Listed in: Music, as MUSI-344
Jeffers L. Engelhardt (Section 01)
How can I participate in the conversations about music and sound I am studying? This seminar creates space for students to answer that question by experiencing a range of music and sound research in the context of the liberal arts. Our focus is on students developing research projects that can lead to thesis work, summer fellowship and internship opportunities, and other new directions in their intellectual and artistic lives. In the spirit of music as a liberal art, we will engage with research oriented toward learning about what is possible in performance and creation, understanding sound and style through analysis, and using historical and ethnographic methods to interpret music's social significance. And in the same spirit of music as a liberal art, we will explore how music and sound afford innovative approaches to research in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. As a community, students will work with visiting scholars and artists, research staff at the Frost Library, publishing and media professionals, and Amherst College graduates at developing research projects aligned with their intellectual and artistic interests, experimenting with research methodologies, and communicating their research in accessible ways to diverse audiences. Throughout this seminar, we will maintain critical interest in how issues of representation and inclusion shape research in music and sound—what gets researched, and who is able to do that research? Seminar work will be varied, moving from reading, listening, and discussion to writing and media workshops, mini-conferences, and opportunities for peer feedback. Ultimately, students will craft research proposals and produce early-stage research that are useful beyond the frame of the seminar itself, seeding future work at Amherst College and beyond. Fulfills either the departmental seminar requirement or the comprehensive exam requirement for the major.
Not open to first-year students. Fall semester. Professor Engelhardt.
Section 01
M 12:00 PM - 01:20 PM ARMU 102
W 12:00 PM - 01:20 PM ARMU 102