This course takes a historical, critical, artistic, and philosophical approach to sound—conceived broadly both in its cultural manifestations and in selected artistic realms—through a survey of significant literature from the cultural studies of sound. Areas of inquiry will include histories of sound technology, radio and sound art, sound and identity, history of film sound, acoustic ecology, sound and public space, sampling culture and intellectual property, electronic music, the politics of performance, and the question of noise.

Readings will include both full-length works and selections of essays. Pending time and interest, there may also be some practicum in sound technology.

HUM 595 courses in Engaged Scholarship/Public Culture explore cultural research, public practice, and diverse forms of community engagement. This course is offered in conjunction with the community-based Masters of Arts in Cultural Studies (MACS) in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at UW Bothell, which links students and faculty on both campuses with a local learning network of cultural organizations.

Joe Milutis is Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts in the Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences program at the University of Washington, Bothell, where he teaches courses in media production, experimental audio and video, literature, critical theory, and cultural studies. A media artist and scholar, he is author of Ether: The Nothing That Connects Everything (2006).