Are you eager to learn more about performing arts at the University of Michigan, including concert music, theater, musical theater, opera, and dance? This course introduces students to performances presented by the University Musical Society (UMS), the School of Music, Theater, and Dance (SMTD), and other performing arts organizations around Ann Arbor and Detroit. Throughout the semester, students will explore performance from different perspectives, and develop critical skills in thinking and writing about specific performances on the syllabus. We will ask what makes a "great" performance, and why/how performance matters to us today. Since most performances will be presented online this fall, we will also consider various ideas about "liveness" in performance. Lectures will prepare students for each performance, and discussion sections will give students an opportunity to respond to performances and workshop writing assignments in smaller groups. Further details about performances will be announced in August.

Course Requirements:

The course requires regular participation in lectures and discussion sections, timely completion of reading and writing assignments, and active involvement in writing workshops. Students will write a series of short response papers (2-3 pages) and develop two longer papers in multiple drafts: an argumentative essay (7-8 pages) and a final research paper (10-12 pages). No mid-term, no final exam.

Intended Audience:

The course is intended for first and second-year students. It is open to undergraduates across all departments and programs, including LSA, the Honors Program, the Residential College, as well as students in music, theater, dance, art and design, architecture, engineering, etc. No performance experience required!

Class Format:

All lectures (originally scheduled for Tues/Thurs) will be presented online in asynchronous modules, coordinated via Canvas. Discussion sections will be synchronous, meeting as scheduled on Wednesdays, via Zoom. Please note: section 6 and section 8 will be offered in-person, and the other sections will be offered online.