The Cover Song: Remaking Musical Meaning
MUSI S152 (CRN: 30174) | Syllabus
Instructors: Brian Kane
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MW 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
In-person Course. An introduction to (and examination of) central issues in musical meaning by way of focusing on the phenomenon of the “cover song.” A cover song is performance or recording of a song that was previously recorded or performed by someone else. Cover songs are never just performances pure and simple but rather they are commentaries on previous performances. Thus, they reveal how aspects such as genre, timbre, tempo, arrangement, harmonization, lyrics are not just basic musical concepts but crystallize social and historical relationships. The course will examine the cover song across genres and time. Some course sessions will involve focus on individual songs, other sessions may look at groups of songs to address specific musical, social, and historical issues and key concepts in musical meaning. Readings will include musicological histories and commentaries on individual songs as well as philosophical reflections on aspects of musical meaning. Students should leave the course with a better understanding of how music means as well as a broader grasp of musical repertoire. Enrollment limited to 20 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270.
Yale Summer Session 2025