Throughout history and across cultures, music has always been associated with the numinous from Gregorian chant to Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. But the notion of the spiritual also inspires musical responses ranging from the rhapsodic improvisations of John Coltrane through to the shakuhachi meditations of Zen monks. This course explores the profound relationship between music and spirituality, and asks whether this the basis for music’s universality? Learning and teaching activities will include lectures and tutorials.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. describe the interrelationships between music and spirituality from several theoretical perspectives
2. Summarise central issues and themes on music religion and spirituality and present these themes coherently
3. Apply concepts from the course in a practical field work context
4. Evaluate and synthesise both ethnographic material and secondary material in relation to the relationship between music and religious practices and beliefs
5. Think, write and argue key concepts relating to the role of music and its function in spiritual and religious experiences.
6. Articulate clearly both through writing and discussion, the main issues that lie at the heart of music as a tool for religious and spiritual experiences.

1. Individual learning journal  – weekly entries on tutorial exercises and  individual contribution to group research project (30%) [Learning Outcomes 2,3,5,6].

2. Group research project: Choose one of the many religious groups in Canberra and complete a field study of the role of music within this religious group. Your research will be done through observation, dialogue, and interviews in order to produce a 20 minute podcast. (30%) [learning outcomes 1, 3-6]).

3. Individual 2000 word essay on a topic to do with music and spirituality:  (40%) (Assess as learning outcomes 1,2,5, 6).

130 hours of total student learning time made up from:

a) 36 hours of contact:

1. 26 hours of lectures (one per week or intensive)
2. 10 hours of tutorial/feedback

b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing

Nil

None

.