Music 25 Online

About This Course

The music of Latin America and the Caribbean is rich and complex—and we include Latin music in the United States here as well— with a diverse array of styles and rhythms, important historical context, and a relevance to our lives in many ways. When we explore and analyze the reasons why people make music, we uncover social, political, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic and deeply personal meanings behind the art form itself. Furthermore, we can also gain an appreciation of many points of view and develop an understanding of how the arts—and music in particular—play a vital role in society.

You will have a chance to apply what you learn in several ways throughout the course, including discussions with your classmates, tracking your listening experience in a weekly journal reflection, and developing a research project on a subject you are excited about. Finally, you will explore many musical cultures you are unfamiliar with and likely make critical connections to your own background. I think you will find great inspiration in this class, and hopefully you will develop a passion for music and continue to explore these exciting traditions well beyond your time in this class!

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Analyze, criticize and compare the music of diverse geographical regions and cultural groups in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States.

2. Analyze the social function of music in Latin American and Caribbean culture. 

3. Appraise the historical origins of different musical forms and the ways in which culture is reflected in musical traditions.

4. Distinguish and compare the characteristics of various genres of Latin American and Caribbean music.

5. Differentiate between various forms of music using the concepts and terminology of musicology.

Drop Policy

Your success in this class matters! I will do everything in my power to support your learning, and hope you will be an active and willing participant alongside me and your classmates. In our first week of class, you will complete the reading in Module 0 and participate in the Icebreaker Discussion. Students who do not participate in any of the initial activities in the class may be considered "no-shows" and risk being dropped, so please notify me if you intend to stay enrolled or wish to drop. If you begin the course and later encounter a situation that prevents you from completing the assignments, please be sure to let me know. I am here to help you, so please communicate with me no matter what!

Instructor Contact Information

I prefer Canvas Inbox for general communication. In addition, my primary email address is rmauleon@ccsf.edu. I typically respond to messages in Canvas and email within 24-48 hours.