Read Me First -- Welcome to the Course!
Welcome to the Course
Hi folks and welcome to the course. I am David G. Such, Ph.D., your instructor for the course. Call me Dr. Such or David, but not Mr. I have music in my bones, wanderlust in my legs, and an insatiable curiosity for people and culture.
Music is fun, powerful, and a window into the human soul and condition. Why do you suppose John Cage wrote a song called 4'33", which he performed without any musical instrument sounding a single note? In that composition, Cage presented listeners with the possibility that natural sounds (e.g., the wind and rain outside the auditorium) become the music in lieu of what we normally expect. I may not be the first one in line to buy a ticket to Cage's performance, but I like how he lets music out of the box, so to speak. I hope you will take a somewhat similar and daring approach, which allows you to consider music outside your normal comfort zone.
As we look at these topics throughout the course, I hope that our exploration of music together will be a positive learning experience and an eye opener, or rather ear opener, into aspects of music you may not have considered before. Much of the content for the course comes from my own experiences working with musicians, visiting other cultures and simply listening. In many instances, I try to share with you some of my experiences, which I hope add to the overall quality of this journey together.
The overall objective of the course is to empower you with tools, ideas and background for exploring and appreciating a variety of musics performed (by humans) around the planet. Music moves the human spirit, and we can learn much about people through music--significant reasons why music occupies an important niche in higher education. I do not promise that you will like all the music that the class offers, but stop and consider the idea that most music on the planet has value and some sort of function for those people that listen to it and perform it. With that in mind, the idea of the course is not so much about liking a particular kind of music, but developing an understanding or an "objective," and unbiased appreciation for what it is and what it represents to people. I also hope that along the way you discover a few musical gems that will pique your interest and stay with you for a long time.
Medellin, Columbia
I also hope that as the course progresses--and even after you leave the course--that you continue to apply what you learn to music that you like and listen to often, thus gaining a deeper appreciation for those styles. Step out of your comfort zone and resist settling for music that fits like a comfy, old shirt. Enough classic rock and "oldies" radio stations already litter the airwaves (classic hip hop stations are just around the corner). Instead, make music a lifelong exploration and reach out to new (or at least new to you) musicians, avenues of musical expression, and emotions through music. I think you will be surprised by what you find and experience.
Lastly, get ready to learn, listen and be challenged by what I will expose you to over the next several weeks. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or musical insights you may have along the way. I am always interested.
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplumb/)
Think of this class as the latest stage in the evolution of the Gutenberg Press, historically perhaps the most important media invention at least in western civilization. However, instead of hard print, most of the course comes to you via digital media, an advancement that higher education seems to be embracing quickly. The goal is to deliver quality, higher education at reduced costs and more convenience for students. Please let me know if at any time the cost (course materials) and quality factors are missing. As for convenience, this depends on how well you are able to adapt this format to fit your schedule and lifestyle.
With this in mind, I cannot emphasize how important it is in online courses to be familiar with how the course is designed, organized and delivered via the Canvas platform (Canvas is the name of the software that allows your instructor to organize the content of the course and deliver it to you online). Much of your success in the course will depend on this knowledge.