Musicology (B.A.) (two subjects)

Music is not just something people listen to or do: it is also something people study. Musicology is the science of music: it is about finding out what music actually is, how it works, and what it means to people. And it is about fundamentally thinking about what we can learn about people, their culture, their history(s) and their webs of relationships through music.

Musicology views music as a human practice that has a wide variety of forms and meanings through the diversity of the world's cultures and historical change. At the Göttingen Department of Musicology, we are convinced that there is not one music, but many musics. Music can be studied in many manifestations: as a communicative expression, as a system of knowledge, as part of cultural action and cultural identity. Music can be analysed as a work of art or as a function of a social network within a society. Music can be used as a medium for feelings, ideas and self-understandings, or as an instrument of (powerlessness) power.

This plurality is also reflected in the means of researching music. The focus here is on thinking about music as well as thinking through music and sound, for which we have the following repertoires of methods at our disposal:

• Historical research (evaluation of written, sound and visual sources)
• field research (participant observation of music practices)
• Hearing analysis, musical text analysis
• Analysis of sound as a mode of knowledge
• Computer-assisted analysis (e.g. spectral or frequency analysis)

Cultural Musicology
Cultural musicology sees itself as an orientation of musicology inspired by cultural studies and cultural anthropology, which has emerged from critical reflection on the colonial-influenced subject history of musicology. It breaks with the classical division of musicology into independent sub-disciplines in order to develop new critical perspectives for research on music in the past and present. In doing so, it works towards the ideal of a de-colonised methodology that can devote itself to the music of the world on an equal footing. Cultural musicology in Göttingen is represented by the professorship of Prof. Dr. Birgit Abels. Her regional research focuses on the Pacific Islands, North India and Southeast Asia.

Historical Musicology
Understanding the music of the past and classifying it as part of historical contexts and development processes is the goal of historical musicology. In Göttingen, we understand the history of music not as a history of works of art, but as a history of cultural and social practices, beliefs and knowledge systems that are intertwined with music. In Göttingen, the field of historical musicology is represented by Prof. Dr. Andreas Waczkat. His particular foci in teaching and research are music in the cultural history of the 16th to 18th centuries, the music of the Baltic states, music theory and music in post-totalitarian contexts.

The choice of a second subject depends on the student's main interests. Combination with one of the subjects listed below can be recommended:

• Egyptology and Coptic Studies,
• General Linguistics,
• Ancient Oriental Studies,
• American Studies,
• Arabic Studies/Islamic Studies,
• Archaeology of the Greek, Roman and Byzantine World,
• German Philology,
• English Philology,
• Ethnology,
• Finno-Ugrian Philology,
• French/Gallo-Romance Studies,
• History,
• Gender Studies,
• Greek Philology,
• Indology,
• Iranian Studies,
• Italian/Italian Studies,
• Cultural Anthropology / European Ethnology,
• Art History,
• Latin Philology,
• Latin Philology of the Middle Ages and the Modern Era,
• Philosophy,
• Portuguese/Portuguese Studies,
• Law,
• Religious Studies,
• Scandinavian Studies,
• Slavic Philology,
• Sociology,
• Spanish / Hispanic Studies,
• Turkology/Turkish Studies,
• Prehistory and Early History,
• Economics,
• Economic and Social History.

As an alternative to the dual-subject Bachelor's degree programme offered by the Faculty of Philosophy, Musicology can also be studied as a 42C modular package within the Bachelor's degree programme of Ethnology (major/minor B.A.) in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Completion of a Bachelor's degree in Musicology will qualify you for a great variety of occupations in culture management and politics, in the area of the media and public relations, at theatres, in the library sector and related areas. The Bachelor's degree in the subject of Musicology can serve, in particular, as the basis for a Master's degree programme in Musicology or a related subject.

You should have sufficient basic knowledge of music (musical terminology, notation) and musical theory (intervals, keys, chords). Basic skills in playing instruments or singing will be of advantage. You should also be experienced in listening to a wide range of different styles of music.

A prerequisite is the command of written German. Moreover, a good knowledge of English is strongly recommended. In-depth knowledge of at least one additional foreign language will also be of advantage.

A good knowledge of history and geography will be of advantage.