Music Humanities

HUMA UN1123 Music Humanities explores forms of the Western musical imagination through compositions and performances studied in their historical contexts. The goals of the course are to awaken and encourage active comparative listening practices, to provide tools to respond critically to a variety of musical idioms, and to engage with significant debates about the character, purpose and value of music that have occupied music-makers and musical thinkers over the past several centuries.

Focusing on a selection of representative cases, it moves chronologically from the Middle Ages to the present, examining the choices and assumptions of composers, performers, audiences and patrons, considering the role of media of transmission and recording, and exploring what we can and cannot know about how music of the past may have sounded. Students’ critical perceptions and responses to music are the central scene of learning. Reflecting the emphasis of the Core Curriculum as a whole, class discussion and assignments prioritize direct engagement with music, recorded and live, as well as the interpretation of relevant primary sources. Finally, the extraordinary richness of musical life in New York is integral to the course, with attendance of live performance a major component of course activity. In addition to the units listed below, most course sections study rotating works performed live any given semester, as well as examples from the present.

Registration Procedure

All information concerning registration in HUMA UN1123 Music Humanities is included in the registration materials sent to students. It is the expectation of the College that all students complete Music Humanities by the end of their third year.

All Core Curriculum courses, including Music Humanities, must be taken for a letter grade. Students may not drop or withdraw from Music Humanities after the Core drop deadline (which is also the end of the Change-of-Program period). For more information, see Registration—Dropping Core Courses.

Courses of Instruction

Exemption from Music Humanities

Although all Columbia students are expected to take Music Humanities, there are some students who enter with exceptional musical backgrounds that may qualify them for exemption. Exemption from Music Humanities may be obtained by passing an Exemption Exam. In the case of transfer students, exemption may also be obtained by filing a course substitution request.

Exemption Exam

The Exemption Exam is offered on the first Friday of the fall semester by the Music Department (621 Dodge Hall). Students who matriculate in the spring semester should take the exam in the following fall term. Students may take the exam only once during their first year at Columbia. If they do not pass the exam, they must enroll in a section of Music Humanities.

Course Substitution

In addition to the Exemption Exam, students with approved transfer credit have the option of requesting exemption on the basis of a similar music course passed with a grade of B or higher at another college or university. This exemption must be requested during the student’s first semester at Columbia. Petitions submitted in subsequent semesters will not be considered by the Center for the Core Curriculum.