MUSI 4519: Global Electronic Musics

Fall 2015

Mon Wed Fri 13:00 – 13:50

Old Cabell Hall S008 (basement)

Course instructor:   

Noel Lobley, Assistant Professor of Music (Critical and Comparative Studies)

Contact:                                     noel.lobley@virginia.edu

Office hours:           Wednesdays 14:30 – 16:30 (or by appt.), Wilson 109 (434-297-6987)

SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO REVISION – Definitive version always on Collab

Course description:

The possibilities for electronic music are limitless, connecting scenes, cities and histories for over one hundred years. Whether as mainstream as US EDM, or as underground as Japanoise, electronic music pulses in almost every city and town across the globe. In order to examine the social and cultural influences at play in the composition, circulation and performance of electronic music in global context, we critically engage with multiple musical examples, including: auto-tuned Afropop and pioneering film music, sonic art and distorted r’n’b, dubstep and remixology, as well as the sounds of military and medical experiments, video games and global hip hop.

COURSE MATERIALS

During the semester, we will read and be guided by the following key texts, some of which are available in full online, and all will remain on reserve at the Music library in Old Cabell Hall. Copies will also be available to buy at the Bookstore according to demand.

Recommended Purchases

Brend, M. 2012. The Sound of Tomorrow: how electronic music was smuggled into the
            mainstream. New York & London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Collins, N., M. Schedel & S. Wilson [eds]. 2013. Electronic Music (Cambridge
            Introductions to Music). Cambridge: University Press.

Demers, J. 2010. Listening Through the Noise: the aesthetics of experimental electronic
            music. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press.

Matos, M. 2015. The Underground is Massive: how electronic dance music conquered
            America. New York: Dey Street Books.

Rodgers, T. 2010. Pink Noises: women on electronic music and sound. Durham, NC:
            Duke University Press.

Available Online

Holmes, T. 2004. Electronic and Experimental Music (electronic resource): pioneers in
            technology and composition. New York & London: Taylor and Francis e-Library.

http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=5592

Manning, P. 2004. Electronic and Computer Music (electronic resource). Oxford & New
            York: Oxford University Press.

Sicko, D. 2010. Techno-rebels: the renegades of electronic funk. Detroit, MI: Painted
            Turtle.

Also Valuable

Chadabe, J. 1997. Electronic Music: the past and promise of electronic music. Upper
            Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Miller, P. 2008. Sound Unbound: sampling digital music and culture. Cambridge, Ma:
            The MIT Press.

Witt, S. 2015. How Music Got Free: the end of an industry, the turn of the century, and

            the patient zero of privacy. New York: Viking.

Most other reading, listening and viewing materials will be available online, and there is also a short extra general bibliography at the end of the syllabus.

Useful Journals

Computer Music Journal

http://www.computermusicjournal.org
 

Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture

https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult

Leonardo Music Journal

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/lmj

Organized Sound

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=OSO

SEAMUS: Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States

http://seamusonline.org

Useful Websites and Blogs

Bleep

https://bleep.com

edmSauce

http://www.edmsauce.com

FACT Magazine

http://www.factmag.com

Resident Advisor

http://www.residentadvisor.net

The Wire

http://www.thewire.co.uk

Assessments

This semester we will complete four assignments in a range of creative formats: three short pieces of work [(i) a blog entry, (ii) a listening journal, and (iii) a curated playlist with commentary], plus a final project.

The first three assignments should be approximately 1500-2000 words in length. For the final project (approx. 4000 words) you will be asked to identify a specific topic/ idea/ series of case studies that will enable you to explore some of the major themes of our course.

Please discuss your ideas for your final paper with me during early November. I encourage you all to propose possible alternative creative formats for your final paper, which need not be, but also certainly can be, a standard written paper.

Course work will be assessed on the following basis:

30%     Participation (including attendance, timeliness of submissions, and overall engagement)

30%     Written assessments count as 10% each [(i) artist blog entry, (ii) listening journal submission, and (iii) curated popular music playlist and commentary]

40%     Final project broadly addressing the question ‘what does electronic music communicate?’ [due in the last week of the semester]

Key Assessment Deadlines

1. First Written Assignment [Week 4]: a blog entry on a favourite artist or electronic genre – due by 17:00 Friday 18^th September [Approximately 1500-2000 words]
2. Second Written Assignment [Week 8]: Polished Listening Journal Submission – due by 17:00 Friday 16^th October [Approximately 1500-2000 words]
3. Third Written Assignment [Week 12]: a curated electronic music playlist and commentary exploring a narrative – due by 17:00 Friday 13^th November [Approximately 1500-2000 words].
4. Fourth Written Assignment [Week 16]: Final Paper answering the question ‘What could electronic music communicate?’ – due by 17:00 Friday 11^th December [Approximately 4000 words]

Course attendance and participation

As this course is a seminar, participation in class discussions will be particularly important. Attendance and respectful participation are expected. More than two unexcused absences from class will adversely affect the final grade.

Course policies

No late assignments will be accepted without very good reason. It is always best to advise me in advance if you anticipate any problems meeting deadlines.

Please remember to turn off all cell phones during class. In general, no emailing or social media use is allowed during class. However, in most seminars I will invite us all to conduct brief research in class using our devices.

Honor

I trust every student in this course to comply with all of the provisions of the UVA honor system. You must pledge and sign your three written assignments. Your signature on the papers affirms that they represent your original work, and that any sources you have quoted, paraphrased, or used extensively in preparing the paper have been properly credited in the footnotes or bibliography.

Thematic Course Questions

Through a wide-ranging variety of literature, case studies, and audio-visual sources our course will address the following three broad thematic areas of investigation:

Course questions 


• What is electronic music? What does it sound like? How do its sounds, ideas and contexts vary across global music scenes? 

• What and how does electronic music communicate? How do artists make, use, share and remix it? How human could it be?
• What are the histories and futures of global electronic music?

Overview of Topics

I. Electronic Music in History    

Week 1: Welcome and introduction
Week 2: What is electronic music?
Week 3: Early experiments with tape and electricity.

II. Electronic Music Cities in Focus

Week 4: Paris
Week 5: Berlin, Cologne and Düsseldorf
Week 6: Detroit and Chicago

III. Electronic Music Artists in Focus

Week 7: Stockhausen and Cage
Week 8: Aphex Twin
Week 9: Pink Noises and Feminist electronica

IV. Popular Electronic Music

Week 10: Electronic music, the mainstream and advertising.
Week 11: EDM (Electronic Dance Music) sweeps the US
Week 12: Electronic living online

V. Special topics

Week 13: (1) Experimental electronica and sonic art
Week 14: (2) Cross-pollinations: rock, electronica and songs
Week 15: (3) Radical politics and genders in electronica

Return

Week 16: Revision: what is electronic music?
 

COURSE OUTLINE

I. ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN HISTORY
 

Week One: Welcome and introduction

Class 1 & 2:               Wednesday 26^th  & Friday 28^th August

Introduction – Scope of the course: what is global electronic music?

Preliminary viewing and listening

Modulations Documentary

https://vimeo.com/87206606

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Classes One and Two (Wednesday 26th & Friday 28th August 2015 - Week One)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103Syx6cUO7mxShNxSb-y7cCH

Week 2: What is electronic music?

Classes 3-5:               Monday 31^st August, & Wednesday 2^nd & Friday 4^th September

Key Questions:

1. What did electricity do to sound?
2. What is an electronic music instrument?
3. Where is electronic music?

Key Texts:

Collins (2013) – Chapters 1-3; Holmes (2004) – Parts 1 & 2; Chadabe (1997) – Chapters 1 & 2
 

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Three (Monday 31st August 2015 - Week Two)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103Q4ZfD3mrtGRGPon4CBpC2G

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Four (Wednesday 2nd September 2015 - Week Two)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RMtGa0aoOj73j8vFS8H0lW

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Five (Friday 4th September 2015 - Week Two)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103QNFiJdfECKUSmqnLIj2KLv

Week 3: Early experiments with tape and electricity.

Class 6-8:       Monday 7th, Wednesday 9^th & Friday 11^th September

Key Questions:

1. Why did artists begin to cut up recording tapes?
2. What influenced the development of electronic recording techniques?
3. Who were some of the pioneering individuals and institutions and what were they trying to achieve?

Key Texts:

Manning (2004) – Chapters 1-3; Chadabe (1997) – Chapters 3 & 4
 

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Six (Monday 7th September 2015 - Week Three)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103Ru_Ab4-ppnO1_IKXeqc_R7

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Seven (Wednesday 9th September 2015 - Week Three)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103QPx6Y40lfbW8cByRPpnVT4

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Eight (Friday 11th September 2015 - Week Three)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RO1uBjbPF1NgVqnNdslz2d

II. ELECTRONIC MUSIC CITIES IN FOCUS

Week 4: Paris
 

Classes 9-11: Monday 14^th, Wednesday 16^th & Friday 18^th September

Key questions:

1. What is musique concrète?
2. Why is Pierre Schaeffer significant?
3. What happens at IRCAM?

Key Texts:

Collins (2013) - Chapter 4 'The Post War Sonic Boom" (pp. 45-64)

Holmes (2004) - Chapter 5 'Musique Concrète and the Ancient Art of Tape Composition' (pp. 72-105)
 

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Classes Nine and Ten (Monday 14th & Wednesday 16th September 2015 - Week Four)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RTfm3D6VIs7QknXnH3yAkI

[No class on Friday 18th September 2015 due to Noel being in London]

Week 5: Berlin, Cologne & Düsseldorf

Classes 11-13:           Monday 21^st, Wednesday 23rd & Friday 25^th September

Key questions:

1. Why has Germany been so important in the development of electronic sounds?
2. What do Kraftwerk do?
3. What does Berlin sound like?

Texts:

Manning (2004) – Chapter 3; Stubbs (2014)
 

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Eleven (Friday 25th September 2015 - Week Five)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103THJLe0pD8mGHnL86_j619R

[No classes on Monday 21st or Wednesday 23rd September due to Noel being in London]

Week 6: Detroit and Chicago

Classes 12-14:       Monday 28^th & Wednesday 30th September, & Friday 2^nd October

Key questions:

1. What is house music?
2. Is techno from Detroit?
3. What makes Chicago footwork distinctive?

Texts:

Sicko, Dan. 2010. Techno rebels: the renegades of electronic funk. Detroit, MI: Painted Turtle.

[available online via Virgo}

*** please try to read as much of the entire book as you can ***

Reynolds, S. 2013. Energy flash: a journey through rave music and dance culture. London: Faber & Faber.

[One. 'A Tale of Three Cities: Detroit Techno, Chicago House and New York Garage' (pp. 1-40)]

[Eight. 'The Future Sound of Detroit: Underground Resitance, +8, and Carl Craig' (pp. 249-275)]
 

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twelve (Monday 28th September 2015 - Week Six)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103R86X_CazplmHg13iM7rmZu

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirteen (Wednesday 30th September 2015 - Week Six)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103R1YDLWJM0woFF8eQ9UF2gO

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Fourteen (Friday 2nd October 2015 - Week Six)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RbtfNfc9XNzydFGfNSmAjU

III. ELECTRONIC MUSIC ARTISTS IN FOCUS

Week 7: Stockhausen and Cage

Class 15 & 16:           Wednesday 7^th & Friday 9^th October

Key questions:

1. What does music written with helicopters sound like?
2. What predictions did John Cage make for electronic sound?
3. Are microphones musical instruments?

   There is no required reading for this week's classes on Stockhausen and Cage as I would like you all to take the time to catch up on some of the reading and listening/ watching from our classes so far, to push ahead with your listening journals, and to think about topics for your final projects.

   Please keep an eye on the syllabus for updates to readings, playlists and powerpoint resources this week.

   As we approach the half-way point of our course, from week 8 onwards I would like each of you to make a short presentation on the topic for the week. This will involve you choosing one of the topics (allocated on a first come first served basis), conducting research from the recommended readings and any sources you find independently, and then presenting your findings to the class. I would like to allocate up to half an hour for you presentations to begin with, and you are free to use the time as you wish (say, for example, present for around 10 minutes and then allow 20 minutes for discussion). We can easily extend these times if so desired.

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Fifteen (Wednesday 7th October 2015 - Week Seven)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103ReZnyteW5Rza14XiaUPDpB

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Sixteen (Friday 9th October 2015 - Week Seven)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103QhwXVGoP9TxTETnoIqhHWl

Week 8: Aphex Twin

Classes 17-19:           Monday 12^th, Wednesday 14th & Friday 16^th October

Key questions:

1. What does Aphex Twin do?
2. What is the sound of WARP Records?
3. How do you DJ with sandpaper and a blender?

Texts:

Weidenbaum (2014)

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Seventeen (Monday 12th October 2015 - Week Eight)

Week 9: Pink Noises and Feminist electronica

Classes 20-22:           Monday 19^th, Wednesday 21^st & Friday 23rd October

Key questions:

1. What is a feminist electronica?
2. Who was Delia Derbyshire?
3. Where are women placed in the history of electronic music?

Texts:

Rodgers (2010)

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty (Monday 19th October 2015 - Week Nine)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103T8H6kQraq_lDxAuTrcJRV4

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty One (Wednesday 21st October 2015 - Week Nine)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103ScgOOqXK2yDd03lMi3htXp

[No playlist for Class Twenty Two as the class was admirably hosted by Alec Miller]

IV. POPULAR ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Week 10: Electronic music, the mainstream and advertising.

Classes 23-25:           Monday 26^th. Wednesday 28^th & Friday 30^th October

Key questions:

1. How does electronic music circulate?
2. What is auto-tune?
3. What does electronic music sell?

Texts:

Brend (2012); Collins (2013) – Chapter 6

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty Three (Monday 26th October 2015 - Week Ten)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103R2Rmj8lHvWDYEAElBIe6SA

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty Four (Wednesday 28th October 2015 - Week Ten)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103Rfzphab0EywkGdzCmzkjxN
 

Week 11: EDM (Electronic Dance Music) sweeps the US

Classes 26-28:           Monday 2^nd, Wednesday 4^th & Friday 6th November

Key questions:

1. What is EDM?
2. Is it new?
3. What makes EDM fashionable?

Texts:

Matos (2015)

Reynolds, S. (2013) – Chapter 13 ‘America the Rave: US rave culture 1990-1997’, and Chapter 25 ‘The Future is Now: EDM in the USA, or 2012: the year rave broke America’.

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty Six (Monday 2nd November 2015 - Week Eleven)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RsM16FN69tfIJa2XIaHWPV

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty Seven (Wednesday 4th November 2015 - Week Eleven)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103QnFVbICGaYw-PXowXYooy5

Week 12: Electronic living online

Classes 29-31:           Monday 9^th, Wednesday 11^th & Friday 13^th November

Key questions:

1. Where and how is electronic music shared?
2. Is digital circulation of sounds wholly positive?
3. How is electronic music branded online?

Texts:

Collins (2013) – Chapter 12; Witt (2015)

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Twenty Nine (Monday 9th November 2015 - Week Twelve)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103SsQvjWCjohBScMcA-zvLtR

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty (Wednesday 11th November 2015 - Week Twelve)

No separate playlist for today's class.

V. SPECIAL TOPICS

Week 13: (1) Experimental electronica and sonic art

Classes 32-34:           Monday 16^th, Wednesday 18^th & Friday 20^th November

Key questions:

1. Are there electronic experimentation and popular electronica necessarily different?
2. What is sonic art?
3. Who are some of the key experimental electronic composers and sonic artists and what are their aims?

Texts:

Collins (2013) – Chapters  10 & 11; Holmes (2004) – Chapter 7;

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty Two (Monday 16th November 2015 - Week Thirteen)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103Ryi1y-aOB-fWhhzzGrvYJG
 

Week 14: (2) Cross-pollinations: rock, electronica and songs

Class 35:        Monday 23rd November

Key questions:

1. Who blends electronic music with other musical genres?
2. What or who is OK Computer & Kid A?
3. What can electronic music connect?

Texts:

Manning (2004) – Chapter 8;  Holmes (2004) – Part 4; Griffiths (2004)

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty Five (Monday 23rd November 2015 - Week Fourteen)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103SqaSJNWfarlbV2E1kYcbAN
 

Week 15: (3) Radical politics and genders in electronica

Classes 36-38:           Monday 30^th November, Wednesday 2^nd & Friday 4^th December

Key questions:

1. Is electronic music political?
2. Is electronic music democratic?
3. Is electronic music gendered?

Texts:

Rodgers (2013); St. John (2009)


You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty Six (Monday 30th November 2015 - Week Fifteen)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103TzSmF0nneBz3AEa4uVDv-W

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty Seven (Wednesday 2nd December 2015 - Week Fifteen)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103RH8LzC3jiM99RqsEwihp5Y
 

RETURN and REVISION

Week 16: Revision: what is electronic music?

Class 39:                    Monday 7^th December

Key questions:

1. What makes music electronic?
2. What and how do electronic instruments communicate?
3. What are the future sounds of electronica?

Texts:

All texts, plus resources identified and chosen by yourselves in consultation with myself.

You Tube Playlist and Listening Examples for Class Thirty Nine (Monday 7th December 2015 - Week Sixteen)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuoiSwM3103R1R97x0ehbVTm7Gp-zyADv

General Bibliography

Griffiths, D. 2004. OK Computer (33 1/3 Series). New York: Continuum.

Kahn, D. 2013. Earth Sound, Earth Signal: energies and earth magnitude in the arts. Berkeley: University of California Press.

[Available online]
Prendergast, M. 2003. The Ambient Century: from Mahler to Moby – the evolution of sound in the electronic age. New York: Bloomsbury.

Reynolds, S. 2013. Energy flash: a journey through rave music and dance culture. London: Faber & Faber.

St John, G. 2009. Technomad: global raving countercultures. London & Oakville, CT: Equinox.

[Available online}

Stubbs, D. 2014. Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany. London: Faber and Faber.

Weidenbaum, M. 2014. Selected Ambient Works Volume II (33 1/3 Series). New York: Bloomsbury Academic.

Witt, S. 2015. How Music Got Free: the end of an industry, the turn of the century, and the patient zero of privacy. New York: Viking.

____

STUDENT LIFE

I and my teaching assistants will work hard to encourage a safe and equitable learning environment in this course.  But, what happens in the classroom will be just one element of your experience at UVA this semester. Although I may not always be able to address your questions and concerns, I will certainly be able to guide you towards all necessary support and resources, so please do not hesitate to contact me about any issues that may be affecting your experience of this class.

Additional resources that are available to you:

Resources for Addressing Sexual Violence:

The University’s central site is: http://www.virginia.edu/sexualviolence/.

You can also contact the Office of the Dean of Students: 434- 924-7133 (or after hours and weekends call 434-924-7166 for the University Police Department; ask them to refer the issue to the Dean on Call)

Sexual Assault Resources Agency (SARA) hotline: 434-977-7273 (24/7)

Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) hotline: 434-293-8509 (24/7);

UVA Women's Center: 435-982-2361; and

Student Health (CAPS).

Resources for Addressing Racial Violence or Other Instances of Harassment or Discrimination:

http://www.virginia.edu/justreportit/.

You can also contact the Office of the Dean of Students: 434-924-7133 (or after hours and weekends call 434-924-7166 for the University Police Department; ask them to refer the issue to the Dean on Call); and Student Health (CAPS).

In addition, the Center for Teaching Excellence (formerly the Teaching Resource Center) has assembled a wide-ranging list of sites and offices that can help respond to both academic and non-academic concerns.

You can find it at: http://trc.virginia.edu/resources/support-for-uva-faculty-and-students/.

Finally, if you have any questions about academic integrity or what counts as plagiarism, please let me know. The Honor Code applies to all assignments for this course. The Library also offers helpful information at:

http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/content.php?pid=385908&sid=3162708

Please see below for recommended actions to prevent and respond to violence involving students, faculty and staff in the department. These guidelines aim to promote safety, community and awareness amongst students in classes and ensembles, musicians and other members of the department.

Syllabi statement

The McIntire Department of Music is committed to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all students, and holds the following two values as critically important:

1. Power-based personal violence will not be tolerated.
2. Everyone has a responsibility to do their part to maintain a safe community on Grounds.

Please know that as a faculty member, I support a safe and violence-free campus. If you or someone you know has been affected by power-based personal violence, more information can be found on the UVA Sexual Violence website, which describes reporting options and the many available resources. A link is given for reporting misconduct through the university’s Title IX process.

If you have concerns or questions about any aspect of this, you can approach any faculty or staff member of the music department, or any of these offices:

• ODOS Dean on Call: (434) 924-7166; DeanofStudents@virginia.edu
• CAPS (individual counseling) :
  • Day time – (434) 243-5150
  • After hours – (434) 972-7004
• SARA 24-hr Sexual Assault Hotline: (434) 977-7273
• University Women’s Center: (434) 982-2774 or sdvs@virginia.edu
• Campus Police à Call 911 for emergencies or (434) 924-8843
   

Reporting misconduct

• Misconduct includes any type of power-based personal violence and any type of sexual conduct and / or sexual intercourse that occurs without effective consent; misconduct includes intimate partner violence, domestic violence and stalking, as well as sexual harassment, defined as unwelcome verbal, written, physical or other conduct that is sex or gender-based and creates a hostile environment

The Gigging Musicians’ Guide to Getting Home Safely

Arrange how you’re getting home before you go

- Don’t wait and see if you can hitch a ride home, get in touch with the people you know who will be there and figure out a car pool! Don’t be shy; getting to know your fellow musicians may even turn out to be a great networking opportunity to line up future gigs!

- If you need to walk or take transportation after all, map out a route along the busiest streets where you are least likely to be alone.

On your way home: STAY ALERT

                        - Know what is going on around you, even in unfamiliar situations.

                        - If you’re walking or taking public transportation:

Stay awake

Don’t let yourself get lost in your phone or a book

- If your surroundings become unsafe, you need to be able to react quickly.

“Keep your cards close”!

- Keep your phone, wallet, laptop and any other valuables out of sight

- Take off any valuable jewelry before you leave and put them out of sight

- Wear instrument cases and other bags strapped as closely as possible to you

- If anyone asks you any questions, be polite but don’t give them any information that makes you look vulnerable and just keep walking or otherwise move away, for example:

            “Where are you headed so quickly?”

                                                “My friends are expecting me; have a good night!”

                                    “What do you have in that big bag? Is that an instrument?”

                                                “Too much stuff! Have a good night!”

Preventative measures

• Contact Buddies on Call to accompany you home after rehearsals, concerts and other evening events Thursday – Sunday: (434) 260 -0545
• Contact Campus Police for safe rides home: (434) 242-1122
• Safe Ride (434) 924-4225
  
  *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

The possibilities for electronic music are limitless, connecting scenes, cities and histories for over one hundred years. Whether as mainstream as US EDM, or as underground as Japanoise, electronic music pulses in almost every city and town across the globe. In order to examine the social and cultural influences at play in the composition, circulation and performance of electronic music in global context, we critically engage with multiple musical examples, including: auto-tuned Afropop and pioneering film music, sonic art and distorted r’n’b, dubstep and remixology, as well as the sounds of military and medical experiments, video games and global hip hop.