SYLLABUS OVERVIEW
The following topics are subject to revision, per the teacher’s discretion. Please attend first class meeting for exact dates and course schedule.
Lecture 1 - What is Sound Art? Artist/topics: Max Neuhaus, 1979 Sound Art exhibit at MoMA (Maggi Payne, Connie Beckley, Julia Heyward), 1984 Sound/Art exhibit at Sculpture Center in New York (Vito Acconci, Bill and Mary Buchen, Connie Beckley), Rolf Julius, Tristan Perich. .
Lecture 2 - The Evolution of the Music of Western Europe: Tonality, Harmony, Tuning (and Sexism, Colonialism and Economic Oppression). Artists/topics discussed: Hildegard von Bingen, Perotin, Palestrina, Barbara Strozzi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Joseph Bologne, the Stono Rebellion, Wagner, Clara Schumann, drums of Benin, Gamelan music.
Lecture 3 - Part 1: John Cage; Part 2: A Brief History of Jazz. Artists/topics discussed: Impressionism movement in art and music, Debussy, Expressionism movement in art and music, Schoenberg, Webern, Dada movement, Marcel Duchamp, Cage, Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, Coleman, Braxton. RESEARCH PAPERS TOPICS ASSIGNED.
Lecture 4 - Part 1: Understanding the Science of Sound (Acoustics). Part 2: A Brief History of Early Sound Technology. Artists/topics discussed: Brecht, Ruttman,Theremin, Surrealists, Pierre Schaeffer, Halim El-Dabh, Herbert Eimert, Hugh LeCaine, Delia Derbyshire, Louis and Bebe Barron, Moog/Buchla, Ikutaro Kakehashi, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata.
Lecture 5 - Minimalism in Sound Art. Artists/topics discussed: Minimalist art, Robert Rauschenberg’s “White Paintings,” Robert Morris “Passageway,” LaMonte Young, Pandit Pran Nath and the Music of India, Steve Reich, Alvin Lucier, more information about sound and acoustics. DRAFT OF FIRST PARAGRAPH OF RESEARCH PAPER ASSIGNED.
Lecture 6 - Environmental Sound/Field Recording. Artists/topics discussed: Luigi Russolo, R. Murray Shafer, Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening, Hildegard Westerkamp, Emeka Ogboh.
SOUND ARTIST RESEARCH PAPERS DUE
Lecture 7 - Nam June Paik: Sound Becomes Art. Artist/topics discussed (in addition to Paik): Fluxus and the 1960’s Avant Garde. John Cage (review), Happenings, Charlotte Moorman.
Lecture 8 - Sound Sculpture. Artists/topics discussed: Pre-Colombian Central and South American duct and vessel flutes (300 B.C.-950 A.D.), Wind chime and dragon’s head (Korea, 10th century, Harry Bertoia, Liz Phillips, Baschet brothers, Harry Partch, Trimpin, Walter Kitundu, Joe Jones, Christian Marclay.
Lecture 9 - Multispeaker Installation; Speakers and Space. Artists/topics discussed: Fountains at Courtyard of the Lions, Alhambra; Installation Art, review of DuChamp and Max Neuhaus, Edgard Varese, Iannis Xenakis, Bernhard Leitner, Susan Phillipz, Janet Cardiff, Jace Clayton. FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNED.
Lecture 10 - Sound and the Body. Artists/topics discussed: Sound poetry, Hugo Ball, Dada (review), Kurt Schwitters, Antonin Artaud, Yoko Ono, Cathy Berberian, Ella Fitzgerald, Meredith Monk, Pamela Z, Tracie Morris.
FINAL ESSAY DUE.
The following topics are subject to revision, per the teacher’s discretion. Please attend first class meeting for exact dates and course schedule.
Lecture 1 - What is Sound Art? Artist/topics: Max Neuhaus, 1979 Sound Art exhibit at MoMA (Maggi Payne, Connie Beckley, Julia Heyward), 1984 Sound/Art exhibit at Sculpture Center in New York (Vito Acconci, Bill and Mary Buchen, Connie Beckley), Rolf Julius, Tristan Perich. .
Lecture 2 - The Evolution of the Music of Western Europe: Tonality, Harmony, Tuning (and Sexism, Colonialism and Economic Oppression). Artists/topics discussed: Hildegard von Bingen, Perotin, Palestrina, Barbara Strozzi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Joseph Bologne, the Stono Rebellion, Wagner, Clara Schumann, drums of Benin, Gamelan music.
Lecture 3 - Part 1: John Cage; Part 2: A Brief History of Jazz. Artists/topics discussed: Impressionism movement in art and music, Debussy, Expressionism movement in art and music, Schoenberg, Webern, Dada movement, Marcel Duchamp, Cage, Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, Coleman, Braxton. RESEARCH PAPERS TOPICS ASSIGNED.
Lecture 4 - Part 1: Understanding the Science of Sound (Acoustics). Part 2: A Brief History of Early Sound Technology. Artists/topics discussed: Brecht, Ruttman,Theremin, Surrealists, Pierre Schaeffer, Halim El-Dabh, Herbert Eimert, Hugh LeCaine, Delia Derbyshire, Louis and Bebe Barron, Moog/Buchla, Ikutaro Kakehashi, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata.
Lecture 5 - Minimalism in Sound Art. Artists/topics discussed: Minimalist art, Robert Rauschenberg’s “White Paintings,” Robert Morris “Passageway,” LaMonte Young, Pandit Pran Nath and the Music of India, Steve Reich, Alvin Lucier, more information about sound and acoustics. DRAFT OF FIRST PARAGRAPH OF RESEARCH PAPER ASSIGNED.
Lecture 6 - Environmental Sound/Field Recording. Artists/topics discussed: Luigi Russolo, R. Murray Shafer, Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening, Hildegard Westerkamp, Emeka Ogboh.
SOUND ARTIST RESEARCH PAPERS DUE
Lecture 7 - Nam June Paik: Sound Becomes Art. Artist/topics discussed (in addition to Paik): Fluxus and the 1960’s Avant Garde. John Cage (review), Happenings, Charlotte Moorman.
Lecture 8 - Sound Sculpture. Artists/topics discussed: Pre-Colombian Central and South American duct and vessel flutes (300 B.C.-950 A.D.), Wind chime and dragon’s head (Korea, 10th century, Harry Bertoia, Liz Phillips, Baschet brothers, Harry Partch, Trimpin, Walter Kitundu, Joe Jones, Christian Marclay.
Lecture 9 - Multispeaker Installation; Speakers and Space. Artists/topics discussed: Fountains at Courtyard of the Lions, Alhambra; Installation Art, review of DuChamp and Max Neuhaus, Edgard Varese, Iannis Xenakis, Bernhard Leitner, Susan Phillipz, Janet Cardiff, Jace Clayton. FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNED.
Lecture 10 - Sound and the Body. Artists/topics discussed: Sound poetry, Hugo Ball, Dada (review), Kurt Schwitters, Antonin Artaud, Yoko Ono, Cathy Berberian, Ella Fitzgerald, Meredith Monk, Pamela Z, Tracie Morris.
FINAL ESSAY DUE.