学部後期課程
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最終更新日：2026年4月20日
授業計画や教室は変更となる可能性があるため、必ずUTASで最新の情報を確認して下さい。
UTASにアクセスできない方は、担当教員または部局教務へお問い合わせ下さい。
最終更新日：2026年4月20日
授業計画や教室は変更となる可能性があるため、必ずUTASで最新の情報を確認して下さい。
UTASにアクセスできない方は、担当教員または部局教務へお問い合わせ下さい。
グローバル教養科目（The Piano: Culture, Industry, and Politics of the Instrument and the Music）
The Piano: Culture, Industry, and Politics of the Instrument and the Music
This course explores the culture, industry, and politics of the piano through interdisciplinary approaches and active learning.
The piano is a musical instrument that originated in Europe and developed into its modern form through the technological innovations in the Industrial Revolution. The instrument has not only occupied a central place in the history of Western music but also played a critical role in the shaping of class, gender, racial/ethnic/national consciousness, identities, and practices around the world. In the second half of the twentieth century, East Asian nations of Japan, South Korea, and China have become major producers and consumers of the piano, and many of the world’s most acclaimed pianists in genres ranging from classical to jazz and electronic are Asian.
In this course, we will examine the diverse meanings of the piano and its music for peoples and societies around the world, especially in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The topics include: technology, industry, and business of piano manufacturing and sales; evolution of piano performance and pedagogy; notions of pianistic virtuosity and (dis)ability; class, gender, and family formation through piano lessons; piano and its music as a tool of nationalism and imperialism; globalization and cultural hybridity of the piano; representations of the piano across cultural genres; piano and its music in the digital age.
Through the course, students will:
- learn to think of piano not only as a musical but also a social instrument
- understand historical, political, and economic factors that shape the music industry and musical practice
- understand various forms of empowerment and mobilization as well as exclusion, marginalization, and exploitation through musical practice
- learn interdisciplinary approaches to the study of music, including American studies, cultural studies, disability studies, ethnography, ethnomusicology, history, law, musicology, and sociology
The course will address the following themes of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Goal 4: Quality education
Goal 5: Gender equality
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
The piano is a musical instrument that originated in Europe and developed into its modern form through the technological innovations in the Industrial Revolution. The instrument has not only occupied a central place in the history of Western music but also played a critical role in the shaping of class, gender, racial/ethnic/national consciousness, identities, and practices around the world. In the second half of the twentieth century, East Asian nations of Japan, South Korea, and China have become major producers and consumers of the piano, and many of the world’s most acclaimed pianists in genres ranging from classical to jazz and electronic are Asian.
In this course, we will examine the diverse meanings of the piano and its music for peoples and societies around the world, especially in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The topics include: technology, industry, and business of piano manufacturing and sales; evolution of piano performance and pedagogy; notions of pianistic virtuosity and (dis)ability; class, gender, and family formation through piano lessons; piano and its music as a tool of nationalism and imperialism; globalization and cultural hybridity of the piano; representations of the piano across cultural genres; piano and its music in the digital age.
Through the course, students will:
- learn to think of piano not only as a musical but also a social instrument
- understand historical, political, and economic factors that shape the music industry and musical practice
- understand various forms of empowerment and mobilization as well as exclusion, marginalization, and exploitation through musical practice
- learn interdisciplinary approaches to the study of music, including American studies, cultural studies, disability studies, ethnography, ethnomusicology, history, law, musicology, and sociology
The course will address the following themes of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Goal 4: Quality education
Goal 5: Gender equality
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
時間割／共通科目コード
コース名
教員
学期
時限
7V0101107S
FGL-GL3108S3
グローバル教養科目（The Piano: Culture, Industry, and Politics of the Instrument and the Music）
吉原 真里
月曜5限
マイリストに追加
マイリストから削除
講義使用言語
英語
単位
2
実務経験のある教員による授業科目
NO
他学部履修
可
開講所属
グローバル教育センター
授業計画
Tentative Class Schedule (Subject to change based on enrollment and other factors)
Week 1 Introduction
Week 2 Modernity and industrialization
Week 3 Class and capital
Week 4 Gender and family
Week 5 Performance, virtuosity, and dis/ability
Week 6 Race/ethnicity, nation, and empire
Week 7 Piano and/in other arts
Week 8 *Individual/Group Presentations
Week 9 Piano and/in Japan
Week 10 Piano and/in Asia
Week 11 Technology and media
Week 12 *Work on auto/biographical essays
Week 13 *Oral presentations
授業の方法
The course is designed in an active learning format, and each class will consist of a mixture of short lectures, discussions, and other individual/group activities. As a 2-credit course, it is expected that students will spend approximately 4 hours per week outside of class studying the related materials. Students are required to come to each class having read/viewed/listened to the assigned materials and prepared to actively share their ideas in class and learn collaboratively with other students. Assigned materials and guidelines for preparing for each class will be posted on UTOL.
成績評価方法
【Please check the grading scale that applies to this course. If the Course Code ends without “-P/F”, this is a course with a letter grade (A+, A, B, C, F). If the Course Code ends with “-P/F”, this is a Pass/Fail Course.】
(Subject to change based on enrollment and other factors)
Participation: 40%
Group presentation: 30%
Auto/biographical essays and presentations: 30%
履修上の注意
【If the number of students enrolling in this course exceeds the number determined by the instructor, there may be a selection process. Instructions for the selection process will be given in the first class, so if you are interested in taking this course, please be sure to attend the first class.】
Because the course takes an active learning format in which students work in pairs and groups, it is essential that enrolled students commit to the work throughout the semester. Students who decide to drop the course after week 3 *must* inform the instructor.
Students are required to participate in two field observation activities during the semester and should plan accordingly. Details to be announced.
