Kurssin kuvaus

This methodological course approaches practices of close reading from an interdisciplinary standpoint with an emphasis on sound and music. How do we approach cultural artefacts and performances with a view not only to describing them or discussing their cultural meanings, but integrating observation, analysis and cultural interpretation? Theory on cultural analysis by Mieke Bal, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Katherine Hayles forms an important starting point for the course, along with approaches from critical musicology, music hermeneutics, audiovisual analysis and performances studies. The course shows how different cultural phenomena, including musical performances, films, online materials, recordings, theatrical performances, books and gallery installations can be approached with reference to a common methodological framework. The course provides not only relevant theoretical background but also concrete suggestions on how to undertake close readings.