Honors Seminars Fall 2012

Music of East Asia is the study of music traditions within cultural and social contexts in China and Korea. Through readings and guided listening to both recorded and live music, students will develop an understanding of the components of these music-cultures and the ways in which tradition and change, identity and hegemony, belief systems and patterns of social interaction are encoded and made manifest in musical practices. Musical institutions and forms of expression will be studied in relationship to important historical events and the religious and political philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Shinto, Maoism, and Industrial Capitalism and globalization. Students will prepare reading and listening assignments for weekly class meetings. Outside of class meetings, students will attend several motion pictures and concerts. In addition to two short textbooks, articles will be placed on library reserve. Each of the two large units (China, Korea) will culminate either in a test or a writing assignment that will demonstrate mastery of the material.