FALL 2007 HONORS COURSES

HONR 268F World Popular/Folk Music and Politics
Monday, 3:30-6:00 p.m.
Professor Boden Sandstrom, School of Music

Why have musicians been some of the first to die or to be deported in political movements throughout history? Why is a people’s music suppressed during political turmoil? Why do governments use music to generate patriotism? How do people resist through their music? These are some of the questions that this class will attempt to answer during the semester. We will explore genres such as hip hop and Nueva Cancion; artist such as Bob Marley and Thomas Mapfumo and the relation of national governments to politics and music such as China and United States.

Course Goals:
1. To gain greater understanding of how music through performance intersects with political identity, political action and resistance.
2. To learn about musicians and music that have been influential in political struggles or resistance not only from the readings but also by listening to the music and observing performances when appropriate.
3. To become engaged in the readings through critical writing and presentations.
4. To explore in-depth a genre, a musician or a related issue from class via the format of a group project and paper.

Course Requirements:
1. Required readings and listening/viewing materials
2. Class participation (20%)
3. (2) Class presentations on reading material summarized in written papers (30%)
4. Final exam (25%)
5. Group Project Presentation and Paper (25%)

Tentative Reading List:
(not all required reading)
Nimrod Baranovitch, China’s New Voices: Popular Music, Ethnicity, Gender, and Politics 1978-1977
Joan Jara, Victor: An Unfinished Song
Cheryl L. Keyes, Rap Music and Street Consciousness
George Lipsitz, Dangerous Crossroads: Popular Music, Postmodernism and the Poetics of Place
Mark Mattern, Acting in Concert: Music, Community and Political Action
Ron Sakolsky and Fred Wei-han Ho, eds. Sounding Off!: Music as Subversion/Resistance/Revolution
Timothy White, Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley

CORE: Arts (HA) and Diversity (D)