“Now Hear This”: A 5-Week Journey in Music Listening and Audio Exploration
This five-week, noncredit, personal enrichment course provides an immersive journey into the art of active music listening, helping participants develop a deeper understanding of musical elements, structure, and sound quality. Through a combination of interactive lectures, guided listening exercises, and reflective journaling, students will explore melody, rhythm, and harmony, analyze song forms and genres, and examine how audio formats and playback environments influence perception. A component of the course is personalized guidance in selecting the best listening gear, helping participants make informed choices about headphones, speakers, and audio setups that best suit their listening preferences and budget. Students will also gain insights into production techniques, learning to distinguish key sound design elements such as reverb and stereo imaging. The course culminates in a final project where students curate a playlist with commentary, demonstrating their newfound listening skills. By fostering both technical understanding and personal engagement with music, this course equips students with the tools to become more discerning and appreciative listeners, while also optimizing their listening experience through the right gear.
*This is a non-credit certificate.
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