Music and politics from the perspective of systematic and cultural musicology 1500-SDN-SP-NOS-MAP

The course consists of three blocks:
Block I – Music (i.e. classical music) as a tool of influence – the perspective of music psychology. The aim of this block is to familiarise students with the theory and methodology of research on the use of music in pragmatic forms of communication (effect-oriented). The starting point will be considerations in the field of communication theory, as well as the issue of musical communication presented from the perspective of the social reinforcement model of music. The discussion will be complemented by issues concerning the role of music in building emotional communication, the issue of meaning transmission and the influence of musical preferences on the recipient's reactions. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of building a brand strategy through audio marketing and sonic branding activities. Examples of brands that use classical music in their marketing strategies will be analysed.

Block II - Art and totalitarianism. The classes in this part are aimed at studying various cases of the use of art by totalitarian systems, as well as understanding the types of narratives and manipulation introduced by these systems in order to persecute artists considered to be representatives of ideas hostile to the system. The main focus will be on the categories used by the Nazis as part of their concept of ‘degenerate art’ and the real effects of these actions on artists and their works. This thematic circle will be linked to an analysis of examples of repressive policies against artists in communist systems, with particular emphasis on the use of music by Maoist and Stalinist regimes, as well as contemporary regimes in North Korea and Putin's Russia. How are narratives about art used for propaganda purposes, and what similarities and differences can we see between different totalitarian systems and their approaches to particular fields of art? What art was promoted and what was rejected? What were its stylistic, expressive and technical characteristics? These questions will accompany the reading of selected texts and the analysis of audiovisual examples.

BLOCK III – Political contexts of popular music. This part of the course focuses on popular music as a tool of political expression. The reading of theoretical texts on the aforementioned relationships will be combined with the analysis of specific cases characterised by the complexity of issues, codes and contexts. Verbal and musical activities will be analysed, using the example of protest songs (American protest songs and the political atmosphere of the 1950s and 1960s, Senator McCarthy's committee, opposition to and support for the Vietnam War, but also contemporary examples). The analysis of the relationship between music and performance in the context of politics will be carried out using the example of concerts (and their extension, i.e. festivals) as a field of political play (from Woodstock, through punk concerts, Jarocin, Sinead O'Connor's television performance, to Bob Vylan's manifesto at the Glastonbury '25 festival). The contexts of the relationship between music and moving images will be presented in classes analysing the use of music videos as a tool of political play by artists (from Genesis' Land of Confusion to Childish Gambino's This is America). Music and still images are the domain of album covers, posters, props, and T-shirts – they are also the domain of political games, which will be analysed. Part of the time will also be devoted to issues and aspects identified by students.

Class topics:

BLOCK I
1. Musical communication and the model of social reinforcement of music. How does music evoke emotions?
2. Musical preferences
3. Music in ‘brand theatre’. Audiomarketing – theory, research, practice
4. Music in ‘brand theatre’. Sonic branding – theory, research, practice
BLOCK II
5.-7. Nazi ‘degenerate art’. Communist ‘music for the masses’ and ideological enemies
8. Stylistic diversification in contemporary totalitarian manipulations
BLOCK III
9. Music and words – the phenomenon of protest songs in the 1950s and 1960s and today
10. Music and performance – political aspects of concerts and festivals
11. Music and moving images – music videos as a tool of political games
12. Music and image – symbols, graphics, themes, motifs of visual games accompanying music
13-15. Student presentations (mini-conference)