The Music His­tory of Anim­als

• Year of study: One semesters, autumn or spring
• Final assessment: Written assignment
• Language of tuition: Norwegian/English

Course description

The Music History of Animals explores the musicality of different animal species and how this can inspire new ways of thinking about the nature of music. The course aims to develop an understanding of sonic and bodily communication in nature as a resource for creativity and attentive listening.

Learning objectives

After completing the course the student is expected to

• demonstrate insight into the sonic worlds of selected animal species
• apply knowledge of animal musicality in creative or performative practice
• develop an understanding of music-making as a bodily, rather than instrument-centered, activity

Overview

The course focuses on one animal species at a time, examining its sonic and physical expressions, environment, and modes of interaction. Students imitate and reinterpret these expressions musically and physically. The course also introduces theoretical perspectives such as Darwinism, environmental philosophy, mimesis, memory, territory, and the animal voice in literature.

Structure

The course consists of six modules, including lectures, discussions, student presentations, and workshops. Students are required to submit the following content:

1. A lecture on a specific animal species, including collective analysis of aural skills and discussion.
2. Presentation and review of students’ work on imitating the animal’s music, either through performance on their instrument or through composition. Work may be done individually or in groups.
3. A two-part workshop in which students perform excerpts from an existing notated work.

Course requirements

The students will fulfil three requirements for each module:

1. Listening, aural analysis, and written reflections of approximately 500 words, to be submitted in Canvas.
2. Preparation of short passages from a notated composition, preferably in pairs.

Final assessments

The student is assessed in relation to the course learning outcomes. All coursework must be approved in order for the student to qualify for a final assessment.

The student must submit instrumental or compositional contributions of 1–2 minutes in Canvas.

Final assessment is expressed as pass/fail.

Reassessment

The same requirements as for the ordinary assessment.