printer friendly pageORALCOMM 123: Crafting Concept Albums: Big Tales, Small Grooves, and the Art of Musical Narrative
Cultures all around the world tell the stories of their history, beliefs, and identities through song. The Greeks set their epic tales of love, life, and death to music, Renaissance composers followed suit, and popular music artists do the same today. In this hybrid workshop-seminar, students will explore musical narratives by analyzing seminal concept albums and then producing their own single-story album through written lyrics. Students will examine how artists use craft elements such as setting, characters, and plot, cover art, and musical form and instrumentation, then apply that learning in their own productions. Creating music, beats, soundscapes, and artwork will be encouraged, but the final project need only be a cycle of recorded, spoken song lyrics. We¿ll focus in particular on narratives of race, class, gender, and sexuality and their social implications as we examine works from artists across musical genres¿from classic and punk rock artists such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie,
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Cultures all around the world tell the stories of their history, beliefs, and identities through song. The Greeks set their epic tales of love, life, and death to music, Renaissance composers followed suit, and popular music artists do the same today. In this hybrid workshop-seminar, students will explore musical narratives by analyzing seminal concept albums and then producing their own single-story album through written lyrics. Students will examine how artists use craft elements such as setting, characters, and plot, cover art, and musical form and instrumentation, then apply that learning in their own productions. Creating music, beats, soundscapes, and artwork will be encouraged, but the final project need only be a cycle of recorded, spoken song lyrics. We¿ll focus in particular on narratives of race, class, gender, and sexuality and their social implications as we examine works from artists across musical genres¿from classic and punk rock artists such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and Green Day; to hip-hop, pop, and EDM performers such as Beyoncé, Lupe Fiasco, Janelle Monáe, Daft Punk, and Kendrick Lamar. Students will work in groups to choose genre, develop a sense of place and time, select narrative structures, and craft lyrics. No prior experience in music or creative writing is required.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
OSPBER 17: Split Images: A Century of Cinema
20th-century German culture through film. The silent era, Weimar, and the instrumentalization of film in the Third Reich. The postwar era: ideological and aesthetic codes of DEFA, new German cinema, and post-Wende filmmaking including
Run Lola Run and
Goodbye Lenin. Aesthetic aspects of the films including image composition, camera and editing techniques, and relation between sound and image.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II
OSPBER 28: German Opera
This course is designed to provide an introduction to opera in general and German opera in particular. The syllabus is linked specifically to productions of German operas currently being presented at Berlin's opera houses. During class we will prepare ourselves for the various performances by discussing each work in detail, looking at the libretto, analyzing the relationship between music and text, listening to recordings, and reading secondary literature. We will also share our post-performance impressions. The principal aim of the course is informed appreciation of the genre of opera.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
OSPBER 60: Cityscape as History: Architecture and Urban Design in Berlin
Diversity of Berlin's architecture and urban design resulting from its historical background. Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his artistic ancestors. Role of the cultural exchange between Germany and the U.S. Changing nature of the city from the 19th century to the present.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPBER 66: Theory from the Bleachers: Reading German Sports and Culture
German culture past and present through the lens of sports. Intellectual, societal, and historical-political contexts. Comparisons to Britain, France, and the U.S. The concepts of
Körperkultur, Leistung, Show, Verein, and
Haltung. Fair play, the relation of team and individual, production and deconstruction of sports heroes and heroines, and sports nationalism. Sources include sports narrations and images, attendance at sports events, and English and German texts. Will be taught in German if there are enough students with sufficient knowledge of German.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-A-II
OSPBER 101A: Contemporary Theater
Texts of plays supplemented by theoretical texts or reviews. Weekly theater visits and discussions with actors, directors, or other theater professionals. In German. Prerequisite: completion of
GERLANG 3 or equivalent.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPCPTWN 55: Arts of Change
How might we understand the creative arts in South Africa in terms of their variety and impact? What social issues do they reflect? What impact might they yet have? Students will have the opportunity for a related practicum. Course must be taken for a minimum of 3 units to satisfy a Ways requirement.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPCPTWN 78: Postcolonial Modernist Art Movements in Africa
Introduction to the complexities and contradictions of 'modernity' and 'modernism(s)' in postcolonial Africa. With a focus on ideology-driven interdisciplinary artistic movements in Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa, examine various schools of thought that were part of modern consciousness that characterised the independence decades. Role that art centres, workshops, collectives and mission schools played in histories of European expansion and colonialism. Debates regarding notions of 'appropriation,' 'natural synthesis' and 'assimilation' interpreted in the context of postcolonial theory. Different modes of production and methodological approaches.
Last offered: Summer 2019
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
OSPFLOR 11: Film, Food and the Italian Identity
Food in Italian cinema staged as an allegory of Italy¿s social, political and cultural milieu. Intersections between food, history and culture as they are reflected in and shaped by Italian cinema from the early 1900s until today. Topics include: farmer's tradition during Fascism; lack of food during WWII and its aftermath; the Economic Miracle; food and the Americanization of Italy; La Dolce Vita; the Italian family; ethnicity, globalization and the re-discovery of regional culinary identity in contemporary Italy. Impact of cinema in both reflecting and defining the relationship between food and culture.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 29: The People Amid the Monuments
From both chronological and thematic approaches, examine the efforts of English-speaking writers (and, latterly, film-makers) to get to grips with Italy and the Italians. Beginning in the England of Queen Elizabeth and ending at the present day, cover a variety of themes such as Italy's historical role as a haven for the LGBT community and the modern interest in neglected southern Italy. Illustrative multimedia content with visits to sites of relevance in Florence.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
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