Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Applied Techniques of Ethnomusicology
Code: 43190Credits: 10
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Musicology, Musical Education and Interpretation of Early Music | OP | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Rafael Caro Repetto
- Email :
- rafael.caro@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Jaume Ayats Abeya
- Cristina Gonzalez Martin
- Mauricio Rey Garegnani
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
In this course we study the most current methodologies of ethnomusicology from an eminently applied perspective, with particular interest in its relationship with education. Therefore, students are expected to have a basic knowledge of this discipline, both of its theoretical and methodological principles, of the general terminology for musicological discussion, and competence in the critical analysis of academic texts and projects related to ethnomusicology and music education. Students are also required to have a basic knowledge of music theory and experience with music practice.
Proficiency in Catalan and Spanish is recomended for reading academic texts, using audiovisual resources in this language, and participating in possible activities led by international guests.
Objectives
- Consolidate fundamental knowledge of the discipline of ethnomusicology, including its main theoretical principles, epistemological aims, and methodological tools
- Become familiar with current trends in ethnomusicological research, their main thematic axes and the techniques used
- Understand the interrelations between ethnomusicology and education, considering how the knowledge acquired can be applied in educational contexts to promote a better understanding and appreciation of music as a phenomenon
- Apply current ethnomusicological techniques to one's own research
- Analyze musical situations, practices, and experiences from different cultures, using the theoretical and methodological frameworks of current ethnomusicology
- Participate in academic debates related to current ethnomusicology, defending one's own positions with rigor and well-founded arguments
- Design an ethnomusicological research proposal applied to one's own field of research
Learning outcomes
- Music systems relate to their contexts of production and reception
- Discern distinctive features of various musical cultures
- Adapt the results of contextual analysis to different social realities involved in contemporary musical practice in relation to early music.
- Mastering historiographical analysis tools adapted to ethnomusicological study
- Transmitting oral and written musicological, educational and interpretive aspects of the projects.
- Working in interdisciplinary contexts related to musicology, music education and interpretation.
- Apply critical capacity in musicological research projects and interpretive projects.
- Propose innovative projects proposed in musicological research and interpretive projects.
- Develop the capacity to assess sex and gender inequalities in order to design solutions to them.
- Recognise the dimension of sex and gender present in the socio-cultural contexts studied.
Contents
Below are the main thematic blocks covered in the course. The specific definition of the topics to be studied will depend on current academic developments, the interests of students and faculty, and the possibility of inviting international specialists in a particular subject. The final syllabus, as well as its sequencing by class session, will be detailed in the course space on the Virtual Campus.
- Fundamental concepts of ethnomusicology and introduction to the world's main musical regions
- Relationships between ethnomusicology, music didactics, and music education in general
- Ethnomusicology and digital humanities; computational tools for ethnomusicology
- Musical practice as a research tool (practical session at the Museu de la Música, conditions permitting)
- Current approaches to gender studies in ethnomusicology
- The study of movement and dance, introduction to ethnochoreology and its relationship with ethnomusicology
- Ethnography in virtual space and social media
- Ecomusicology: the sustainability of musical practices and their impact on the social and natural environment
- Other approaches that could be considered: historical ethnomusicology; postcolonialism and decolonialism; migration, diaspora, and hybridization; ethnomusicology and indigenous peoples; etc.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical exercises | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Carrying out an individual project | 50 | 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Office hours on the individual project | 7 | 0.28 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Studying the course content | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Lectures | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Reading texts and preparing materials | 60 | 2.4 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 |
| Discussions and group activities | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
The learning objectives and outcomes proposed for this course are achieved through the development of both theoretical and practical learning activities.
Theoretical activities are of three types. First, lectures given by the course's teaching staff, as well as, when possible, by invited international faculty. Second, reading and study of key texts for each of the defined thematic blocks. Finally, activities involving the preparation of materials and discussion in class and on the Virtual Campus about the theoretical content of each thematic block.
Regarding practical activities, the main one will be carried out through an individual project, in which students will design an ethnomusicological research proposal applied to their own field of research. The results of this project are submitted in the form of a written paper and an oral presentation, which is then discussed with the rest of the students. Besides this project, several practical activities related to each thematic block are proposed. When conditions permit, musical practice activities related to the thematic blocks of the course are also proposed.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-class and Campus Virtual assessment activities | 25% | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Oral presentation and discussion of the individual project | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Written exam | 25% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| Writing and submission of a written paper on the individual project | 30% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
Continuous assessment
Assessment activities
The assessment activities are related to the theoretical and practical content of the course. The activities assessing theoretical content are grouped into the following two categories:
- Participation in material-preparation activities and discussions, both in class and on the virtual campus, which accounts for 25% of the final grade
- Written test on theoretical content, which accounts for 25% of the final grade
The assessment activities on practical content are related to an individual project designing an ethnomusicological research proposal applied to one's own field of research. These activities are grouped into the following two categories:
- Completion and submission of a written paper on the project, which accounts for 30% of the final grade
- Oral presentation and discussion of the project, which accounts for 20% of the final grade
The date and details of these assessment activities will be published in the course space on the Virtual Campus.
Passing the written test and submitting the written paper are indispensable requirements for passing the course.
Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items.
Review
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students, through the course space on the Virtual Campus, of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Resit
In order to be eligible for the resit, students must have taken the written test, submitted the written paper, and given the oral presentation. However, only the written test and the written paper are eligible for resit.
Single assessment
This course does not allow a single assessment.
Irregularities (plagiarism/fraud)
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This subject allows the use of AI technologies as an integral part of the submitted work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection.The student must clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity.
Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
Bibliography
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Barz, Gregory F., and Timothy J. Cooley, eds. 2008. Shadows in the Field: New Perspectives for Fieldwork in Ethnomusicology. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Software
In the thematic block on computational tools for ethnomusicology, Sonic Visualiser (https://www.sonicvisualiser.org/) is used, along with the optional use of Praat (https://praat.org/), for audio file analysis. Optionally, MuseScore (https://musescore.org/) is recommended for score editing, Reaper (https://www.reaper.fm/) for audio editing, and DaVinci Resolve (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve) for video editing.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | second semester | afternoon |