ENGL 3114 - From Gaga to Beethoven: Writing About Music

Arts & Sciences
Previous Course Number: ACOM 315

How does music get into our brains, minds and hearts? What makes music addictive? What makes a musician or a piece of music “great”? How does music influence our ideas about politics, race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality? In this course, students will explore such questions by reading about music, listening to music and writing about music. Assignments and discussion will focus on the art, science and history of contemporary popular music genres, including rock, pop, hip-hop, country and jazz, with artists ranging from Duke Ellington to Nicki Minaj. For their final project, students will attend - and write about - one live musical performance in New York. No musical training or background is required, only a willingness to think about music in a critical fashion and a desire to deepen your musical appreciation.
credit(s): 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1100, ENGL 1105