740-359 Musicological Research Method 1

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Four music history subjects

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Semester One: On completion of this unit students should be aware of the variety of resources and methodologies available for musicological research; develop skills in advanced bibliographic management and increase their awareness of available research resources in various fields; attain the research and writing skills prerequisite to writing a thesis. Topics include: an introduction to the skills and techniques of musicological research, including such issues as music bibliography, editorial practices, archival practices, as well as the mechanics of dissertation writing.

Semester Two: On completion of this unit students should have a thorough understanding of the history and development of theory and methodology in the discipline of ethnomusicology; an understanding of the current and future directions of the discipline; knowledge of field work methodology and a variety of approaches to transcription and analysis; attained the research skills prerequisite to writing a thesis. Topics to be covered include: an introduction to the writings of the seminal scholars in ethnomusicology from the 19th century to the present day and to the key issues of ethnomusicological theory and methodology presented in those writings; fieldwork methods; approaches to transcription and analysis; the ethnography of music; iconography and organology; ethical considerations and future directions in ethnomusicology.

Assessment

Semester One: Four assignments of up to 1,200 words (90%); attendance and participation in class.

Semester Two: Two essays of at least 3,000 words (50% each), one of which is to be presented as a 30-minute seminar paper during the semester.

Prescribed Texts

• Myers, H ed., Ethnomusicology: An Introduction. London: The Macmillan Press, 1992..