Transcription and Analysis of Non-Western Music – ETHM 600

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

Practice in the generative transcription and theoretical analysis of non-Western music systems, including etic and emic elements, systems of notation, and computer-assisted analysis.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course is intended to provide the student with the skills to begin to analyze the theoretical structures of non-Western music systems. The purpose is to enable the prospective ethnomusicologist to generate music compositions in the style of any people group that he/she may serve. This can become a key factor in developing music for the local church in missions.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to prompts for each discussion. Word count is not particularly important, but the first section should be approximately 300-400 words. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to classmates’ threads. These discussions are based on the course readings. Specific requirements are detailed in each discussion's prompt. In addition, students will request which article they wish to review for the Article Review Assignments in these discussions.

Peer-Review Discussions (5)

Peer-Review Discussions are collaborative learning experiences based on the transcription and analysis work that is done throughout the course. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to prompts for each discussion. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to classmates’ threads. A good reply could be at least 200 words. Specific requirements are detailed in each discussion's prompt.

Written Response Assignments (4)

The student will compose responses to questions pertaining to some of the assigned reading in the course.

Transcription and Analysis Assignments (4)

Transcription and analysis work is a regular part of skill development in ethnomusicology. This course utilizes a range of assignments that involve transcription and analysis. Specific requirements are detailed in the Transcriptions and Analyses Instructions document.

Note: The Transcription and Analysis Summary Sheets Group Assignment will require students to work together to divide a list of songs that need to be transcribed. Students should communicate early in the term to determine which songs to transcribe, in order to ensure they maximize their time and attention on the songs they wish to transcribe on as many assignments as possible. 

Article Review Assignments (2)

The student will write reviews in current Turabian format that focuses on the assigned journal articles. Each review must be 700–900 words and be submitted to the appropriate discussion, in order to share the student's review with his/her peers. The assigned journal articles will be determined by students requesting which article they wish to review on the previous module's discussion. Additional information, as well as links to all the potential articles for the review, are provided in the course. 

Final Project Assignment

The Final Project Assignment is the culminating assignment of the course, combining work in both transcription and analysis. Details are available in the Final Project Assignment Instructions document.