American Indian Music Syllabus

Course Syllabus

American Indian Musics
Victoria Levine
Course Description
Required Texts
Listening
Assessment
Class Meeting
Course Calendar

Course Description:
This course explores Native American history, culture, society, religion, aesthetic expression, and contemporary issues, through the medium of music. Students learn to identify, describe, and analyze various Native American musical styles and become acquainted with diverse social contexts for performance. Traditional as well as new musics are addressed.

Required Texts:

Farrer, Claire R. 1994. Thunder Rides a Black Horse: Mescalero Apaches and the Mythic Present. Prospect Heights: Waveland Press, Inc.

Heth, Charlotte, editor. 1992. Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Institution.

Lassiter, Luke E. 1998. The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

Additional readings will be placed on reserve in the Seay Library of Music and Art.

Listening

Five required cassettes with accompanying handouts are on reserve in the Seay Library of Music and Art; supplemental recordings are also on reserve.

Assessment

Your grade for the course will be based on two exams and a term paper, each equally weighted. In addition, daily attendance and participation will be considered.

Class Meetings

Class meets every day, 9:30 am until 12:00 noon, unless otherwise indicated.

COURSE CALENDAR
WEEK 1 Day 1	Introduction and Overview Cultural, ethnic, and musical diversity in Native North America Read: Heth, Foreword and pp. 1-17, 19-31, 105-147; Farrer, pp. 1-39 Listen: Cassettes 1-4
Day 2	A Musical Map: Woodlands and Plains Read: Heth, pp. 65-105; Farrer, pp. 1-61 Listen: Cassettes 1-4
Day 3	A Musical Map: Southwest and Great Basin Read: Heth, pp. 149-167; Farrer, pp. 63-90 Listen: Cassettes 1-4
Day 4	A Musical Map: Northwest Coast and Arctic Read: Farrer, pp. 91-108 and review entire book. Listen: Cassettes 1-4
Day 5	Spirituality and Ritual Discuss Farrer Read: La Vigna (on reserve)
WEEK II Day 6	Spirituality and Ritual DUE: Term paper proposal (1 page, typed, double-spaced) Discuss La Vigna Video: Hopi: Songs of the Fourth World
Day 7	Integrative discussion and review.
Day 8	Midterm Exam (the exam covers listening, reading, and class notes)
Day 9	No class; work on term paper.
Day 10	No class; work on term paper. Read: Lassiter, pp. 3-56.
WEEK III Day 11	Historical Dynamics in Native American Music Video: Rockin' Warriors Read: Lassiter, pp. 57-115. Listen: Cassette 5.
Day 12	A Case Study: Tradition and Change in Choctaw Music Video: The Choctaw-Chickasaw Heritage Committee Read: Lassiter, pp. 116-186.
Day 13	A Case Study (continued) Read: Lassiter, pp. 187-229 and review entire book.
Day 14	Powwow Discuss Lassiter book Video: Wisconsin Powwow
Day 15	Powwow (continued) Read: Heth, pp. 169-183.
WEEK IV Day 16	New Directions in Native American Music Video: Finding the Circle
Day 17	Integrative discussion and review
Day 18	Final Exam (Listening, reading, class notes) Term paper due by noon.

Term Paper

Each student will write a 10-15 page paper on a topic in Native American music. Your paper should be concise yet thorough and should involve detailed research using secondary sources that are tied to musical examples referenced in your paper.

Each paper should include a musical analysis of at least one example and a complete bibliography, discography, and where appropriate, filmography of all sources you consulted. The paper should be typed in size 12 font and double-spaced. Sources must be cited appropriately; please use social science style.

Submit a 1-page proposal for your term paper; the proposal should be typed, double-spaced, and must include a thorough description of the topic, an overview of the paper's content and organization, a plan for completion, and a preliminary survey of sources (books, articles from scholarly journals, and audio recordings).