MUS 106 - Women, Music and Culture

An introduction to “women in music,” this course will focus on feminism and music from Medieval liturgical roots to “world” music and contemporary popular forms. The course will explore the “missing voices” in the documentation of musical traditions; restricted domains; gender spheres in art music; visual images in an aural world; the impact of education on women’s art music activity; and the independence of women in music, “no longer one of the boys.” This exploration will include Medieval Liturgical Roots and Documentation of the Western Canon; Women in “World” Music: An Expanded View of Global Narratives; Court performers of Japan, India and Europe: Freedom and Restriction: Empowered Voices in Public Eye: Women of Gospel and Blues; Visual Media and the Marketing of Women Performers; Changing Gender Roles: From Nineteenth-Century Opera to the Modern Musical; Segregation and Integration: Instrumental Ensembles from 1900 to the Present.