13.4 Musicologies Courses
MUS 1005 Thinking and Writing About Music I
is designed to develop listening, critical thinking, research and writing skills through selected cross-cultural topics and themes exploring the relationship between music and society. This course has strong listening and writing components.
MUS 1006 Thinking and Writing about Music II
is a continuation of MUS 1005.
MUS 2005 Western Music from Antiquity through the Baroque Period
examines Western classical music from Antiquity to c. 1750, with an emphasis on the study of musical genres and styles within their social contexts. This course has strong listening and writing components and continues to develop research skills.
MUS 2006 Western Music of the Classical and Romantic Periods
examines Western classical music from the Classical and Romantic Periods, with an emphasis on the study of musical genres and styles within their social contexts. This course has strong listening and writing components and continues to develop research skills.
MUS 2007 Music and Health
provides an introduction to the use of music within the context of health and wellbeing in clinical and community settings, with a focus on Western applications. It includes an overview of music therapy, community music, health musicking, music in everyday life, music and healing, and edutainment for health promotion, as well as an introduction to different understandings of health and healthcare. This course has strong research and writing components.
the former MUS 3012
MUS 1006
MUS 2008 Music in Canada
examines musical movements and cultures in Canada's history, from colonial times to the present. Students will be introduced to Indigenous and diasporic musics in classical, popular, and vernacular idioms. We will examine musical practices in a variety of urban, rural, and commercial contexts. This course has strong listening, research, and writing components.
the former MUS 3016
MUS 1006
MUS 2011 North American Popular Music
examines the development of North American popular music from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century to the present. The course examines major musical genres, their historical roots, their musical characteristics, the influences that shaped them and the artists who defined them. It explores sociopolitical issues embedded in popular music, as well as how music has evolved to express new conceptions of self and community, social anxieties, tensions and ideals. No prior musical knowledge is required.
MUS 2012 Understanding Classical Music: Introduction Through Guided Listening
is a course designed to enhance and develop listening skills and an understanding of the basic elements of music. Form and musical style in Western classical music will be explored within a cultural and historical context. Through guided listening, the student will be exposed to a variety of musical styles and traditions. This course has a strong listening component. The ability to read music is not required.
MUS 2014 Introduction to World Music
provides an introduction to the musics of selected cultures and contemporary intercultural communities. Drawing on topics and issues in ethnomusicology, it focuses on musical practices, beliefs, and techniques. It is intended to develop listening skills, broaden musical horizons, as well as to enable a deeper understanding of the way music functions in relation to social groups and individual lives.
MUS 2021 Newfoundland and Labrador Folksinging
is an introduction to the sociocultural contexts, functions, and meanings of folksong in Newfoundland and Labrador. Proceeding from this contextual base drawn from oral and scholarly histories, the course offers practical instruction by a tradition-bearer in the singing of traditional Newfoundland and Labrador tunes and texts, using the techniques of aural transmission and assisted by the written medium where appropriate.
MUS 2022 Newfoundland and Labrador Fiddling
is an introduction to the sociocultural contexts, functions, and meanings of fiddling in Newfoundland and Labrador. Proceeding from this contextual base drawn from oral histories, the course offers practical instruction by a tradition-bearer on the fiddle, using the techniques of aural transmission and assisted by the written medium where appropriate.
MUS 2023 Newfoundland and Labrador Accordion
is an introduction to the sociocultural contexts, functions, and meanings of accordion music in Newfoundland and Labrador. Proceeding from this contextual base drawn from oral histories, the course offers practical instruction by a tradition-bearer on the button accordion, using the techniques of aural transmission and assisted by the written medium where appropriate.
MUS 3005 The Development of Opera
is a study of the development of opera from the beginnings to the present day. Selected operas, representing different periods and styles, will be examined in detail. This course has a strong listening component.
MUS 3007 A History of Popular Music in Drama
is a survey of popular music styles in drama from the rise of the Singspiel to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Weber. Selected works, representing different styles and periods, will be examined in detail. This course has a strong listening component.
MUS 3009 Music in the Modern World
examines music in the Western world in the 20th and 21st centuries. Focused themes address a wide range of genres and styles with particular attention to music's interaction with the other arts and with society. This course has strong listening and writing components and continues to develop research skills.
MUS 3013 Music and Ecology
explores the complex relationships between sound, music, humans/nonhumans, and the environment. Through a series of global case studies, we will examine how humans create, express, and sustain relationships with their surrounding environments through music. We will consider topics including the soundscapes of diverse environments; environmental activism; music and sustainability; music in response to natural and technological disasters; zoomusicology; Indigenous perspectives on music and the environment; and portrayals of nature music.
MUS 3014 Musics of Asia and Oceania
is a survey of musical practices in Asia and Oceania. Using a topical approach (e.g., gender expression, globalization, colonialism), students will be exposed to musical genres, theory, and aesthetics of peoples of East, Central, Southeast, and South Asia, and Indigenous Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Listening is a strong component of this course.
MUS 3015 Music of Africa and the Americas
is a survey of Indigenous music/dance practices on three continents. Emphasis is on sub-Saharan African musics and their manifestations in the Americas as an outcome of the Atlantic slave trade. Study of Indigenous North American music will center on non-ceremonial practices of the Northeast. Students will develop insight into local theories and aesthetics of musicking. Listening is a strong component of this course.
MUS 3017 Music, Song and Tradition
introduces students to a wide range of traditional song. Students will hear and discuss local, regional and international examples. Ability to read music or familiarity with music theory not required.
Folklore 3200
MUS 3018 History of Jazz
examines the musical, cultural, and historical aspects of jazz from the genre’s African roots and 19th century precursors to today. Through lectures, readings, and guided listening, students will develop an understanding of the diverse artistic practices and complex social history that have shaped the genre. The lives and achievements of influential artists will be explored in the context of ongoing racial injustice and inequity in the music industry and society more broadly.
Folklore 3618
MUS 3019 Popular Music Studies
will explore a number of genres in the historical development of world popular music and dance, along some of the following themes: the roles of race, class, gender, sexuality, age. and ability in popular music production and reception; processes and effects of mass media and technology in shaping genres and consumers' experience of them; and cross-cultural influences within and across national borders.
MUS 4002 Early Western Music and Living Musical Traditions
examines Early Western (Medieval to Baroque) performance practices in relation to living aural, flexi-notational, and improvisatory genres such as jazz.
MUS 4003 Special Topics in Musicologies
will be announced by the School of Music.
1 per semester
may only obtain a maximum of 3 credit hours
MUS 4004 Special Topics in Musicologies
will be announced by the School of Music.
2 per semester
may only obtain a maximum of 4 credit hours
MUS 4005 Special Topics in Musicologies
will be announced by the School of Music.
may only obtain a maximum of 6 credit hours
MUS 4040 Music and Culture
examines traditional music as an aspect of human behaviour in Western and non-European cultures. Examination of the functions and uses of music; folk- popular-art music distinctions; and the relation of style to content. Outside reading, class exercises and individual reports will be required.
Folklore 4440
completion of at least 24 credit hours of university course work
not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
MUS 4095 Graduating Essay
is directed study which will result in the production of an original paper dealing with a topic in musicologies (including but not limited to music history, ethnomusicology, and popular music studies). This course is restricted to Musicologies Majors. A one-page research proposal and sample bibliography of at least ten items must be submitted to the Dean by the end of the seventh week of classes in the previous semester.
AN = Additional notes. AR = Attendance requirement as noted. CH = Credit hours: unless otherwise noted, a course normally has a credit value of 3 credit hours. CO = Co-requisite(s): course(s) listed must be taken concurrently with or successfully completed prior to the course being described. CR = Credit restricted: The course being described and the course(s) listed are closely related but not equivalent. Credit is limited to one of these courses. Normally, these courses cannot be substituted, one for the other, to satisfy program requirements. EQ = Equivalent: the course being described and the course(s) listed are equal for credit determination. Credit is limited to one of these courses. These courses can be substituted, one for the other, to satisfy program requirements. |
LC = Lecture hours per week: lecture hours are 3 per week unless otherwise noted. LH = Laboratory hours per week. OR = Other requirements of the course such as tutorials, practical sessions, or seminars. PR = Prerequisite(s): course(s) listed must be successfully completed prior to commencing the course being described. UL = Usage limitation(s) as noted. |
The information on this site has been extracted from the Official 2024-2025 University Calendar. While every reasonable effort has been made to duplicate the information contained in the official University Calendar, if there are differences, the official Memorial University of Newfoundland Calendar will be considered the final and accurate authority.
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