Music
MUSC 105L The Music and Life of Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson was a complex and sophisticated African-American musician who challenged aesthetic and music genre boundaries. Prince’s political thought fueled his musical commentaries. A shrewd businessman who had an ambivalent relationship with the internet, he was a pioneer in selling music in digital format (e-commerce). Since his death in 2016, the burgeoning critical music studies discourse has blossomed in multidisciplinary directions. Course examines how Prince’s musical practices have become a locus to study composition, performance and production techniques, racial politics, and gender fluidity. This is an interdisciplinary course designed for undergraduate students who want to know more about Prince’s contributions to American popular music while being introduced to a critical music studies discourse. (Formerly MUSC 81U.)
General Education Code
IM
Instructor
James Gordon Williams