Latin
American Music, MUSC 4892/5892; Spring, 2006
Dr. Brenda
Romero
email: Romerob@spot.colorado.edu;
Office Hours: Friday 10 12
& by appointment
Scope:
This
course focuses on the characteristics and intercultural
influences (or confluence) of music in selected Latin American
countries and
their diasporic influences in the United States. Because
this is an ethnomusicology course, discussions of an
interdisciplinary nature often revolve around the religious, political,
and
economic cultural contexts that affect musical production and
consumption. We study music of different
social
classes, from indigenous ritual music to Western Art (Classical) music
by Latin
American composers and much in-between.
Coursework
revolves around discussions of lecture materials and assigned readings,
as well
as video, audio, and guest presentations.
We also learn and perform a few songs in class.
Students are assigned a research project
and are encouraged to attend live local Latino musical events. Class attendance is important, as
grades will depend in part on how well students demonstrate mastery of
course
content in classroom discussions. This course provides an introduction
to music
throughout Latin America through a close examination of five large
musical
regions:
Brazil
Southern
Cone and the Andean Region
Central
America
Mexico
and the U.S. Southwest
Course
Objectives:
1)
To
introduce students to the musical processes set in motion through
culture
contact in Latin America;
2)
To
introduce students to the wide variety of musical styles within
countries and
across Latin American cultures, including the musical expressions of
Latinos in
the United States.
Required
text and CD:
Schechter,
John M. Music in Latin American
Culture, Regional Traditions. New
York: Schirmer, 1999 with accompanying CD.
Supplemental
readings are
taken from
a variety of sources listed within the course schedule as well as in
the
bibliography at the end of the syllabus.
Books and/or copies of readings are on reserve in the Music
Library. Supplemental CDs are available for library
listening and
checkout in the Music Library, which comprises the top floor at the
northwest
end of Imig.
Course
Requirements and Grading Procedures:
Attendance
and Participation (undergraduate 10%, graduates 5%)
Attendance
policy: Two unexcused absences are
allowed to
provide some flexibility for sickness, auditions, job interviews and
the
like. Absences are excused with a
doctor¹s note or other documentation. Each
unexcused absence after that will have a negative
impact, up to a maximum of 5% (undergraduates 10%) of your grade
(5
unexcused absences). It is YOUR
responsibility to follow up on handouts or announcements you miss.
Event
summary
(15%):
A
4 -5 page
summary of
your attendance at a current Latin American music event, with at least
three
research citations from class or other sources (10%).
This assignment may be turned in at any time, but no
later than April 21.
Midterm
examination (25%): March 22
Objective
questions and subjective essays testing your understanding of musical
cultures
of Latin America covered in class thus far.
Research
paper project and presentation (40%)
1.
Choose
a topic and submit a bibliography of at least 7 potential sources
(undergraduates), with a maximum of two websites (5%).
Graduate students must submit an
annotated bibliography of no fewer than 15 sources, of which only three
may be
websites (10%). Due
April 5
2.
Submit
an outline of the proposed paper along with the rough draft
(undergraduates15%;
graduates 10%). Due April 19
4.
8-minute
classroom performance and analysis (musical, textual, etc.) of a song
you
discussed in your paper during the final examination time (10%): 10:30
1
pm, Thursday, May 11
Summary:
MUSC
4892
Attendance/Participation:
10%
Recording
summary:
10%
Due
February 15
Midterm
Examination:
25%
March
22
Event
summary:
15%
Due
April 21
MUSC
5892
Attendance/Participation:
5%
Recording
summary:
10%
Due
February 15
Midterm
Examination:
25%
March
22
Event
summary:
15%
Due
April 21
Final
term paper/presentation
45%
Course
Schedule:
Jan.
18 - 23 Introduction:
What is
an ethnomusicological approach to the study of music?
Reading: Brenda
M. Romero.
"Profile of an Ethnomusicologist" for Garland
Encyclopedia of Music: General Music.
Volume 10
Chapter
1 from John Kaemmer¹s Music in Human Life, on reserve in Music Lib.
Jan.
25
Musical
instruments; Martí, Samuel. Instrumentos
Musicales Precortesianos.
Video: Latin
American Music;
Vinyl: Luis
Pérez, contemporary Mexican composer on pre-contact
instruments
Jan.
30
Organology
of aerophones among indigenous peoples (Dale Olsen, 2004)
Feb.
1
Discuss
Olsen readings
Olsen,
Dale. "Symbol and Function in
South American Indian Music" in Elizabeth May¹s Music of Many
Cultures.
Olsen,
Dale.²Notch Flutes of Life and Transcendence,² in Music
of El Dorado : The Ethnomusicology of Ancient South American Cultures, pp 36-60
Antonio Zepeda
and Ariel Ramírez
Feb.
13 - 15 Africans in the
Americas
Identity
issues
Video: Marre, Jeremy & Hannah
Charlton. "Roots, Rock,
Reggae"
Feb.
15
Recording
summaries due
Feb.
20
Discuss
Chapters 1 and 9 in your text
Feb.
22 - 27 Suya Indians,
Art
(Classical) Music, and Samba
Video: "Spirit of Samba, The Black
Music
of Brazil"
Mar.
1
Guest
artist João Junqueira
Mar. 6 - 8
Argentina,
Chile, Peru, and Ecuador: Art
Music, the Tango, Nueva canción, and
Panpipe ensembles.
Mar. 22
Midterm
Exam
Mar.
24
Video
Apr.
5
Special
guest: Jack Mudry, KUVO Radio Host
of ³La Nueva Voz²
Bibliographies
are due
Apr.
12
Guest
artist: Shireen (wear clothes comfortable to
dance in)
The
supplemental CDs through the rest of the semester, CDs 5 and 6, focus
on the
Globalization of Latin American Music
Gradante,
William. "'El Hijo del
Pueblo': José Alfredo
Jiménez and the Mexican
Canción
Ranchera"
The
Borderlands between Mexico and the U.S.
May 1
Video:
Paredes, Américo. "Songs of Border Conflict,"
and "Gregorio Cortez" text, from A
Texas-Mexican Cancionero: Folksongs of the Lower Border.
Herrera-Sobek, María. "Mothers, Lovers, and
Soldiers: Images of Woman in the
Mexican Corrido"