A study of music in selected Asian cultures. Although the study will examine both the social context and technical aspects of music in Asian cultures, the program has a broad humanistic perspective and may be studied without musical prerequisites. Within a comparative approach to music of different Asian cultures, there will be a focus upon the relationship of music to religion, dance, literature and rituals within one specific Asian culture. The course will include a systematic, historical and ethnographic survey of the principles of ethnomusicology, its prominent writers and theories. Students also participate in a weekly music workshop which develops their inter-cultural understanding through the experience of playing and singing music from oral cultures.

1. understand the structure of the course and its requirements;
2. demonstrate a basic understanding of the Central Javanese Gamelan;
3. demonstrate cultural protocol necessary for gamelan performance;
4. perform and demonstrate knowledge of set gamelan works or perform and demonstrate knowledge of set choral works;
5. recognize set works, their cultures, and if relevant, their composers;
6. describe the cultural context and function of each set work;
7. describe particular sound sources and how the sound is produced;
8. describe musical ideas and techniques (eg use of timbre, melody, rhythm, harmony, tempo, dynamics);
9. show how individual compositions are organized;
10. present information about one Asian musical culture in a well prepared oral presentation;
11. identify and critically examine key issues arising in Asian musics;
12. present one piece of approved, written research on Asian music;
13. identify relevant resources within the university and the wider community.

Listening test (30%); tutorial presentations and paper (30%); and gamelan ensemble (40%).

One hour lecture, one hour tutorial and one hour workshop per week.

Miller, Terry and Shahriari, Andrew.  2006.  World Music.  A Global Journey.  London and New York.  Routledge.  Includes two compact discs containing listening material for the course. 

Supplementary texts:

Miller, Terry and Williams, Sean (eds).  1998.  Garland Encyclopaedia of World Music.  Volume 4.  South East Asia.  London and New York.  Routledge.

Arnold, Alison (ed).  2000.  Garland Encyclopaedia of World Music.  Volume 5.  The Indian Subcontinent.  London and New York.  Routledge.

Provine, Robert, Yoshihiko Tomumaru and Witzeben, J Lawrence (eds).  2002.  Garland Encyclopaedia of World Music.  Volume 7.  East Asia: China, Japan and Korea.  London and New York.  Routledge.

Hast, Dorothea, Cowdery, James R and Scott, Stan.  1999.  Exploring the World of Music.  Kendall Hunt.  Iowa.