UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology

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Ethnomusicology 98TB: Beyond Klezmer: Music of the Radical Jewish Culture Movement

Syllabus

Required Text

The goals of the course are:

  • Understand how music relates to individual and cultural identity
  • Develop your ability to listen to and discuss music critically
  • Introduce the field of ethnomusicology and its research methodology
  • Understand Radical Jewish Culture in relation to broader themes in Jewish culture
  • Develop your research, writing, and presentation skills
  • Introduce the diverse and exciting field of Jewish music

Required Texts:

  • Slobin, Mark. ed. 2002. American Klezmer: Its Roots and Offshoots. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Course Reader: Available from Academic Publishing Services

Requirements

Reaction papers: Students will submit 2 one-page reaction papers based on a particular week’s readings. Rather than presenting a summary of the readings, these papers should express 1) a brief statement on the central theme of the group of readings, 2) your critique of the readings, and 3) a few questions they raised for you. Reaction papers are to be emailed to the instructor 24 hours before the beginning of class.

Class Presentations: 1) Each student will choose one recording from the Radical Jewish Culture series of recordings and give an in-class presentation. The presentation should introduce the work, discuss the musical style(s) and instrumentation, examine the packaging, describe the individual songs, and cover any other pertinent information. Select one or two musical examples from the work to play for the class. 2) Each student will give an in-class presentation based on his or her final research project

Research Paper: Each student will write a 12 to 15-page research paper to be submitted during finals week. There are three options for this project:

  1. A research paper on one of the artists discussed in the course.
  2. A comparative project on a particular group of artists/recordings.
  3. A project of your own design worked out in consultation with the instructor.

 

Your paper should include a thesis statement, a review of the relevant literature, an exegesis of your main argument, evidence in support of your argument, a discussion of how your project relates to course readings/materials and discussions, a conclusion, and a properly formatted bibliography. You are free to use any sources from the course, but you must include at least 5 outside sources as well. These may include primary ethnographic materials (personally conducted interviews, event descriptions, etc.) if appropriate, secondary ethnographic materials (e.g. interviews, recording and performance reviews, press articles, etc.), and academic sources. If you choose the first option, you should contact the artist you are researching and respectfully request a formal interview (please also plan on meeting with me outside of class to discuss the interview process in general). A one-page research proposal is due by the end of week 4. A draft of the final paper (with bibliography) is due at the end of week 9. Students are required to meet with the instructor outside of class at least once to discuss a research plan for the final project. The research paper is worth 40% of the final grade (5% for meeting with me outside class; 5% for the rough draft; 30% for the final draft). Due on Wednesday of finals week by 5:00 P.M.

           

Listening Assignments: Each week students will listen to 2 CDs  (one assigned, one of your choosing) from a list provided by the instructor and turn in a Recording Survey Form for each one. The Recording Survey Forms can be downloaded from the course website and are due at the beginning of each class.

Grading Rubric

Reaction Papers:                                  10% (2 @ 5%)
Listening Assignments:                        20% (8 @ 2.5%)
Class Presentations:                             10%
Attendance/Participation:                     10%
Final Paper Presentation:                     10%

Final Research Paper:            40%

 

Course Policies

Attendance/Etiquette: I expect everyone to arrive to class on time and prepared, and to be respectful of others at all times. Regular attendance and participation in class discussions are required, and comprise a significant portion of your grade. Absences must be approved in advance by the instructor, and personal emergencies must be documented. Cell phones and other similar devices are to be turned OFF (not silent) during class, and laptop computers should be used solely for the purpose of taking notes. There will be no extensions on assignments and late work will be penalized one whole letter grade per day.

Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are strictly against University policy and will not be tolerated. All suspected incidences of academic dishonesty will be promptly reported to the Dean of Students and handled accordingly. For information regarding academic integrity and University policy go to: http://www.deanofstudents.ucla.edu/or http://www.academicintegrity.org/

 

*** Syllabus subject to change at instructor’s discretion***

 

 


 

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