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Academic Year 2005/2006


History of Rock and R&B
MUSC 108 FA

This course will survey the history of Rock and R&B (broadly defined as a conglomeration of loosely connected popular musical genres) from their origins in the 1940s and '50s through the mid 1990s. Three parallel goals will be pursued: 1) to become literate in the full range of their constituent traditions; 2) to experience the workings of the music industry by producing group projects; and 3) to become familiar with a variety of theoretical approaches to the music, confronting issues such as economics of the industry, race relations and identities, youth culture and its relationship to American popular culture, and popular music as a creative, cultural, and social force. For the midterm and final projects the class will form a music industry in microcosm (musicians, journalists, producers, video and sound engineers, visual artists), resulting in CD and video releases and a magazine.

MAJOR READINGS

Robert Palmer, ROCK AND ROLL, AN UNRULY HISTORY
Charlie Gillett, THE SOUND OF THE CITY
Peter Guralnick, SWEET SOUL MUSIC
Keith Negus, POPULAR MUSIC IN THEORY
Jonathan Epstein, ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR MUSIC
Other selected articles

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Final term paper. Quizzes, midterm and final exams. Occasional short weekly assignments.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Mandatory Friday video viewing sessions.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: NONE    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006


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