Please note: there may be some adjustments to the teaching arrangements published in the course catalogue for 2020-21. Given current circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic it is anticipated that some usual arrangements for teaching on campus will be modified to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff on campus; further adjustments may also be necessary, or beneficial, during the course of the academic year as national requirements relating to management of the pandemic are revised.

Musics of Latin America MUSIC4092

  • Academic Session: 2022-23
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Available to Erasmus Students: Yes

Short Description

Musics of Latin America provides an overview of some of the folk, popular and classical musics of this region. It connects the emergence of musical tradition to experiences such as colonialism and ethnic discrimination, revolution and post-revolution, dictatorship and repression, and democratisation. The course will also highlight influences that Latin American musics have had on musical practices beyond the region.

Timetable

1 x 1hr lecture; 1 x 1hr seminar per week over 10 weeks, as scheduled on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Music, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Essay (2,500 words) - 60%

Presentation (duration 10 minutes; followed by 5 minutes of questions)  - 40%

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

 

■ study a variety of genres of music from Latin America, and use these genres as a lens through which Latin American history can be viewed

■ engage in debates concerning music, society, and politics relating to Latin America as a region

■ explore regional scenes in which musics from Latin America are played

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

■ identify a variety of folk, popular and classical musics from Latin America

■ critically evaluate the socio-economic and political contexts in which these genres emerged, and the connection between musical practices and these contexts

■ evaluate how Latin American musics of the present build on traditions inherited from the past

■ critically discuss their ideas in the form of a clearly constructed written essay

■ give a clear and well-constructed presentation, developing oral communication skills 

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.