MUSC 233 Sonic Materiality: Intersecting Music and Visual Art
At the intersection of music and visual art, this collaborative course will explore the ways meaning is made in creative work and is open to all students with an interest in interdisciplinary art practices. Over the semester we will study leading artists whose work straddles sound and visual forms. Students will work with their peers to unpack how they assign meaning and infuse strong concepts and narratives in their art. Through this course, students will experiment with various strategies and tools to express their ideas and will develop a heightened appreciation for the creative process.
Each week concepts will be presented through the lens of music and visual art and will be structured to alternate between in-depth study and hands-on class exercises. Such experiments will foster student-led discussions, and lead to projects that challenge students to emulate and ultimately reimagine these ideas through their artistic work. We begin with artists like Jason Moran, a renowned pianist and multimedia artist, whose piece Ringing My Phone perfectly demonstrates the innovative way in which he intersects music and language. The conceptual work of Charles Gaines will guide our exploration of systems that produce sensory experiences. In addition to Gaines, we will look at musicians who integrate the historical archive, like Jon Batiste’s piano arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, alongside visual artists like Bethany Collins whose physical interventions on the musical notions of other national hymns demonstrate how meaning shifts over time. Non-traditional composers such as John Cage and Wadada Smith will prompt a conversation about the nature and forms of sound.
A significant objective of the course will be to expose the ways we take meaning for granted in our sensory experiences. We will question how language facilitates the categorization of various creative practices and consider the value of blurring such distinctions. Students will be asked to engage in a range of strategies to create individual and collaborative work that integrates multiple art mediums, design systems, and methods to support these creations. They will also consider how context impacts meaning/narratives in their work. Prompts throughout the semester will encourage students to answer questions about how one can create with unconventional sounds/tools from their environment and culminate in a final project resulting in a collaborative performance or presentation.
The class will emphasize the rich history and resources of LA and will include visiting artists and guest lecturers, as well as field trips to some of LA’s artistic hubs, such as Art & Practice in Leimert Park, The Red Cat, LACMA, Array studios, and relative exhibits. This class aims to enrich student’s education by exposing them to varying thoughts and approaches to creating and appreciating art. Ultimately we will encourage students to think more broadly about pushing past the traditional boundaries and barriers surrounding art and to create in a way that is authentic to their individual story.
Cross Listed Courses
ARTS230 Interdisciplinary Arts