CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA Course title: MU 310 History of Technology in Music Date of Preparation: 1/10/2002 Updated by : David Kopplin. 1/8/11 I. Catalog Description MU 310 History of Technology in Music (4) Survey of music technologies including the musical, cultural and philosophical forces governing them, from the monochord of Ancient Greece through contemporary life. Prerequisites: Completion of GE requirements in Area A, B1, and B2 or permission of instructor. Meets GE requirements in Area B4. II. Required Background or Experience Completions of Courses in Area A, and Sub-areas 1, 2, and 3 of Area C III. Expected Outcomes: 1. Students will develop an understanding of the role of physics, acoustics and technology in music throughout history 2. Students will understand the cultural and philosophical forces that underlie technological innovation 3. Students will become familiar with ways in which technologies influence society in both expected and unexpected ways 4. Students will become familiar with a broad range of music through the ages, from several traditions 5. Students will become familiar with important historical debates about the role of technology, debates that continue to this day IV. Readings and Listening (Discography) Core Readings Physics, acoustics and technology: Eisenstein, Elizabeth. The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, Volume 1, pp. 3-43. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Spratt, John. Science and Music, from Interdisciplina, USA, Volume 1, no. 1, pp. 67-83. Nettl, Bruno. The Western Impact on World Music : Change, Adaptation, and Survival, several selections on technology & music. New York: Schirmer, 1985. Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Selections on sampling. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 1994. 1
History: Loesser, Arthur. Men, Women, and Pianos: A Social History, Chapter One. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954. Chapple, Steve and Garofalo, Reebee. Rock and Roll is Here to Pay. p. 1-25, The early years. New York: Nelson Hall, 1977. Sadie, Stanley, ed., New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1980. Volume 13, pp. 710-778;Volume 14, pp. 853-857 & 860-862 (The organ). Philosophy: Treitler, Leo, ed. Source Readings in Music History from Classical Antiquity through the Romantic Era (2 nd edition). Selections from Plato, Aristotle, Aristoxenus, Boethius. New York: Norton, 1974. Readings include selections from Plato-Republic Aristotle-Politics Boethius-Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius Agrippa-Declamation of the Uncertainty and Vanity of the Sciences and Arts Babbit- Who Cares if You Listen? Ziporyn- Who Cares if I Care? Supplemental Readings (some suggestions for book reports and term papers): Physics, acoustics and technology: Botstein, Leon. Time and Memory: Concert Life, Science, and Music in Brahms s Vienna. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990. Brown, Royal. Undertones and Overtones: Reading Film Music. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. Crombie, Alistair. Science, Optics, and Music in Medieval and Early Modern Thought. London: Hambledon, 1990. Manuel, Peter. Cassette Culture: Popular Music and Technology in North India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993 Ong, Walter. Orality and Literacy : the Technologizing of the Word. London; New York : Methuen, 1982. Roads, Curtis, ed. The Music Machine: Selected Readings from the Computer Music Journal. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1989. Jones, Steve. Rock Formation: Music, Technology, and Mass Communication. Newburry Park, Calif.:Sage, 1992. History: Husch, Jerri. Music of the Workplace: a Study of Muzak Culture. Ph.D. diss., University of Massachusetts, 1984. Guilbault, Jocelyne. Zouk : World Music in the West Indies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Partch, Harry. Genesis of a Music. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1949. Philosophy: 2
Foucault, Michel. The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences. New York: Vintage Books, 1994 McClary, Susan. Conventional Wisdom: The Content of Musical Form (Ernest Bloch Lectures) Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. Small, Christopher. Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 1998. Discography: Gregorian chant, Monks of Santa Domingo Guillaume de Machaut, Bone Pastor Cesti, L Orontea Gorecki s Symphony #3 J.S. Bach, Tocatta anf Fugue in D minor (organ) Beethoven, Pathetique Piano Sonata Jimi Hendrix The Star Spangled Banner NWA, Straight Outta Compton Vangelis, Bladerunner soundtrack Hermann, Suite from Psycho Beatles s Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band Wendy Carlos s Switched-On Bach Karlheinz Stockhausen, Kontakte Various artists, What is Bhangra? Run DMC, et al, (DVD) V. Minimum Student Materials Course Reader, pencil, notebook paper VI. Minimum College Facilities Classroom with audio playback, Library, WebCT, VII. Course Outline Week One: Overview. Class Introduction and Expectations. Useful musical and music technology terms. Week Two Ancient Music, Contemporary Technology? Ancient philosophies. Treitler: Aristoxenus, Aristotle. Brief history of Music Notation and first listening presentations Week Three Eisenstein, New Grove (The organ) Printing and its impact on music and society Machines and Opera in 17th century Venice 3
Week Four Nettl, Loesser. History and Physics of Musical Instruments I: Acoustic instruments Week Five Spratt (Science) Instruments II: Electronic Instruments, Tour of Cal Poly Studio Student Reports Term Project Prospectus Due!! Exam Week Six Chapple and Garofalo (Rock and Roll) The Influence of Commerce and the Marketplace Early Broadcasting and Mass Mediated Communication Technology Student Reports Week Seven Supplemental reading History of sound recording technology Week Eight Rose, selections. Recent developments: sampling, music in film Philosophical arguments for and against sampling and viewing. Term paper rough drafts due. Week Nine Selected Readings from Computer Music Journal and Electronic Musician Magazines The Internet and contemporary developments and term project presentations Week Ten Where is technology headed in music? Student Projects Final Exam Week Additional Projects Exam VIII. Instructional Methods 1. Lecture/discussions. 2. In-class problem solving. 3. Reading, writing and presentation assignments. 4. and reports on recorded musical examples. WebCT will be a necessary component of the course, especially to enable access to some music excerpts and to encourage online discussion and investigation. 4
Students will have a supplemental CD made available to them at the library (with some excerpts available on WebCT) with a selected group of historical recordings illustrating issues from the lectures/discussions. IX. Evaluation of Outcomes Students will be evaluated with regard to: 1. Discussions and class participation 2. Book reports (written and oral) 3. Term paper and final presentation. 4. Listening exams. 5. Mid-term and final exams. X. Assessment In either oral or written assignments or both, the student will be required to address the following questions: In what ways did this course draw upon one or more of the fields in Music, Physics, Acoustics, Technology or Philosophy as covered in your lower division courses? To what extent did this course provide you with a deeper understanding of a particular area of Music, Physics, Acoustics, Technology and Philosophy, and with the ability to apply concepts of these areas to different problems and situations? 5