Music

MHIS 100     Intro to Music     4 Credit Hours

A study of Western classical music and its historical development up to the present, through examination of representative musical works. (F, W).

MHIS 120     History of Jazz     4 Credit Hours

The course provides an introduction to jazz styles within their cultural context. Major figures (Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and others) and styles (New Orleans, Big Band, Bebop, Cool Jazz, etc.) will be studied through recordings. Ideas about jazz as the expression of African American culture will be studied. (F, W).

MHIS 130     Intro to World Music     4 Credit Hours

This course is designed as an introductory survey of non-western music traditions within the field called ethnomusicology. The music is studied in terms of sounds, musical instruments, forms and their functions in the society and culture that supports them. Music studied includes that of the Middle East, Africa, Australia, South Asia, SE Asia, and East Asia. (F, W).

MHIS 331     Music of America     4 Credit Hours

An historical and cultural study of American music in both the written and unwritten traditions. Content of the course includes not only the various forms of classical music produced in the new world but also primitive, popular, and vernacular genres. (OC).

MHIS 332     Hist of Popular Mus in the USA     4 Credit Hours

An introduction to popular music in the United States. This course will include music of the westward movement, ragtime and blues, the roots and growth of jazz, folk music, country music, music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley, the roots of and development of rock music, as well as the historical, political and sociological background of the United States as pertinent to music history. (AY).

MHIS 333     Intro to Gospel Music     4 Credit Hours

This course explores the history and aesthetics of Black sacred music within cultural context. Major figures (Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, The Winans Family, Kirk Franklin), periods (slavery, Great Migration, Civil Rights movement), and styles (folk and arranged Negro spirituals, congregational songs, and gospel songs - traditional to contemporary) will be studied through recording, videos, film and at least one field experience. Underlying the course is the theory (Mellonee Burnim and Pearl Williams-Jones) that gospel music is an expression of African American culture that fuses both African and European elements into a unique whole. (OC).

MHIS 334     The Music of Detroit     4 Credit Hours

This course strives to understand music in Detroit from multiple perspectives. We will examine not only the creative musicians who worked within the many genres of music that make up Detroit’s multi-cultural fabric, but also the architecture and significance of key Detroit music making venues. In addition, we will study the myriad of music festivals that make up the summer and fall waterfront scenes. This course offers a comparative study of multiple music streams as they occur simultaneously within Detroit’s evolving history. As we examine each historical moment, we will delve into the cultural, economic, spatial, and socio-political realities that surround each genre of music production. In so doing we will reveal the many ways in which these streams interact to create the vibrant music scene that is still central to life in Detroit today. (AY).

MHIS 335     Multimedia and Music     4 Credit Hours

In this course, students will explore case studies of music created, performed, and distributed in combination with other media from the 1960s to the present. Multimedia is understood as any context in which several media are integrated, but particular focus will be paid to technological and creative innovations (such as video games, computers, and phones). The use of music will be considered in such media as film and television, multimedia performance and installation art, and international developments in multimedia production and distribution. (AY).

MHIS 336     Film and Music     4 Credit Hours

In this course, students will be introduced to the varieties of music used in film from c. 1900 to the present. Topics covered include a basic introduction to the musical features of Western European dramatic music; the role of music in the early decades of the 20th century; the growth of film and musical sound in the "classic era" of Hollywood film; the use of music in specific genres such as film noir, science-fiction, epic, and musicals; and the use of popular song in film. (AY).

MHIS 337     Women Musicians/West Mus Hist     4 Credit Hours

Through a historical survey of female musicians from the Middle Ages to the present day, this course takes a critical look at theories of creativity and professionalism as they relate to female musical production. The course deals with women in European "art music" traditions and also in jazz and poplar music. Social and cultural norms dictating appropriate female involvement with music are examined. The historical approach will serve to reveal ways in which terms such as professionalism and virtuosity have continually shifted and changed in reference to female musical performance. The course challenges students to re-think many of the commonly accepted gender-based descriptions of particular genres and elements of music through listening and musical analysis. (AY).

Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Class is Freshman

MHIS 388     W. African Music: Trad.& Glob.     4 Credit Hours

West African popular music contains a unique mixture of African, Cuban, European and American influences. With the advent of radio and recording, music that was once locally based is now part of a national and international popular music industry. This course offers an overview of modern West African music, both traditional and popular. The course begins with an introduction to traditional West African instruments and musical genres. Next, there is an exploration of the fusion of traditional African styles with European, Cuban and American styles during and after the colonial era. The course culminates with an examination of the contributions of West African musicians to the World Music scene, focusing on issues of representation and Fair Trade. (OC).

MHIS 390     Topics in Music History     4 Credit Hours

Examination of problems and issues in selected areas of music history. Title as listed in Schedule of Classes will change according to content. Course may be repeated for credit when specified topics differ. (OC).

MHIS 399     Independent Study     1 to 4 Credit Hours

Advanced readings or analytical assignments in a particular area of music. Not more than four hours of independent study will be accepted toward the concentration. (F, W, S).