Last update: David Verbuč, M.A., Ph.D. (07.09.2023)
Course description: In this course, students explore the interrelationship between music and place/space through a variety of topics and theoretical perspectives, such as anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, popular music studies, cultural geography, and critical theory. Place can be seen either as a material surrounding (architectural or geographical) that enables and informs music and music performance (i.e., music in place), or as a discursive entity that is represented in or evoked through music (i.e., place in music). This particular approach allows students to examine music in relation to a variety of place/space-related topics that include (1) history, and types of music venues (classical, popular, ‘do-it-yourself’), and how music venues affect music sounds, music cultures, and social spaces associated with them; (2) interrelation of music sounds and genres with particular physical environments (forest, city), and geographical places (local, regional, and national sounds; urban vs suburban; transnational/global soundscapes); (3) relation between place, music, identity, and politics; (4) technologically produced soundscapes; (5) music’s ability to take the listeners into imaginary and ‘other’ spaces (e.g., music exoticism, music and outer space); (6) and music’s relations to borders and movement. Central concepts of the course framing many of these different topics will be: (a) social and sonic production/construction of space, and (b) relation between sound-space-society. Classes are based on class discussions of assigned readings, listening examples, and documentary films, and incorporate case studies associated with a variety of Western and non-Western music cultures. We will also go on one soundwalk through Prague (with well-known Czech musician and scholar Pavla Jonssonova). Students have to submit weakly reading/writing assignments, conduct an ethnographic research of one music venue/space, and submit a final paper.
