This course focuses on research methods as tools for engagement to make music understandable to ourselves and others. We will examine historical, theoretical, comparative, and sociological methods of music research to identify the questions they ask and the kinds of answers they intend to find. How do we research music historically or analytically using library databases, recordings, scores, and other resources? How do we interact with social and cultural communities to learn more about music traditions and repertoires? Students develop meaningful research questions on topics such as musical instruments, global popular music, and projects such as curating a concert or putting together an album or a documentary film. Contemporary Music majors should complete this course at least one year before they begin their senior capstone project.

This course focuses on research methods as tools for engagement to make music understandable to ourselves and others. We will examine historical, theoretical, comparative, and sociological methods of music research to identify the questions they ask and the kinds of answers they intend to find. How do we research music historically or analytically using library databases, recordings, scores, and other resources? How do we interact with social and cultural communities to learn more about music traditions and repertoires? Students develop meaningful research questions on topics such as musical instruments, global popular music, and projects such as curating a concert or putting together an album or a documentary film. This is a writing-intensive course, so students would ideally complete Writing the Essay I & II before taking this course. Contemporary Music majors should complete this course at least one year before they begin their senior capstone project. The required book for this course is _Writing in Music: A Brief Guide_ (Oxford Univ. Press, 2020).