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  3. Musics of the World

Musics of the World (MUSI10227)

Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 2
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The subject provides an introduction to understanding the relationship between music-making and social organisation in cross-cultural perspective. It presents case studies of traditional and contemporary music-making from different geographic areas, including Indigenous Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should have developed:



  • an ability to listen to and understand music-making across diverse contexts
  • an informed understanding of the sociocultural contexts and the sound structures of different music cultures
  • a vocabulary for describing the fundamentals of music-making in general as well as their manifestations in specific cultural contexts
  • an ability to pursue knowledge about different music cultures independently
  • an appreciation for the many ways music-making shapes the lives of people outside Western art and commercial music traditions

Generic skills

On completion of this subject students should have developed:

  • a capacity for independent critical thought about music from any time or place
  • an openness to new ideas about what music is
  • knowledge and skills which provide a basis for independent critical inquiry and research-based writing about music
  • an informed understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity

Last updated: 21 May 2025