MUSA335-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017

Philosophy of Music

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2017
End Date: Sunday, 19 November 2017
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 28 July 2017
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 13 October 2017

Description

A study of the central ideas in the philosophy of music in the western tradition from Plato to Hanslick.

MUSI 335 provides students with an understanding of the history of musical thought from Antiquity to the early 20th century, focusing on the writings of key thinkers from Plato to Hanslick.  It covers issues such as the connection between music and ethics, music and mathematics, music and language, and emotions in music.  The course provides students with a rigorous introduction to the working with original philosophical texts, and situates these texts within the wider historical, cultural, and musical context.

Lectures will cover the following topics:
*  Music, ethics, and education in the writings of Plato
*  Music and Metaphysics in Classical Greece, Late Antiquity, and the Renaissance
*  Aristotelian views on music and their influence in the Renaissance
*  Nature, language, and expression in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
*  Eighteenth-century controversies about music as an imitative art
*  Romantic ideology and metaphysics
*  Musical formalism in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries

Learning Outcomes

*  Describe the development of key trends and issues in the history of musical thought.
*  Describe key concepts in the philosophy of music.
*  Discuss philosophical ideas related to music, including the connection between music and ethics, and the relationship between music and language, number, and emotion.
*  Critically evaluate primary source documents, including original philosophical texts.
*  Access and critically analyse scholarly literature relevant to the philosophy of music.
*  Conduct research on a topic relevant to the philosophy of music.
*  Present arguments in writing and orally, using appropriate scholarly language.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

*  Information literacy skills:  the ability to search for relevant information to research topics using bibliographic tools and electronic databases.
*  Reading skills:  the ability to comprehend complex texts that address issues from a diverse range of perspectives.
*  Paraphrasing and summarising skills:  the ability to rephrase in one's own words to avoid plagiarism and to extract key ideas from texts.
*  Synthetic skills:  the ability to bring together information from a wide range of sources so as to discuss issues and solve problems.
*  Analytical skills:  the ability to evaluate collected information and to extract significant themes and ideas.
*  Critical thinking:  the ability to engage in reflective and independent thought.
*  Written communication skills:  the ability to communicate ideas in clear, articulate language appropriate to the intended audience.
*  Oral communication skills:  the ability to speak with clarity and in an engaging manner.
*  Time management skills:  the ability to set clear goals, meet deadlines, and work within prescribed parameters.

Prerequisites

Any one of MUSA231, MUSA232, MUSA233, MUSA234

Restrictions

MUSI359

Equivalent Courses

MUSI359

Timetable Note

WORKLOAD

Student workload (300 hours) will be allocated to:
*  48 hours attending lectorials
*  45 hours researching and writing essay 1
*  45 hours researching and writing essay 2
*  55 hours researching, preparing and presenting the seminar
*  48 hours completing assigned reading and preparing for weekly tutorial discussions
*  36 hours of self-directed study
*  23 hours preparing for the final examination

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Francis Yapp

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Essay 1 25 Aug 2017 20% An essay of 2000 words on a topic provided during the course
Essay 2 13 Oct 2017 20% An essay of 2000 words on a topic provided during the course
Seminar Presentation and Written Paper 20%
Contribution to Class Discussion 10%
Final Examination 30%


Seminar presentation and written paper:  
Students will present a 15-minute seminar on an assigned topic, or another topic agreed with the course co-ordinator. The seminar will be followed by 5 minutes of questions and discussion.

The seminar will be presented during class time by arrangement with the course co-ordinator. A formal written paper (c.2000 words) must be submitted within one week of the seminar presentation.  Seminar topics and dates must be agreed with the course co-ordinator by the start of Term 4.

Contribution to class discussion:  
Students will be assessed on their contribution to class discussion during lectorials; all students are expected to come to classes prepared, and having read the assigned readings in detail. In classes where there is a student seminar, this component of assessment will include contribution to questions and discussion following the seminar.

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Kivy, Peter; Introduction to a philosophy of music ; Clarendon Press, 2002 (A copy of this text is available from the University Bookshop).

Additional readings will be provided in the course.

Notes

Use of Technology

This course assumes that you have sufficient information and technology skills to confidently use a computer to access material for your course.  Your written work will be handwritten and submitted in class time.

You will be required to access our learning management system – LEARN – and to become familiar with its tools.  LEARN provides easily-accessible information about the course and assessments, topics and deadlines, and supports the learning you will gain from attending all lectures and tutorials.  For help using LEARN, refer to: http://learn.canterbury.ac.nz/course/view.php?id=2157

Additional Course Outline Information

Assessment and grading system

The following shows how to translate grades to numerical scores:

A+  90–100;    A   85–89;    A-  80–84;    B+   75–79;    B 70–74;    B-   65–69;     C+  60–64;     C  55–59;     C- 50–54;     D  40–49;   E  0–39
In a course at 100- or 200-level examiners may grant restricted credit (R) which will be equivalent to a pass for all purposes except as a prerequisite.

Late submission of work

Written work submitted up to one week late without extension will be subject to a 10% late penalty, as per School of Music policy.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,635.00

International fee $7,050.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 6 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Humanities .

All MUSA335 Occurrences

  • MUSA335-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017