Course Catalog: 2018-19

The Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology allows students interested in studying music from a cross-disciplinary perspective to build bridges across departmental boundaries in a rigorous, structured manner. Students working within the program approach world musical traditions as they relate to a num­ber of areas of inquiry, including:

• relationships between music and other artistic and expressive forms (i.e., dance, theater, film);
• relationships between singing and other forms of vocal practice;
• relationships between the study of language and music;
• human cognitive capacity for musical and other sonic expression;
• listening as a culturally specific practice;
• the social history of music and popular culture; 
• understanding national, class, gender, ethnic, sexual, and other forms of identity;
• the relationship between music and social and political power;
• globalization and transnationalism in music;
• the uses of music and sound in contemporary media production;
• roles of sonic technology and surveillance in contemporary Western society;
• the use of music and sound in relation to social and state control, the law, and space;
• intellectual property and copyright as it pertains to musical composition, performance, and ownership.

To obtain a Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology, students must suc­cessfully complete a total of seven (7) courses distributed as indicated in the following four (4) categories:

1. Area Studies or Topics courses: at least two courses
2. Methodology: at least two courses 
3. Performance: at least one course 
4. Electives: negotiated in consultation with the student's ethnomusicology advisor, including courses from related disciplines including: anthropology, sociology, history, or media studies; area studies fields such as African Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, or Middle East Studies; or others related to a particular student's ethnomusicological interests.

Since ethnomusicological research and related musical performance may require understanding of and competence in a foreign language, students are encouraged, but not required, to achieve relevant language proficiency. Other areas that students are encouraged to explore include experiential learning, a study abroad or domestic exchange experience, in depth study of a single musi­cal tradition, or comparative studies of several musical traditions.

For specific course offerings and more informa­tion about the Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology, please refer to the program website: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/ethnomusicology/courses. The Amherst College faculty advisor for 2018-19 is Professor Jef­fers Engelhardt of the Music Department.