Students

MUS 211 – Sound Cultures

2015 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Brent Keogh
Contact via brent.keogh@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
It is rarely recognised that one of the most distinctive features of the modern world is its sonic environment. Since the late nineteenth century we have for the first time been able to store and mass-circulate sound, and produced a sonic environment that is louder, more dense and more heterogeneous than at any previous time. We are overloaded with sound, it is one of the fastest growing causes of environmental pollution. Today we inhabit multiple and overlapping sonic world in a way once unimaginable. We define ourselves and our space acoustically and some of our most profound experiences are sonic. But while scholars have long meditated on things visual, the invisible world of sound has been barely explored. We will examine various aspects of sound, including its relationship with power, violence, politics and technology. We explore what is unique about sonic experience; the history of sound (and the sound of history); sound and neuroscience; sound and music; sound and image; sounds; sounds and bodies and the sounds of bodies. We analyse the way sonic experience challenges fundamental assumptions that underpin cultural studies including the mind/body split and the cultural construction of identity. This unit will be of broad interest to filmmakers, musicians, sound recordists, listeners, writers and to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of human communication.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Abstract 20% Week 5 No
Lead the Class 20% Ongoing from Week 3 No
Research Essay 40% Friday Week 13 No
Participation 20% Weekly No

Abstract

Due: Week 5
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach:

Each student is required to write an abstract outlining their proposed argument for the final essay. This will include an annotated bibliography, where students are required to source between 6-10 peer-reviewed academic sources and explain their significance to the overall argument. The final essay questions will be delivered via iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Lead the Class

Due: Ongoing from Week 3
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach:

Each student will choose a week to "lead the class" in discussion. There will generally be 2 students presenting each week and they are asked to work together as a group (if possible).

This task requires you to stimulate and manage class discussion. It is about leading a discussion based on the core concepts of the readings and as such, it is not a speech or presentation. The best way to approach the task is simply to be familiar with the readings, and have a few questions ready for your peers. The management of this task will be discussed further in class.

How to prepare: The task is akin to running a meeting, in which you have a clear agenda and need to make sure everyone takes part. Group situation are sometimes difficult to handle. The objective is to try an include as many students in the conversation as possible, and to facilitate and encourage healthy class discussion. Some tips on how to do this will be discussed in tutorials.

Musical examples:

Students are welcome to provide appropriate musical examples if they desire, but are asked to play no more than a couple of minutes of given example.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Research Essay

Due: Friday Week 13
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach:

1800 word research essay. Questions and detailed instructions will be uploaded to iLearn in mid-semester. The music research exercise, will be due at the end of Week 13.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Participation

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual:
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach:

Tutorials offer students the chance to extrapolate on the ideas of the readings for that week. Your participation mark depends on your committment to exploring and contetxualising the concepts of the course. This requires not only physical attendance at lectures and tutes, but also a willingness to discuss the readings each week.

You will have to be present at ALL of the tutes and demonstrate that you have read and understood the requisite readings for those weeks. If you have not been physically present, you cannot demonstrate your understanding of the readings, and if you have missed three or more tutes, you will be deemed as having fallen behind and thus unlikely to meet the learning outcomes.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Delivery and Resources

ASSESSMENTS

All essays and written work will be submitted through the turnitin link provided on the iLearn page.

REQUIRED READING

For this unit there is one required text: MUS 211 Reader (available in Co-op bookshop)

RECOMMENDED READING

If you want a well written and comprehensive guide to recording in the twentieth century, I would suggest Milner, G (2010) Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music, London: Granta: 3-25.

Unit can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.

Unit Schedule

 

Unit Schedule: Overview

 

 

 

Week 1

25th February

Introduction

Milner, G (2010) 'Intro: "Testing, Testing" in Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music, London: Granta: 3-25.

Week 2

4th March

Sound and Hearing

Bull, M and Back, L (2003) ‘Introduction: Into Sound’, in Bull, M and Back, L (eds), The Auditory Culture Reader, Oxford and New York: Berg: 1-18

Attali, J. (1985), 'Listening' in Noise : The Political Economy of Music, trans. B. Massumi, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press: 3-20

 

Week 3

11th March

Studios in the Frame: Screen Sound

Doyle, P (2013) '“Burn me up this time fellas!”: when movies represent the recording studio' (Forthcoming)

Giuffre, L (2010) ‘Sounding East of Everything – Australian Television, Music and Place’ Screen Sound, n 1.

Week 4

18th March

Refrains and Territory

Murphie, A (1996) “Sound at the end of the world as we know it: Nick Cave, Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire and a Deleuze-Guattarian ecology of popular music”, in Perfect Beat v2n4, January: 18-42

Deleuze, G and Guattari, F (1988) A Thousand Plateaus : Capitalism and Schizophrenia, trans. Brian Massumi, London: Athlone Press: 310-323 and 342-350

Week 5

25th March

Schizophonia: a brief cultural history of sonic machineries

Sterne, J (2003) The Audible Past: Cultural Origins of Sound Reproduction Durham: Duke University Press: 287-333

Week 6

1st April

Music, Records, Space and Depth

Doyle, P (2004) “From “My Blue Heaven” to “Race with the Devil”: echo, reverb and (dis)ordered space in early popular music recording‟, Popular Music, v23n1: 31-49

Week 7

8th April

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Benjamin,W (1969), 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' in Illuminations, New York: Schocken Books: 217-252.

 

 

MID SEMESTER BREAK

Week 8

29th April

Sound and Power

Johnson, B (2009) ‘Low Frequency Noise and Urban Space’, Popular Music History, v4n2: 177-195

Giuffre, L and Sharpe, L. (2014) ‘Exploring the acoustic environment of the Montreal Metro by doing the ‘Dou-Dou-Dou’, Social Alternatives, Vol 33, Issue 1.

Week 9

6th May

The Sound of Music

Johnson, B and Cloonan, M (2008) ‘Technologized Sonority’, in Dark Side of the Tune: Popular Music and Violence, Aldershot: Ashgate: 49-63

Week 10

13th May

Phonodreams of Near and Far

Lomax, A (1993) 'Rise Up, Dead Man' in The Land Where the Blues Began, New York: The New Press: 256-313

O’Brien, G (2005) Sonata for Jukebox, Counterpoint: 283-316, 321-324

Gibson, W (2012) Distrust That Particular Flavor, New York: Berkley: 49-54

Week 11

20th May

Renegade Refrains: Sampling, the Turntable and the Digital

Milner, G (2010) 'Tubby's Ghost' in Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music, London: Granta: 293-346.

Shapiro, P (2002), 'Deck Wreckers: The Turntable as Instrument' in  Young, R (ed) Undercurrents: The Hidden Wiring of Modern Music, London: Continuum: 163-180.

Week 12

27th May

Digital Aesthetics

Colebrook, C (2007)  Paul Virilio (Routledge Critical Thinkers Series), London and New York: Routledge: 114-118

Caleb K, (2009) Cracked Media: The Sound of Malfunction, Cambridge, Mass and London: The MIT Press: 45-82

Week 13

3rd June

The Sound of Accident

Milner, G (2010) 'Perfect Sound? Whatever' in Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music, London: Granta: 185-236

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Additional information

MMCCS website https://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/department_of_media_music_communication_and_cultural_studies/

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Information is correct at the time of publication

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay
  • Participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Assessment task

  • Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay
  • Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay
  • Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.
  • Apply knowledge and ideas from the literature to the context of sound and popular music in the contemporary world.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.

Assessment tasks

  • Abstract
  • Lead the Class
  • Research Essay
  • Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate understanding of historical moments in the history of recorded sound and exposure to a wide variety of illustrative examples.
  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Evaluate critically the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature of sound and popular music.

Assessment tasks

  • Lead the Class
  • Participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Evaluate, synthesise and analyse the scholarly literature of sound cultures around the areas of critical theory, sociality, signification and aesthetic value.
  • Communicate (either in performative or oral, and written formats) a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge of the field.

Assessment task

  • Participation