This course prepares music majors to conduct senior project research leading to a thesis in either musicology or ethnomusicology. A thesis in musicology requires gathering and analyzing historical evidence from primary sources, which may include written documents, records, media, art, scores, and/or oral histories. A thesis in ethnomusicology requires designing a small-scale fieldwork project involving ethnographic methods, which typically includes a combination of participant-observation, field notetaking, media documentation, and semi-structure interviews with knowledge co-creators. In addition to situating the project in relation to contemporary scholarly debates in music studies and related fields, thesis writers must also demonstrate the ability to engage closely with sound materials (i.e. styles, genres, forms, and other elements). Depending on the topic, the project may involve analyzing sound recordings, film, social media, iconographic sources, and/or notated music. Throughout the research process we consider how differences of gender, sexuality, age, class, race, ethnicity, faith, ability, and nationality shape our historical, sociocultural, and musical lines of inquiry.
- Teacher: Kaley Mason