Kathmandu University Department Of Music

List Of Courses Course Outline Subject Committe The Faculty

Teachers and Practical Courses (open to all)

Prabhu Raj Dhakal: Vocal (North Indian Classical)

Tarabir Singh Tuladhar: Sitar (North Indian Classical)

Raj Kumar Malakar: Guitar (Western Classical) / Hari Maharjan: Jazz Guitar

Buddhalal Manandhar: Tabla (North Indian concert drum), Madal (Nepali folk drum)

Hari Govinda Ranjitkar: Navabaja of Bhaktapur (9 different Newar drums)

Jeevan Ale: Bamboo Flute (North Indian Classical)

Suresh Raj Bajracharya: Sarod

Bharat Nepali : Sarangi

Gert-Matthias Wegner: Tabla and Piano (only private classes)

LIST OF COURSES
The Diploma Course

First Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
English	3
World History and Geography	2
Music Theory	2
Practical Music	8
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
English	3
Sociology and Anthropology of Nepal	2
Sound Recording and Amplification	2
Practical Music	8
Total Credits	15

English:
Training in comprehension, discussion, debate, essay writing and advanced vocabulary.

World History and Geography:
Political and cultural history, physical and political order of the world.

Music Theory:
Both, Western and South Asian music theory will be explained and compared with practical application.

Practical Music:
Includes intensive training in three practical subjects from the range available. One of these (classical vocal) will be awarded 50% of the marks, the other two 25% each.

Sociology and Anthropology of Nepal:
Introduction to peoples and cultures of Nepal.

Sound Recording and Amplification:
Instruction in basics of sound recording, amplification (multi-channel), use of portable DAT-recorders, multi-track studio recording, mixing, sound effects, digital harddisk-recording.

Schedule of B.A. Courses

First Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 101 Music and Society	2
MUSC 102 Practical music	6
MUSC 103 Study Skills	2
NEPS 102 South Asian Civilisation I	2
ENGL 101 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 307 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 104 Notation	1
MUSC 105 World Music I: Introduction	2
MUSC 106 Practical Music	6
NEPS 104 South Asian Civilization II	2
MUSC 107 Advance Music Theory	1
ENGL 102 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 308 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions	2
MUSC 202 Music of Nepal I: Kathmandu Valley	2
MUSC 203 Aural Training	2
MUSC 204 Practical Music	6
ENGL 201 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 201 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 205 Music of South Asia II: Local Traditions	2
MUSC 206 Music of Nepal II: Music of the hills & other areas	2
MUSC 207 Aural Training	2
MUSC 208 Practical Music	6
ENGL 202 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 202 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Third Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 301 World Music II: European Folk Music, Middle East, Central Asia	2
MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque	2
MUSC 303 Practical Music	6
NEPS 361 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal I	2
MUSC 304 Audio Studios Technique	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 305 World Music III: Africa, America, South East and Far East Asia	3
MUSC 306 Classical Western Music II: Classical, Romantic, Modern	2
MUSC 307 Aural Training	2
MUSC 308 Practical Music	6
NEPS 373 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal II	2
Total Credits	15

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BA COURSE OUTLINE

MUSC 101 Music and Society
This course is intended to provide students with an orientation for the entire five year course and a rigorous foundation of the basic precepts of music as part of a social and cultural fabric.

MUSC 102, 106 Practical music
This course offers practical training in various forms of Newar music, Shastriya Sangit and Western Music, starting with basic exercises for voice and rhythm before proceeding to performance training.

MUSC 103 Study Skills
The course focuses on practical skills such as the application of musical notation, the use of standard international conventions for transcribing textual material, as well as for creating bibliographies and audiographies, etc.
Unit 1: English Terminology
This implies an explanation of the technical terms used in music, as these terms are generally employed in musicological studies. Sanskrit, Urdu, Italian, and German terms will be included.
Unit 2: Systems of Notation
The Western staff notation and the Indian letter notation are taught , along with examples of other notations created for special aspects of music (drumming,

dance, etc.). Creativity in the use of notation in accordance with the respective goal is encouraged.
Unit 3: Library Skills – Bibliography, Sources, etc.
Writing a bibliography, quoting correctly, transcribing from Devanagari and other scripts according to the international conventions.
Unit 4: Essay Technique
Concise and clear presentation of ideas and arguments in a logical but interesting manner, using information for analysis and reaching conclusions.

NEPS 102 South Asian Civilization I
The objective of this course is to analyze the basic features of South Asian Civilization which includes Hindu and Buddhist cultures and their impact in shaping modern South Asian society.

ENGL 101, 102 English
The schedule of courses requires students to take courses in English through the first two years of the B.A. programme, to provide students with the requisite standard of language skills to handle the coursework. The courses will also include topics like essay technique to train students in the presentation of ideas and arguments in a concise and logical manner.

NEPS 307, 308 Nepali
These courses aims at developing the basic skills in written and spoken Nepali.

MUSC 104 Notation
This course introduces various systems of music notation including Western staff notation and oriental systems.

MUSC 107 Advanced Music Theory
This course deepens the knowledge acquired during the initial theory course, puts the development of music theory in a historical perspective and demonstrates practical application.

MUSC 105, 301, 304 World Music I-III
The aim of this series of courses is to enlarge the students' knowledge of world music, to create an understanding of different historical developments and to promote an appreciation of the various musical traditions, the forms, and their means of expression. The comparison of other musical traditions will provide Nepalese students with a wider perspective within which to understand their own traditions and to develop a musical aesthetic.

NEPS 104 South Asian Civilization II
The aim of the course is to expose the intricacy of South Asian civilization with emphasis on the Hindu-Muslim and Anglo-Indian synthesis. Special emphasis is laid on the socio-economic life and the communication network.

MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions
This course offers an introduction to the two great traditions of Classical North Indian and South Indian music, as they permeate the musical life of the subcontinent.

MUSC 202 Music of Nepal I: Kathmandu Valley

MUSC 206 Music of Nepal II: Music of the hills and other areas
Special emphasis is given to the musical heritage of Nepal, with its history, literature, instruments, forms and techniques. The importance of perfomers,. social and ritual implications, musical change, and schemes for preservation is also given attention. Students and staff will work together to survey the extent of our current knowledge of Nepalese musical traditions, with a view to identifying potential areas for field studies.
MUSC 203, 207, 307 Aural Training
This is a practical course designed to open the ears of the students. They learn how to listen attentively, recognize structures, pitches and time units, and write everything down in a notation which represents the acoustic event as closely as possible. Interactive computer software is used to improve aural skills, particularly in the area of interval recognition. The schedule requires Aural Training courses to be taken through both semesters of the second and third year, starting with elementary exercises, gradually progressing to complex material and analysis.
MUSC 204, 208, 303, 308 Practical Music
This is the second phase of practical training of musical performance acquired during the first year.

MUSC 205 Music of South Asia II: Local Traditions
This course offers a comprehensive view of South Asian music. The various musical traditions are discussed in detail and illustrated with the help of live and recorded examples.

MUSC 301 World Music II: European Folk, Central Asia and Middle East
MUSC 305 World Music III: Africa, Americas, South East and Far East Asia
see above, under World Music I-III

MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieaval, Renaissance, Baroque
MUSC 304 Audio Studion Technique: Through this course students get the chance to become acquainted with contemporary recording and editing techniques.

MUSC 306 Classical Western Music II. Classical, Romantic and Modern
Through this course, students will be exposed to historical development of Western classical music. This supplements courses on World Music through the study of a great tradition that has influenced musical thought and practice all over the world.

MUSC 304 Digital Audio Studio Recording/Editing
Through this course students get the chance to become acquainted with contemporary recording and editing techniques.

NEPS 361 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal I
This course will discuss some major sociological and anthropological issues about Nepal, as discussed by various scholars, as well as the theoretical and methodological perspectives they use.

NEPS 373 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal II
This course will discuss to Nepal's ethnic, linguistic and religious heterogeneity. It will examine a few ethnographic studies of ethnic/caste groups in different regions of Nepal.

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Schedule of BMus Courses

First Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 101 Music and Society	2
MUSC 112 Practical music	8
MUSC 103 Study Skills	2
ENGL 101 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 307 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 104 Notation	1
MUSC 108 Music of Nepal	2
MUSC 116 Practical Music	8
NEPS 107 Music Theory	1
ENGL 102 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 308 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions	2
MUSC 203 Aural Training	2
MUSC 214 Practical Music	8
ENGL 201 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 201 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 205 Music of South Asia II: Local Traditions	2
MUSC 207 Aural Training	2
MUSC 218 Practical Music	8
ENGL 202 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 202 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Third Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 301 World Music II: European Folk Music, Middle East, Central Asia	2
MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque	2
MUSC 313 Practical Music	8
MUSC 331 Audio Studios Technique I	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 304 World Music III: Africa, America, South East and Far East Asia	3
MUSC 305 Classical Western Music II: Classical, Romantic, Modern	2
MUSC 317 Practical Music	8
MUSC 332 Audio Studio Technique II	2
Total Credits	15

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BMus COURSE OUTLINE

MUSC 112, 116 Practical music
This course offers practical training in various forms of Newar music, Shastriya Sangit and Western Music, starting with basic exercises for voice and rhythm before proceeding to performance training.

MUSC 103 Study Skills
The course focuses on practical skills such as the playing of accompanying instruments, the organization and processing of information, essay technique, the use of standard international conventions for transcribing textual material, as well as for creating bibliographies and audiographies, etc.

ENGL 101, 102 English
The schedule of courses requires students to take courses in English through the first two years of the B.A. programme, to provide students with the requisite standard of language skills to handle the coursework. The courses will also include topics like essay technique to train students in the presentation
of ideas and arguments in a concise and logical manner.

NEPS 307, 308 Nepali
These courses aims at developing the basic skills in written and spoken Nepali.

MUSC 104 Notation
This course introduces various systems of music notation including Western staff notation and oriental systems.

MUSC 107 Music Theory
This course introduces various aspects of western and oriental music theory.

MUSC 108 Music of Nepal
Special emphasis is given to the musical heritage of Nepal, with its history, literature, instruments, forms and techniques. The importance of perfomers,. social and ritual implications, musical change, and schemes for preservation is also given attention. Students and staff will work together to survey the extent of our current knowledge of Nepalese musical traditions, with a view to identifying potential areas for field studies.

MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions
This course offers an introduction to the two great traditions of Classical North Indian and South Indian music as they permeate the musical life of the subcontinent.

MUSC 203, 207 Aural Training
This is a practical course designed to open the ears of the students. They learn how to listen attentively, recognize structures, pitches and time units, and write everything down in a notation which represents the acoustic event as closely as possible. Interactive computer software is used to improve aural skills, particularly in the area of interval recognition. The schedule requires Aural Training courses to be taken through both semesters of the second and third year, starting with elementary exercises, gradually progressing to complex material and analysis.

MUSC 214, 218, 313, 317 Practical Music
These are the second and third phases of performance training acquired during the first year

MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieaval, Renaissance, Baroque
MUSC 305 Classical Western Music II. Classical, Romantic and Modern
Through this course, students will be exposed to historical development of Western classical music. This supplements courses on World Music through the study of a great tradition that has influenced musical thought and practice all over the world.

MUSC 301, 304 World Music II-III
The aim of this series of courses is to enlarge the students' knowledge of world music, to create an understanding of different historical developments and to promote an appreciation of the various musical traditions, the forms, and their means of expression. The comparison of other musical traditions will provide Nepalese students with a wider perspective within which to understand their own traditions and to develop a musical aesthetic.

MUSC 331, 332 Audio Studio Techniques I and II
Under the expert guidance of Nepal's leading studio engineer, students are introduced into the recording and editing skills required for working in a professional audio studio. The Department of Music runs its own digital recording studio where these courses are taught. Requirements: At this stage of their studies, students must have acquired basic computer skills. Those students who have not passed the K.U. Diploma in Music with its course 'Sound Recording and Amplification', need to study the respective literature beforehand.

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SCHEDULE OF M.A. COURSES

First Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 401 Seminar in Ethnomusicology I	2
MUSC 402 Aural Training and Analysis I	1
MUSC 403 Special Seminar in World Music I	2
MUSC 404 Practical music	6
NEPS 462 Research Methodology	1
NEPS 351 to 357 Elective Languages I	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 405 Seminar in Ethnomusicology II	2
MUSC 406 Preparation for Fieldwork I: Audio & Video Recording	2
MUSC 407 Aural Training and Analysis II	1
MUSC 408 Special Seminar in World Music II	1
MUSC 410 Practical music	6
NEPS 363 to 369 Elective Languages II	3
Total Credits	15

Second Year Programme	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 501 Tutorial	1
MUSC 502 Student Seminars	2
MUSC 503 Research Project I: Data collection	12
MUSC 504Practical music (optional)	(2)
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 505 Tutorial	1
MUSC 506 Student Seminars	2
MUSC 507Research Project II: Research Report	12
MUSC 508 Practical music (optional)
Total Credits	15

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MA COURSE OUTLINE

MUSC 401, 405 Seminar in Ethnomusicology I & II
Originally, 'musicology' means 'studies in Western art music tradition'. Ethnomusicology, the study of musical traditions other than the Western one, was founded around 1900 by the British mathematician and philologist Alexander John Ellis and the German scholars, Carl Stumpf, Erich Maria v. Hornbostel and Curt Sachs. In Berlin Sachs and Hornbostel founded the first sound archive and developed the basic techniques of transcription and analysis. Sachs published several important works on organology, the origin of music, comparative studies of dance traditions, etc. The basic methods of research developed by these scholars have been refined and added to by ethnomusicologists all over the world.

More recently, also anthropological aims and means have been directed at music, as a system of sound communication with very special properties which require equally special analytic procedures. Such procedures have been developed and applied to music by musicologists. Musicology, therefore is the proper starting point for introducing an anthropological perspective to the analysis of musical sound.

Using a Western musicological base sensitzed to South Asian music by Indian musicology, it is possible to analyze an Indian or Nepalese musical idiom in terms of categories appropriate to the musical structure. Such an analysis will enable one to identify in the music its formal procedures, and to distinguish it from other musical idioms on the basis of distinctive musical features.

What this musicological analysis will not do, however, is to explain the process of producing music in performance, where variability is often one of the identifying features of the music and crucial to its very function. Therefore it is necessary to expand the musicological approach so that it can account analytically for all the contextual features relevant to the performance process – this reqires tools which only anthropology can supply.

The result is an ethnomusicological model built to deal with the musical sound structure, the structure of the performance occasion, and with the style of singing, playing and dancing. Analysis of these three dimensions (i.e. the situational, the structural and the expressive) should lead to a deeper understanding of the respective culture.
However, it is not sufficient only to know about the music. The analyst has to become familiar with the ways of producing musical sound by learning how to make music, to sing, play and dance.

This course focuses on the history of the subject 'ethnomusicology', along with its chief exponents, theories, and methods. The major theoretical goals of ethnomusicology are the analysis and comparison of musical structures and events, the systematic description of musical instruments (organology and organography), the role of the musician, the performance context (including historical and ritual implications and those of the locality and society), and the study of musical change. Special emphasis is given to the documentation and preservation of tradition

MUSC 402, 407 Aural Training and Analysis I & II
The aims of this practical course in musical transcription and aural analysis are first, to sharpen the students' perception of musical parameters, especially pitch and rhythm, and secondly, to explore and practise techniques of notation appropriate to the transcription of musics. Both live and pre-recorded music are used for these purposes and variable speed recorders as an aid to easier transcription from taped sources. The results are analysed and discussed.

MUSC 404 , 408 Special Seminar in World Music I & II
This course will be conducted by area specialists of various musical cultures, and is thus anticipated to focus on different regions each year.

NEPS 462 Research Methodology
This course imparts training in field methods in general and their application for projects in ethnomusicology. This includes designing a study plan and becoming acquainted with interview techniques.

NEPS 351 - 357, 363 - 369 Elective Language I & II
The students will select one of the local languages of Nepal which will be useful for their future work.

MUSC 407 Preparation for Fieldwork: Audio and Video Recording
Students will be given intensive training in the use of audio and video recording in the field., as well as a special course in studio recording and editing.
N.B.: Equipment will not be lent until the appropriate training course on ist use has been completed. Equipment is lent for the period of field work only . Equipment must be returned on the agreed date. When it is issued, the student will be asked to sign a form agreeing to this and accepting full responsibility if s/he fails to return it on the due date.

MUSC 501, 505 Tutorial
The tutorial is aimed at helping students to select, plan and conduct their individual field projects.

MUSC 502, 506 Student Seminars
Topics will be announced at the beginning of the term for the students to select and prepare their presentations. The individual presentations are followed by discussion of the topics.

MUSC 503 Research Project I: Data Collection
Students will be given approximately four weeks during the first term to conduct research for their projects. The project will be on a subject chosen in consultation between tutor and student and approved by the Department of Music.

MUSC 504, 508 Practical music (optional)
This is for students who are pursuing performance training at an advanced level.

MUSC 507 Research Project II: Research Report
The preparation of the final research report will include consultation with supervisors, preparation of data for analysis and presentation, as well as a demonstration of writing skills. The report should be prepared within the following broad outlines:
i) a study based on the candidate's own fieldwork, approximately 5000 words in length.
ii) As above, but approximately 1500 words in length, with substantial musical examples and transcription.
iii) A critical or philosophical study on an approved topic, approximately 5000 words in length.

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SUBJECT COMMITTEE

Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri
Director (Research)
Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology
American Institute of Indian Studies, New Delhi

Dr. Ritwik Sanyal
Senior. Lecturer, Department of Vocal Music, Banaras Hindu University

Dr. Gert-Matthias Wegner
Associate Professor and Head of Department of Music, Kathmandu University

Dr. Richard Widdess
Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, with reference to South Asia,
and Head of Department of Music Studies, S.O.A.S., University of London

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THE FACULTY

Farendra Ale
Bamboo Flute Teacher

Suresh Raj Bajracharya
Sarod Teacher

Binod Kumar Bista
Bamboo Flute Teacher

Mahendra Bhusal
Lecturer in English

Prabhu Raj Dhakal
Vocal Teacher(Khayal)

Raj Kumar Malakar
Guitar Teacher (Western classical)

Buddhalal Manandhar
Tabla and Tabla Teacher (North Indian concert drum)

Bishnu B. Manandhar
Dhimay and Tabla Teacher

Bharat Nepali
Sarangi Teacher

Hari Maharjan
Guitar Teacher(Western Jazz)

Shamsher Bahadur Nhuchhen Pradhan
Lecturer in Nepali and Newari

Yagya Prasad Pokharel
Lecturer in Anthropology and Sociology of Nepal

Hari Govinda Ranjitkar
Navabaja Teacher (Newar drums)

Pradeep Kumar Upadhyaya
Senior audio recording engineer

Dr. Gert-Matthias Wegner
Professor and Head of Department of Music, Kathmandu University (also Professor in Ethnomusicology, Free University Berlin).
Interests: India, Nepal, drumming traditions (tabla, Newar drums), European classical music (piano), music in ritual and urban space

Visiting Faculty from the Department of Music Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies (S.O.A.S.) University of London:

Dr. David W. Hughes
Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, S.O.A.S., University of London
Interests: Japan, South East Asia (Java, Thailand), linguistics and music

Dr. Richard Widdess
Professor in Ethnomusicology, with reference to South Asia,
S.O.A.S., University of London
Interests: India, Nepal, textual sources for music history in South Asia, North Indian classical vocal music, relationships between Indian and Nepalese music traditions.

Dr. Owen Wright
Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, with reference to Far East Asia
Interests: Korea, music in shamanism.

Visiting lecturers from other institutions:

Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri
Director (Research)
Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology
American Institute of Indian Studies, New Delhi
Interests: Ethnomusicology archives, computerisation, music traditions of Western Rajasthan

Dr. Ritwik Sanyal
Senior Lecturer, Department of Vocal Music, Banaras Hindu University
Interests: Dhrupad, philosophy of music, musicology (Indian textual traditions). North Indian Classical vocal music