Studying at York
Music's Meanings - MUS00194C
- Department: Music
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
Module summary
This course investigates meaning-making in music. The module will explore how music symbolises and impacts human emotions and societal constructs, examining its communicative power and influence in shaping social connections and collective consciousness.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
Music's meanings are not confined to the notes on a page but are deeply embedded in cultural, societal, and psychological contexts. But how does music acquire meaning? Is music a universal language? How do we decide what certain musical gestures signify? This module examines the importance of understanding music's meaning-making dimensions through semiotics—the project examines how music signifies and conveys emotions, narratives, and identities.
The module aims to demystify the meaning-making process. It emphasises the importance of considering music's sonic and non-sonic aspects in understanding its impact and significance. Through a wide range of examples, this module examines how music functions as a powerful medium of communication across different cultures and historical periods. From traditional societies to modern urban environments, the module highlights the role of music in social rituals, identity formation, and political movements. Music is a crucial tool for communication and social bonding. The module explores the idea that music can be a powerful agent of change and a means of expressing and shaping collective identities.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the taught part of the project, you should be able to:
- Assess the relationship between musical elements and their associated emotional or symbolic meanings from a semiotic perspective.
- Identify the contribution of music to the construction of individual and group identities through historical and contemporary examples.
- Discuss the role of music as a form of expression within various social and political contexts, illustrating its impact on cultural development.
- Demonstrate an understanding of music as a communicative tool that transcends linguistic barriers, facilitating societal cohesion and change.
- Investigate the principles of semiotics as applied to music, to articulate how musical compositions can reflect and influence human behaviour and social trends.
First years: On completion of the module, in your independent work, you should demonstrate learning outcomes A1-6 and, depending on submission route, some/all of A7 and A9–12. https://www.york.ac.uk/music/undergraduate/modules/learning-outcomes/
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
| Practical | 0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
There are two routes of assessment:
1. an essay of 3000 words (100%), title chosen in consultation with project tutor; OR
2. a portfolio comprising composition or performance of c.5 minutes (70% of mark). This may be either a notated composition (with accompanying mp3 recording) for solo instrument or small ensemble, or an electronic composition making use of a DAW and appropriate recording techniques. A detailed contextual commentary of c. 1000 words (30% of mark) should accompany the composition, explaining the techniques used and relating them to concepts introduced in the module.
Students may only take route 2 if they have already taken a module focusing on either performance, notated or electronic composition techniques (as appropriate).
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
| Practical | 0 |
Module feedback
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Indicative reading
Chandler, Daniel. Semiotics: The Basics. 4th Ed. The Basics. New York, NY: Routledge, 2022.
Turino, Thomas. Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Perman, Tony. ‘Musical Meaning and Indexicality in the Analysis of Ceremonial Mbira Music’. Semiotica 2020, no. 236–237 (16 December 2020): 55–83.
Turino, Thomas. ‘Signs of Imagination, Identity, and Experience: A Peircian Semiotic Theory for Music’. Ethnomusicology 43, no. 2 (1999): 221–55.