COURSE PROPOSAL

INTRO TO CREATIVITY IN MULTICULTURAL MUSIC

Katy Ho Weatherly

1. Overview

This course will provide an opportunity for students to study music from other cultures. This
course will provide relevant multicultural musical experiences for students through multiple
aspects and lenses. This course will be offered for 2-3 credits for all music major students and
non major students.

2. Course’s Goals and Objectives

This course will provide multicultural musical experiences through listening, watching, reading,
analyzing, creating and performing. We encourage students from diverse backgrounds to share and
make music from their own cultures. By learning about other cultures, students are able to learn
more about themselves in relation to this greater diversity. Through multicultural music studies,
students will be able to expand their repertoire and broaden their horizons. By the end of the course,
students will be able to relate and create music with multiple lenses and cultures.

General Objectives:
 Share and respect for one’s own culture
 Learn and respect for the cultures of others
 Encourage the development of a cross-cultural and collaborative community

Musical Objectives:
 Appreciate different cultures through music listening and creative projects
 Be able to expand your music repertoire
 Develop students’ creativities through multicultural music

3. Requirements and Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course. Music students are required to enroll this course,
while non music major students are encouraged to enroll if they have a strong interest in
multicultural music and be willing to share music from their own cultures. Knowing how to play
an instrument is not necessary in this course. A diverse student body group will enrich the
experience of the class.

4. Catalogue Description

Students will gain multicultural musical experiences through multiple lenses and creative projects.
This is a required course for music major students but opened to other students as well. Music
major students will have to take this course for 3-credits while the other students have the option
to choose this as a 2-credits elective course to fulfill the diversity requirement of the college.
 5. Syllabus

Week 1: Tribal Music in North America

In-class Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoQxa-GUggg

Readings: Parthun, P. (1976). Tribal Music in North America. Music Educators

Journal, 62(5), 32-45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3394976

Group Discussion: What is your own music? Or music from your culture?

Next class: Bring in and share music that is African-influenced

Week 2: Music from Africa and African-influenced cultures

Readings: Parker, B. (2008). Art, Culture and Authenticity in South African Music /
Umjetnost, kultura i autentičnost u južnoafričkoj glazbi. International Review of the
Aesthetics and Sociology of Music,39(1), 57-71. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25487539

Discussion: Sharing of the music – music that is African-influenced. Discussion follows.

Project 1: Find a music that reflect your identity (does not limit to only music in your
own culture), write a short paper and be ready to share in class in week 4.

Week 3: Music in China & The Culture of Karaoke Music

Readings: Lam, J. (2011). Music and Masculinities in Late Ming China. Asian
Music, 42(2), 112-134. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41307915

Adam Yuet Chau. (2006). Drinking Games, Karaoke Songs, and "Yangge" Dances:
Youth Cultural Production in Rural China. Ethnology, 45(2), 161-172.
doi:10.2307/4617572

In-class discussion: What is pentatonic scales? How to create music through pentatonic
scales?

Group Work 1: Using pentatonic to create a short passage of music with your group
members, record it and due in week 6. (Non major students will be provided with orff
xylophones)

Week 4: Tuvan and Mongolian Throat-Singing and Epics

 Readings: Sunmin Yoon. (2014). The Contemporary Soundscape of Nomadic
Mongolia. World Literature Today, 88(5), 7-7. doi:10.7588/worllitetoda.88.5.0007

Special Artist will be invited to come in for a demonstration and we all try it out.

Week 5: Song in South India, Bollywood, and the Indian Music Industry

In class listening: Top 5 Bollywood Dance Songs | [Traditional Hits] | JukeBox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBAj4nbdLEU

Readings: Sarrazin, N. (2006). India's Music: Popular Film Songs in the

Classroom. Music Educators Journal, 93(1), 26-32. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3693427

Discussion: Music industry nowadays: what do you see daily? What is the trend? What is
new? What is old?

Week 6: Music and Migration: Roma “Gypsy” Traditions

Readings: Lange, B. (1997). Hungarian Rom (Gypsy) Political Activism and the
Development of Folklór Ensemble Music. The World of Music,39(3), 5-30. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41699162

Discussion: Politics & Music. What do you notice? What do you understand?

DUE Project 2: Share your group pentatonic composition in the class and be ready to
discuss

Week 7: Ewe Dance-Drumming Workshop

Special Artist will come in for demonstration and hold a workshop for students.

Group Work 2: Create a Ewe Dance-Drumming-inspired composition. Present in class

with your group in week 9.

Week 8: Japan and Korea: Traditional musical elements

In class listening: Japan Shamisen Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k0wyAIkPhM

Korean Traditional Music (Part Six)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZZtzYD2MK8

In class discussion: Similarities & Differences

Week 9: Music and Movement: Bharata Natyam

Special Artist will come in for demonstration and we will also try!

Readings: Yodh, M. (1988). Bharata Natyam: Dance and Identity. The Massachusetts
Review, 29(4), 673-676. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2509004

DUE Group Work 2: Presentation of the Ewe Dance-Drumming-inspired composition

Week 10: Documenting Music Cultures

Readings: Chrispo, C. (2002). Music Video as a Constituency for Research in

Contemporary African Music. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music
Education, (153/154), 114-118. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40319150

Discussion: How do you documenting music cultures? Why?

FINAL PROJECT: [option 1] Video/Audio documenting a music culture you find

around you. For those who take 3-credits ONLY: write a 8-10 pages double-space paper
about the music culture you pick. Due in week 12.

[option 2] Perform a music culture that can represent you, either in singing, dancing,
performing on the instruments, etc... For those who take 3-credits ONLY: write a 8-10
pages double-space paper about the music culture you pick.

Week 11: Colonial Australian Music

In class listening: Australian aborigines | Australian aboriginal music | Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1pDPuetPdg

Readings: Hort, D. (1970). Colonial Australian Music. Music & Letters, 51(4), 472-473.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/731510

Discussion: Commonalities & differences from other cultures that we covered in this
semester? End of semester wrap up.

Week 12: Final Performances & Sharing

DUE: Sharing of Final Project

Discussion
End of semester pizza party! 
DUE: Final Paper (for 3-credits students)
 6. Assignments:

Project 1:
Find music (with audio or visual recording) that reflects your identity (not limited to only music
in your own culture), write a short paper (2-3 pages, double space) and be ready to share in class
in week 4.

Group Work 1:
Using pentatonic tonality to create a short composition with your group members, record it and
due in week 6. (Non major students will be provided with Orff xylophones)
The composition should be at least 2 minutes long.

Group Work 2:
Create a Ewe Dance-Drumming-inspired composition. Present in class with your group in week
9. The dance/drumming composition should be at least 3 minutes long.

FINAL PROJECT:
[option 1] Video/Audio documenting a music culture you find around you. For those who take 3-
credits ONLY: write a 8-10 pages double-space paper about the music culture you pick. Due in
week 12.

[option 2] Perform a piece of music from a music culture that can represent you, either in
singing, dancing, performing on the instruments, etc. For those who take 3-credits ONLY: write
a 8-10 page, double-spaced paper about the music culture you pick.

Video/Audio/Performance requirement:
An original video recording of your performance about 3 – 6 minutes long.

Paper requirement:
Music of your choice – What music or performance did you choose?
Narrative/story – Why did you choose this?
Historical background – What do you know about this music? Cite any references used.
Reflection – what did you learn about yourselves and others through music?
References

Bibliography:
Readings from (these will be provided to you all in pdf files):

Chrispo, C. (2002). Music Video as a Constituency for Research in Contemporary African

Music. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, (153/154), 114-118.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40319150

Hort, D. (1970). Colonial Australian Music. Music & Letters, 51(4), 472-473. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/731510

Lam, J. (2011). Music and Masculinities in Late Ming China. Asian Music, 42(2), 112-134.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41307915

Lange, B. (1997). Hungarian Rom (Gypsy) Political Activism and the Development of Folklór
Ensemble Music. The World of Music,39(3), 5-30. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41699162

Parker, B. (2008). Art, Culture and Authenticity in South African Music / Umjetnost, kultura i
autentičnost u južnoafričkoj glazbi. International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of
Music,39(1), 57-71. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25487539

Parthun, P. (1976). Tribal Music in North America. Music Educators Journal, 62(5), 32-45.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3394976

Sarrazin, N. (2006). India's Music: Popular Film Songs in the Classroom. Music Educators
Journal, 93(1), 26-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3693427

Sunmin Yoon. (2014). The Contemporary Soundscape of Nomadic Mongolia. World Literature
Today, 88(5), 7-7. doi:10.7588/worllitetoda.88.5.0007

Yodh, M. (1988). Bharata Natyam: Dance and Identity. The Massachusetts Review, 29(4), 673-
676. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2509004
 7. Evaluation

Project 1 - 10%

Group Work 1 – 20%

Group Work 2 – 20%

FINAL PROJECT – 40%

Class Participation/Attendance – 10%

Total: 100%