MUSA 1703 Human/Nature: Connecting to the Living World Through Music

This is an ENDURING QUESTION course and is open to FRESHMEN only. You must enroll in both BIOL1713 and MUSA1703. How do humans connect to nature? Throughout history, humans have explored, expressed, and attempted to understand our connection to nature. These paired courses examine the cultural inscriptions and values that have shaped our perceptions of our natural surroundings and that inform knowledge-seeking and expression. Students will explore themes of attention, objectivity, and how being part of the thing we study and/or create can influence the outcome of that investigative and creative process. We will analyze musical works that aim to represent the natural world and also think about the materials needed from the natural world to develop technologies for music making, from acoustic instruments to generative AI, and their environmental impact and sustainability. Theorizing humanity's intrinsic love of nature, we will also consider our responsibility to the living world in the midst of threats to biodiversity.