FYP 1001.25: First Year Seminar I: Relating Music to the History of Ideas

Professor Mel Comberiati

This freshman seminar will engage students in listening to musical works from various style periods and where applicable pair them with texts and/or discussion of religious, social and political events and their implications. The principal concern of the course is European classical music and its representations in the United States. The main work of the course will be learning how to listen to the works in a meaningful context, including cultural background, insightful musical considerations, and for aesthetic appreciation.

Students should be prepared to demonstrate their comprehension of the material in two quizzes on basic music materials given at the conclusion of Chapters 3 and 5, and in three essays which will take the place of in class exams. Within each essay, the student is to address the science, function, social context and aesthetic of the music and relate these considerations to the reading materials drawn from the on line sources. First, we will develop an aesthetic of music based on experience, pleasure, family taste or peer pressure.  With study, we will refine this and develop a language to explain or defend our choices. After completion of each essay, students will be asked to reflect on the work they have completed. Each assignment is linked to a subfolder on the Digication template with prompts for the reflection writing. The assignment is considered incomplete without the reflection.