Aims

The student should acquire the following skills :
- capacity to tackle a set of musical themes in an analytical way (e.g. the different expressions or manifestations from a certain theme through the history of music) ;
- mastering of the tools of musicological research (musical sources, musicological literature, archives) ;
- capacity to perceive and comprehend the musical environment of our era through all its forms of expression ;
- extending of the field of musicology to the disciplines of history, sociology and communication.

Main themes

Conceived of in a " seminar "like manner, the studied topics change from one year to another. The course subject will therefore be determined every year depending on the chosen topic.
However, one can retain the following constants :
- Introduction to a set of themes in a traditional course format, accompanied by course notes and documents.
- The use of audiovisual documents and ITC.
- The participation of the students through exercises, sometimes individual, most of the times in teams.
- The work results in a reflection on the field, the definition and the methods of modern musicology.

Content and teaching methods

Following a principle of alternation every two years : 1° a special question related to sociology of music (some examples of the seminars already held: street musicians; Masonic music; concrete music; musical life; concert; sound environment and acoustic information of masses; music and propaganda; figures of musical amateurism) ; 2° the following year : the emphasis is put on the musicology of the media, i.e. the music studied in its relation to mass media tools : press, radio, television, multimedia (examples : music and advertising ; movie music ; production and staging of music ; theory of sound ; radio music ; Muzak or planned music; musical critics).

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Reading of music scores not required.
Readiness to active hearing.

Oral examination. Possibility of personal exercises or assignments.
Formative assessments.

Course notes produced by the course holder and if necessary completed by the students.
Portfolio of readings. Audio and audiovisual documents.
MS-PowerPoint files.

Other credits in programs