Peer Review

Music in World Cultures

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Apr 14, 2022 by Music

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

"The diversity of musical expressions throughout the world is vast. Music can be found in every corner of the globe in a variety of different contexts. This text provides just a small sampling of some of the various musical styles and traditions that might be found, though the skills developed in this course can be applied to any type of music. Not only does this text explore the music itself, but also the people and conditions that led to its genesis."

Type of Material:

Open (Access) Textbook

Recommended Uses:

Textbook for online or in-person World Music or Introduction to Ethnomusicology Courses. Can be used for self-paced learning, indvidual, homework, or in-class

Technical Requirements:

Chrome or other browser.

Can be accessed with internet access and any standard web browser. PDF version can be downloaded for offline use

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Apply fundamental musical concepts to listening in a world music context
Become familiar with a selection of musical traditions
Articulate the role music in its cultural context

Target Student Population:

College General Ed, College Lower Division

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

N/A

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

This would be an excellent basis for elaboration and supplementation by an instructor.

Strong, concise basic textbook demonstrating core concepts in ethnomusicology.
Integrates fundamental music terminology and listening skills with case studies of particular musical cultures that raise many of the major concerns of ethnomusicology: identity, place, religious practice, etc.

Concerns:

It would be helpful to have additional introductory material that more explicitly introduced the disciplinary concerns that organize the rest of the chapters.

The introduction is focused on (useful) terminology and listening skills, but doesn’t set the students up to understand the framing of the rest of the book; a good instructor could supplement this, but it feels like an oversight.
Only the “Dance” chapter has an introductory paragraph.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The text is easy to integrate into a course.

It is efficient, with relatively short chapters.
Follows the model of very common “World Music” courses
Organized to provide basic terminology and skills up front, before applying them to specific musical cultures.

Concerns:

The textbook will need supplementation and may not fully stand on its own.

There are no learning outcomes stated, and no assignments or activity prompts, which could help in integrating this into a course.
It is also so efficient and concise at times that it feels like more explanation is needed. For example, referring to ABAB form in a chapter, when that method of describing form has not been established. Again, this could be easily handled with lecture and supplementary materials.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Easy to navigate and published in PressBooks format. The layout is easily seen from the drop down menu.

Concerns:

Usability issues are minor or not specific to this text.

It would benefit from greater interactivity.
YouTube videos used for listening examples are easy to access, but will require maintenance.
The Pressbooks platform requires users to return to the Table of Contents to access a new section—there is no “next” button—which may not be an issue for students assigned a single chapter at a time.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is a strong basis for a World Music course; it would work well supplemented with additional discussion, readings, lectures, or case studies according to the interests of the instructor.
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