MUS4652 – Music, Technology, and Society
Course description
Course content
This course offers an introduction to the role of technology in music and society. It addresses central themes in the social and cultural study of music technology, and couples these with hands-on experiences.
Learning outcome
On completing this course the student will be able to
- identify main features of the historical and social development of music technology
- describe major conceptual, critical, and political themes in past and present scholarship surrounding technology and music
- ground these critical concepts and methods in practical applications
- implement these skills in writing and verbal articulation
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Admission to the master’s program in Musicology or Music, Communication and Technology
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with MUS4830 – Music, technology and production
Overlaps fully with MUS4830
Teaching
8 double lectures + 4 double periods of seminars
The seminars will be held after the lecture sequence. They will consist of discussions and clarifications of course concepts, workshopping essay ideas, developing writing and presentation techniques. The oral qualification assessments will also be held during seminar time.
Qualification assessment (English)
Throughout the course, students are expected to independently engage creatively or practically with a form of music technology that is new to them. This project will be decided by the student in consultation with those responsible for the course. But examples could include: learning an instrument, building an instrument or effects unit, creating an app, making a recording, and so on. Students should keep a detailed notebook where they reflect on this process in concert with ideas from the lectures and readings. They will then present their projecst, including their critical thoughts and reflections, in a seminar presentation of 10 minutes. This will be followed by at least 10 minutes of discussion, facilitated by the student.
Examination
Term paper (English or a Scandinavian language) - 10 pages.
The main assessment for this course is a term paper in which the students reflect critically on the practical or creative work done for their qualification assessment. Students should adopt one of the critical perspectives described in the lectures and readings, and they should write about the work of their qualification assessment through this perspective. Such work may be described as a form of reverse engineering, where students are required to break down and understand what drives a particular critical perspective or reading, and then mimic that perspective or reading in relation to their own object of study
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.