MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music
Actual Life in a Virtual World
We are all virtual these days, but maybe we always have been. In this course we will examine the ways the concepts 《real》 and 《virtual》 inform approaches to questions like “what is truth”, “why make art”, “what role does technology play in our lives”, "what does it mean to treat other people ‘ethically’?” As we will see, each of these questions appeals to the highly equivocal notions of reality and virtuality in distinct but overlapping ways. This exploration will take us through a variety of art forms (music, film, literature, video games) as well as recent studies and classic texts on the question "what is really real?"
Critical Responses [25%]
Two students will be called on at random (using a random number generator) each session to provide a response to the weekly reading as a means of facilitating discussion. The response should comprise a set of questions that draw on the reading, but it can be somewhat open-ended and raise generally applicable questions as well. Reading is the crux of this course. You should be prepared to orally summarize everything you read (this will include taking notes while reading). Try to be specific about the things you don't understand and why you don't understand them. It's ok not to know something (I don't know almost everything), but the goal is to hone our curiosity, to adopt a spirit of adventure in the face of the unknown and to push to the limits of what can be thought.
Project Presentations [25%]
Students will give a 20-30-minute presentation on their final papers/projects.
Final Paper/Project [50%] (upload here)
There will be two options for the final: a 15-page research paper OR an original artwork that responds to the artworks and concepts we cover in the class together with a shorter theoretical statement (5-6 pages). Students must meet with the instructor by the end of the 5th week of the quarter to discuss plans for the final paper/project.
Week 1: Introduction
- Shields, The Virtual, Ch. 1 Download Shields, The Virtual, Ch. 1
- Nusselder, Being More Than Yourself: Virtuality and Human Spirit Links to an external site.
Week 3: Mimesis and truth
- Plato: Republic, bks. VII/X Download Plato: Republic, bks. VII/X
- Aristotle: Poetics (excerpts) Download Aristotle: Poetics (excerpts)
- Nietzsche: On Truth and Lying in a Non-moral Sense Download Nietzsche: On Truth and Lying in a Non-moral Sense
class session (video) Links to an external site.
Notes for week 3.pdf Download Notes for week 3.pdf
Week 4: Immersion
Weeks 5-6: Phantasmagoria
- Crary, Modernizing Vision Download Crary, Modernizing Vision
- Bürger, Theory of the Avant Garde, Ch. 5: Montage Download Bürger, Theory of the Avant Garde, Ch. 5: Montage
Final paper topics Download Final paper topics
class session (video) Links to an external site.
- Marx: Capital, Vol. 1, Ch. 1, §4: The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof Links to an external site.
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Adorno, In Search of Wagner, Ch. 6: Phantasmagoria Download Adorno, In Search of Wagner, Ch. 6: Phantasmagoria | (searchable .txt file) Download (searchable .txt file)
- optional: Buhler, Star Wars, Music and Myth Download Buhler, Star Wars, Music and Myth
- optional: Gunning, Illusions Past and Future: The Phantasmagoria and its Specters Links to an external site.
Week 7: Ethics
class session (video) Links to an external site.
Week 8: The symbolic order
- Rudd, So Good, They Named It Twice? A Lacanian Perspective on Virtual Reality from Literature and the Other Arts Links to an external site.
- Kristeva, Powers of Horror, Approaching Abjection, pp. 1-18 Download Kristeva, Powers of Horror, Approaching Abjection, pp. 1-18
class session (video) Links to an external site.
Discussion Questions (whiteboard) Download Discussion Questions (whiteboard)
Generation Kill (Stefan Prins) - Darcy mentioned this Links to an external site.
Lacan / Kristeva notes.pdf Download Lacan / Kristeva notes.pdf
Week 9: Simulation and simulacra
- Baudrillard, The Precession of Simulacra Download Baudrillard, The Precession of Simulacra
- Knakkergaard, The Music That’s Not There Links to an external site.
- Hodge, On Hyperreality in Spaghetti Westerns Links to an external site.
class session (video) Links to an external site.
Baudrillard notes.pdf Download Baudrillard notes.pdf
Week 10: Presentations
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Fri Jan 8, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Jan 15, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Jan 22, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Jan 29, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Feb 5, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Feb 12, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Feb 19, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Feb 26, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Mar 5, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Mar 12, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Fri Mar 19, 2021 | Calendar Event MUSIC 576: Critical Theory Of Music | 3:30pm to 5:30pm |
| Sun Mar 21, 2021 | Assignment Final | due by 11:59pm |
This course content is offered under a Public Domain
Links to an external site. license. Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.