Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology

The last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic irreparably affected sociality around the globe. As we emerge in post-pandemic spaces, how can music help us heal? This class will address the relationship between music and health, particularly as it pertains to the changing social dynamics brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to an overview of existing literature in medical ethnomusicology, the class will include informal publications, internet media, and in-progress academic studies. Topics will include the outbreak narrative, viral agency, sounds in the hospital, and music and mental health. The course will also include showings of two different outbreak films, Contagion (2011) and The Last Man on Earth (1964), as well as guest presentations by experts in music and health.