Dates: 02/01 - 05/21
M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
1:35 pm 3:10 pm BEC 110		1:35 pm 3:10 pm BEC 110

Subject: Music Classes (UG) (MUSC)

CRN: 22180

In Person | Lecture

St Paul: Brady Educational Center 110

Core Requirements Met:
     [Core] Fine Arts

Other Requirements Met:
     FYE Changemaking
     Writing to learn

  Ora Itkin

Why do we laugh when bad things happen to good people and what makes scary movies surprisingly funny to us? Most cultural traditions around the globe have long identified both music and humor as supremely human activities, profoundly tied to language, community, and social living. In this class we will look at and listen to movies, asking not only what makes them funny (or scary, or both) but also examining how music and sound articulate the unexpected comedic effects of horror films. Through weekly engagement with images and sounds from all over the world, we will explore the ability of humor not only to challenge boundaries of social and cultural conventions but also redefine our relationships with fear, uncertainty, and with things beyond our knowledge. We will provide the theoretical perspective to film, e.g., the language filmmakers use to create meaning, --through editing, cinematography, acting, screenplay--coupled with examining key characteristics of music, and the concept of sound as an “interpretation” and an “effect.” While arguing that film comedy emerges from a particular time, culture, and for a specific audience, we will investigate how humor--and, by extension, comedic sensibilities--is a vital life skill that can deepen our understanding of cultural complexities and play an instrumental role in forming social bonds in the contemporary world.

4 Credits