1MUS 202

Thinking about Music

Spring 2015

Margaret Sarkissian
304 Sage Hall (585-3198); email: msarkiss@smith.edu
Office hours: Tu, Th 1:30-2:30, or by appointment
This course explores different approaches to the study of music as a cultural phenomenon. Through indepth reading, class discussion, and collaborative fieldwork, we will study the institutions of music
(concerts, music schools, ensembles, etc.) and the varied practices of music making (classical/nonclassical, amateur/professional, etc.) in order to understand the musical worlds around us and to discover
what they tell us about the societies in which we live. We will also consider basic questions such as: Why
is music so central to our most profound personal and social experiences? Why is music a fundamental
means of connecting with our own lives, our communities, and the wider world in which we live?
Required texts
1. Christopher Small, Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening (Hanover & London:
Wesleyan University Press, 1998).
2. Bruno Nettl, Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music (Urbana
& Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1995).
3. Ruth Finnegan, The Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town (Middletown, CT:
Wesleyan University Press, 2007).
4. Thomas Turino, Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation (Chicago & London: The
University of Chicago Press, 2008).
Other reading material
1. Mina Yang, Planet Beethoven: Classical Music at the Turn of the Millennium (Middletown, CT:
Wesleyan University Press, 2014). You will read designated chapters from this book, but do not
need to purchase it. A link to the e-book is available on our class Moodle site.
Course requirements
1. Active participation (20%)
It is your responsibility to be an active participant in this course. This means that you should
attend all classes and designated events, complete assignments before class, arrive on time prepared to
engage in discussion, and participate in online discussions of readings after class. Some assignments will
require attendance at evening performances or fieldwork in the community.
While active participation is, of course, hard to quantify, I will suggest the following basis: you
will begin with a potential active participation grade of B; demonstrated engagement with the readings
and regular constructive contributions to class discussions will improve your grade; absence, disruptive
behavior, or lack of participation will count against your grade; 3 late arrivals will count as 1 absence.
Remember that a) you cannot participate if you are not in class and b) attendance alone does not
constitute active participation; if you have difficulty speaking up in class or engaging in online forums,
talk to me privately about this early in the semester.
Required events: Music in Deerfield (Sweeney Concert Hall, Saturday, Feb. 7, pre-concert talk at
7 pm and concert at 8 pm); Jerry Noble and Friends (SCH, Sunday, Feb. 15, 3 pm); Othello in the
Seraglio (SCH, Thursday, Apr. 9, 8 pm). These events are free. Other events will be posted on the Moodle
calendar as they arise. Be sure to check this calendar regularly and arrange your schedules accordingly. If

you have an unavoidable scheduling conflict with a required event, talk to me well in advance.
2. Moodle forums (20%)
Each of our texts will have a forum on Moodle. These forums will become an extension of class
discussions and each of you should contribute regularly. I expect your primary posts to be thoughtful and
timely responses to assigned readings and class discussionsa couple of well-developed paragraphs
submitted before or soon after the class in question. In addition, you can also add comments to what your
classmates say, thus creating an interactive conversation. I may also join the conversation, probably once
a number of you have had your say, but everyone should participate and everyone is expected to read all
posts. The quality, regularity, and timeliness of your forum posts and comments will determine your
grade. Two primary posts per forum will earn you a base grade of B; greater constructive engagement in
the forums will increase your grade for this portion of the course.
2. Short essays (40%)
There will be four 5-page essays assigned over the course of the semester. Each essay will engage
in some way with one of our four class texts. Detailed instructions will be handed out in class. Essays are
due on the following dates: 2/23, 3/13, 4/13, and 5/7.
3. Project Activities (20%)
There will be projects/activities linked to our texts that require limited out-of-class field research.
Each will be carefully mapped out in class ahead of time, but heres a quick preview: Project 1 (to be
completed by February 23) will involve comparing musical performances of different genres and/or in
different spaces. Project 2 will involve getting to know what happens in Sage Hall. Project 3 will generate
a collaborative ethnographic study of amateur music making in Northampton. The latter will involve
fieldwork in small teams, observing rehearsals, collecting various kinds of data, and presentation/analysis
of your findings in the form of a collaborative website that we will share with our interlocutors.
Ground rules
In the classroom
Your attendance every day is extremely important, not only for the sake of your own learning but
because others in the class value your input and will occasionally need you for cooperative activities.
Therefore, if you must miss class for some unavoidable reason, I would appreciate the courtesy of
advance notice.
Please observe basic classroom etiquette for the smooth running of this class: dont come to class
late; dont bring any food or drink into classrooms; dont leave class in the middle for a bathroom break
(emergencies excepted); dont conduct private conversations; and do be sure that your phone is turned off.
Texting in class is not acceptable behavior. Your occasional guests are welcome, but please introduce
them to me before class.
I generally do not like students bringing laptops to class because it affects the ambience of the
class and creates a barrier between you, the other members of the class, and me that is not conducive to
creating an engaged discussion space. If there is a valid reason why you need a laptop, please discuss this
with me early in the semester. Under no circumstances is it acceptable to use Facebook, email, or any
social networking site on your laptop or mobile device during class time. Anybody caught doing so will
be asked to leave the class.
Grades and grading

Some information from the Smith College Faculty Code may be of interest to you. Article 53b
defines grades of A as excellent and B as good; no one should construe B grades as insulting. Article
52c says: no excuses for lack of preparation . . . on account of the demands of other courses shall be
accepted. Sometimes Im nicer than the Faculty Code, especially if you talk to me in advance about
scheduling and other difficulties.
I am perfectly happy to discuss paper comments with you, but request that you take 24 hours to
think about my comments carefully before you make an appointment to talk to me. Your final grade will
be calculated as follows:

Active classroom participation

Moodle forums
4 short essays
Project/activity work

20%
20%
40%
20%

All assignments must be submitted by the dates and times indicated unless you and I have agreed
to an extension in advance because of documented illness or other exceptional circumstances. Any
problems should be discussed with me well ahead of deadlines. Late work will be penalized by a grade
deduction per each day late. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.
Finding me
I am very happy to see you during office hours, which are listed at the top of this syllabus. I
would like to see each one of you at least once during the semester, so drop by even if you dont have a
particular question. You may also e-mail me (msarkiss@smith.edu) as often as you like (although please
note that I do not answer e-mails at night, so do not expect messages sent in the wee hours to be returned
until a civilized hour of the morning). I prefer e-mail to the telephone as a quick and convenient form of
communication, so be sure to check yours frequently for messages. In particular, use e-mail to ask me for
an appointment outside office hours; its difficult for me to make appointments in class since I dont carry
my calendar with me.
I generate emails via Moodle so if your listed email is not your primary address, be sure to set up
mail forwarding and check your mail at least once a day, in case I have sent any information to you or the
whole class. It is not my responsibility to track you down in cyberspace.
And finally
The outline and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating
circumstances.
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations
must make these known by the end of the second week of the term. All discussions will remain
confidential, although the Disabilities Office may be consulted to for further information or guidance.

WELCOME TO THE COURSE!

******

OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

Be sure you have done the appropriate reading ahead of class. You need to own the material; the
success of each class depends on what you bring to the table. Silence may be golden, but it wont help
your grade or the critical exploration of ideas necessary for this course. I expect all of you to participate
regularly in class discussion and Moodle forums. Remember, we dont all think alike; constructive
dialogue and respectful disagreement are important features of the learning processes.
Short viewing or listening assignments may be added, so be sure to check Moodle regularly for any
changes to this schedule.
1/27

Course introduction

1/29

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening, 1

Read: Small, Prelude and Chapters 1-3, pp. 1-49
Yang, Interlude 4, The Digital Concert Hall, pp. 137-144 (link on Moodle to e-book)

2/3

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening, 2

Read: Small, Interlude 1 and Chapters 4-6, pp. 50-93

2/5

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening. 3

Read: Small, Interlude 2 and Chapters 7-8, pp. 94-129

2/10

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening, 4

Read: Small, Interlude 3 and Chapters 9-10, pp. 130-168

2/12

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening, 5

Read: Small, Chapters 11-13, pp. 169-206

2/17

Musicking: The Meanings of Performance and Listening, 6

Read: Small, Postlude
Yang, Chapter 6, El Sistema, L.A., pp. 145-165

2/19

Small Reflections/Nettl Preview

Bring your reflections on Musicking to class

Due date! 2/23 (Monday): Essay no. 1: 5-page paper due by 4:30
Papers should be left in my mailbox in Sage Green Room (ground floor lounge)
2/24

Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music, 1

Read: Nettl, Introduction and Chapter 1, pp. 1-42

2/26

Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music, 2

Read: Nettl, Chapter 2, pp. 42-81

3/3

Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music, 3

Read: Nettl, Chapter 3, pp. 82-111

3/5

Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music, 4

Read: Nettl, Chapter 4 and Afterword, pp. 112-146

3/10

Nettl Reflections/Finnegan Preview

Bring your reflections on Heartland Excursions to class

3/12

Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town, 1

Read: Finnegan, Preface, Chapters 1-3, and Appendix, pp. 1-30 and 342-47.

Due date! 3/13 (Friday): Essay no. 2: 5-page paper due by 4:30
Papers should be left in my mailbox in Sage Green Room (ground floor lounge)
SPRING BREAK (3/17, 3/19)
3/24

Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town, 2

Read: Finnegan, Chapters 4-10, pp. 31-130

3/26

NO CLASS
Hidden Musicians Project work

3/31

Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town, 3

Read: Finnegan, Chapters 11-14, pp. 131-190

4/2

Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town, 4

Read: Finnegan, Chapters 15-20, pp. 191-294

4/7

Hidden Musicians: Music-Making in an English Town, 5

Read: Finnegan, Chapters 21-22, pp. 295-341

4/9

Finnegan Reflections/Turino Preview

Bring your reflections on Hidden Musicians to class
Northampton Hidden Musicians Project progress reports

Due date! 4/13 (Monday): Essay no. 3: 5-page paper due by 4:30
Papers should be left in my mailbox in Sage Green Room (ground floor lounge)
4/14

Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 1

Read: Turino, Preface and Chapter 1, pp. xv-xvi and 1-22

4/16

Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 2

Read: Turino, Chapters 2-3, pp. 23-92

4/21

Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 3

Read: Turino, Chapter 4, pp. 93-121

4/23

Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 4

Read: Turino, Chapters 5-6, pp. 122-188

4/28

Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation, 5

Read: Turino, Chapters 7-8, pp. 189-234

4/30

Turino Reflections/Course Reflections

Bring your reflections on Music as Social Life, the course, and your own musical worlds to class

Due date! 5/7 (Thursday): Essay no. 4: 5-page paper due by 4:30
Papers should be left in my mailbox in Sage Green Room (ground floor lounge)