HMVK03042U Musicology: Musicology as a Research Discipline

What is music research, and what does it mean to do research in musicology, be it in popular music studies, sound studies, historical musicology, or musical anthropology? In this course, we discuss these core epistemological questions as well as the methodological tasks required to conduct research around music and sound with a view towards the latest interdisciplinary currents in music scholarship. Students will come away from the course with a knowledge of 

● How to detect the issues at stake in a given research field

● How to find an area and topic of interest in a given research field

● How to identify a gap within a given research field and intervene with an original contribution

● How to find and apply the appropriate research methods for critical engagement and intervention

● How to present and disseminate research findings in an effective, engaging, and

impactful way

We will focus, among other areas, on current debates around identity, on alternative formats of presenting research, on musicology as a practice, or on questioning core concepts.