Thinking through Music and the Arts

Edna Andrews, Nancy & Jeffrey Marcus Distinguished Professor; Professor of Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology; Faculty Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

The search for meanings in musical works occupies a central theme in music studies. The composer’s intentions, social and political circumstances, and the score itself are all part of the broader search for meaning and level of impact of a given work for individuals and cultures at large. Drawing from the latest research in neuroscience, musicology, linguistics and semiotics, this course seeks to understand how musical meanings are constructed, as well as how interpretations of artistic works are negotiated and made by naive listeners and scholars.

Elizabeth Byrum Linnartz, Instructor of Music

 Vocal music tells stories with the languages of music, the spoken word, and human gesture and expression. This Focus course takes a flyover view of the history of vocal music from chant to Broadway and samples the repertoire at live vocal music events and recordings of historic performances.  Students learn to listen, write about, and discuss the meaning of music, as well as connect with one’s own singing in group voice instruction and rounds.  Explore a topic of your choice in a final presentation. 

Jody McAuliffe, Professor of the Practice of Theater Studies and Slavic and Eurasian Studies, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Faculty, SDC Member, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner

Movement & Neuroplasticity: The Feldenkrais Method introduces students to Awareness Through Movement, a body-awareness practice developed by Moshe Feldenkrais that explores how movement can reduce pain and anxiety, improve performance, and expand human potential. Combining neuroscience, movement, embodied research, film, and reflective practice, the course examines how movement shapes learning, creativity, perception, and personal awareness. Students will engage with movement lessons, discussions, and films focused on bodies and technology while exploring new possibilities for comfort, expression, and neuroplasticity.

Michael Daniel Dimpfl, Lecturing Fellow of Thompson Writing Program
In the early 1970s, disco emerged in New York City, transforming how people experienced music, dancing, and social connection. Dance floors and DJs created spaces where strangers gathered in collective celebration, shaping a new cultural movement around music and nightlife.

This course uses the history of disco and dance music culture to explore broader questions about society, technology, and social interaction. Students will examine how dance clubs once functioned as sites of community and encounter—and how technological changes, such as streaming platforms and algorithms, have reshaped how we listen to and experience music today.

Through readings, discussions, listening exercises, and writing assignments, students will develop skills in social science writing and cultural analysis. The course introduces theoretical frameworks for understanding music as a social phenomenon and applies them to the evolution of dance music culture.

Assignments include weekly reflections, listening analyses, and a final project analyzing popular music through the theoretical approaches studied in class. Students will also attend a live concert or performance to connect course ideas with real-world experience.