Two New Courses

An Inter-University Course between Carlow University and Carnegie Mellon:
CRISES IN CREATION: Compositional Thought in Conflict with Authority

Spring 2009
CMU 99-481
9 units
Tuesday evenings 6:30-9:20pm

Location alternates between CMU and Carlow on a monthly basis: January-Carlow, February-CMU, March-Carlow, April-CMU, May-Carlow

This is an inter-University, interdisciplinary course that engages the student in "classical" music by examining case studies of composers working or being in conflict with some outside force. Studying this issue can involve historical, sociological, religious, philosophical, and political issues and ideas as well as musical ones. As a joint course with Carlow, team-taught with one professor from each university, the course location will rotate back and forth between the two campuses.

This is a discussion course, and limited to 20 students. Outside work will include readings and two term papers; class time will be spent discussing issues raised by the readings, lecture, and listening to selected music on the case studies. The ability to read music is not a prerequisite for this course, but music and non-music students will be encouraged to "pair up" for one of the projects.

Professors:
Grace Ann Geibel, RSM, President Emeritus of Carlow University.
Pianist, choral director, and professor of music.

R. James Whipple, Artist Lecturer in Music at Carnegie Mellon University.
Composer, bassoonist, and arts administrator.


99-460: Urban Agriculture in a Global Context
Instructors: Larry Patrick, Ph.D and Renee Roy

Spring 2009
9 units
Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:30-7:50 PM
Room: Baker Hall A54

Course Description

Farming has been practiced in urban and peri-urban areas for centuries. However, during the past two decades, urban agriculture has gained status as a multi-pronged strategy for social, economic and environmental revitalization in cities. This interdisciplinary course explores todays phenomena of urban agriculture as a platform for inquiry into the tension between global/industrial and local/sustainable food systems. Students taking this course will investigate the interconnected socio-cultural, political-economic and spatial dimensions of urban agriculture as it exists in Pittsburgh and in cities worldwide. Ecological approaches are used to challenge students to understand what it is we eat and how each of us can engage more fully with emergent forms and sites of food production and consumption.

Course readings will span geography, policy and urbanism with detailed analysis given to: 1) the social and political act of urban food growing during times of crisis/food scarcity throughout history, 2) the evolving regulatory context of globalized and localized food systems in the U.S., and 3) the spatial implications of urban agriculture as demonstrated through the newest innovations in building and public space design involving food production.