories, idiophone, chordophone,
membranophone or aero phone?
specific indigenous materials used to make instruments?
evidence that these instruments are still made today?
instruments designed and played to imitate the human voice?
specific methods of performance technique to achieve the proper sound on the instrument(s)?
a master/teacher to student/pupil model for music instructor?
music from early in the history of the culture that is still utilized/performed today?
any evidence of “Western” influence in the music of your culture(s)?
Western Popular Music that has “borrowed” from the culture(s) you are researching?