3.0

credits

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This course examines the many ways that music intersected with the global politics of the twentieth century. Focusing primarily (though not exclusively) on the Cold War period, we will explore arts policy in both capitalist and communist nations; examine the roles music and musicians played in state diplomacy; and ask how music functioned between the poles of protest and complicity. Along the way we will pose larger questions about the complex roles a non-material art form can play in the exercise of power, among them: How can music have a political meaning beyond direct references to a state or ideology? What constitutes political “action”? Can a truly apolitical art exist?