BA in Music: History, Culture, and Theory Track

The History, Culture, and Theory track welcomes intellectually curious students who want to think critically and write thoughtfully about music. Our curriculum encompasses musical and sonic traditions from across time and space, exploring how they shape—and are shaped in turn by—social, cultural, and political forces. Students on this track train in a range of methods, from music analysis and archival and ethnographic research to performance-based inquiry.

Many of our seminars are discussion-based and course offerings range widely: in one semester, a student might study Indigenous musics of the Arctic, Indonesian dance and instrumental traditions, the sacred dimensions of jazz, popular song in contemporary East Asia, or Western classical music from its early roots through the twenty-first century; in another, they might explore musical storytelling and Latin American classical traditions, examine music's intersections with race, gender, medicine, narrative, film, and politics, or adopt philosophical approaches to questions about how people make meaning through sound. 

Students who wish to pursue pressing research questions may choose to write a senior thesis and/or complete an honors project, often with funding from departmental grants. We enthusiastically support those pursuing double majors and those with an interest in crossing and combining disciplines.

No audition is required for the History, Culture, and Theory track; visit Declaring a Music Major Track for additional guidance. Look here for a list of current History, Culture, and Theory course offerings. We look forward to welcoming you to the Music Department!