MUS 1130 - Music from the Margins

Credits: 4
After a general introduction as to how we distinguish between what we perceive as noise and what we perceive as music, we focus on the regions of the world that politically or geographically have not necessarily been the center of scholarly attention, yet culturally and musically have had a great impact on the entire human civilization. We learn how it is possible for a nation or ethnic group to identify itself with a strong music culture when it is facing difficulties defining its status in history or the larger society. We also learn how these subcultures become successful, giving the marginalized population greater expression and agency, and impacting the world of music. Examples include African-American blues and R&B, traditional Hungarian Roma (“Gypsy”) music, Argentine Tango, and Australian aboriginal traditional music.

This course is offered at the Budapest campus.
McDaniel Plan: Multicultural