51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

How do various musical traditions seek to carry listeners toward a realm of emotional feeling and even to mystical experience?  From soul in American rhythm and blues, to tarab in Arab music, hüzün in Turkish music, saudade in Brazilian music, and duende in Spanish Flamenco, there are numerous concepts that describe transcendent musical performance. This course will examine various theories of affect, emotion, ritual, and embodiment to explore the ways that music can transport performers and listeners alike to altered states of consciousness. We will also study the role of media technology in these global practices, as sound recordings are employed in sample-based music to conjure collective memory and commodify nostalgia as well as produce specific emotional and political effects in their audiences.