MHST 449 Area Study: Music of Iran
In this class focuses on the music of contemporary Iran and is divided into three main sections. The first section is introductory and will focus first on mysticism (Sufism in particular) to understand the aesthetic behind the music and see how Persian architecture and geometrical patterns bridged the spiritual to the concrete world. This introduction will serve a better understanding of Persian classical music, both conceptually and materially. In the second section, we will explore four Dastgah (modal system) of Persian classical music, especially in the context of improvisation and creativity. In the third and final section of the class, we will explore the music of Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which includes the politics of music and its power to survive efforts to suppress it, pop music, which is considered a signifier of Western values, and its mass production (a distraction from socio/political activities). Also included in this section will be a discussion of women's struggle to keep their music alive despite the ban from public performance. Course work includes weekly reading, listening quizzes, two papers, and one performance project.