Humanities Department

MUS2206 Jazz Pathways: Creative Expression

Description: Jazz styles and important jazz artists are studied through a chronological survey of Jazz style periods. The relation of jazz to the development of folk art, its influences on contemporary music composition, the cultural and social climate and the conditions that shaped the emergence of jazz as an art form, and the aesthetic considerations and critiques of all art forms with reference to their application to the field of jazz are discussed

3 hours, 3 credits, class cap 35 Prerequisite: Eligibility for ENG101 or ENG1101CO or ENG1101ML

Objectives:

Students will learn and apply fundamental concepts, here called musical elements, in exploring, discussing, and analyzing selected music compositions.

Students will analyze music from different style periods—Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, etc.-- and learn the particular significance of each work in its own time and place. Cultural norms, historical events, politics, and the Civil Rights struggle will all be addressed.

Students will articulate how meaning is created in music and how a work of music is understood by them

Gain an in-depth understanding of the cultural/historical forces and traditions that influenced the development of jazz.

Knowledge: Students will develop a musical vocabulary and be able to communicate in a coherent manner to both professional and non-professional audience as good musical critics

Values: Have an appreciation of aesthetic valuesText: Jazz Styles: History and Analysis, Mark Gridley, (Prentice Hall).

Grading:

Midterm Exam 30%

Final Exam 30%

Concert Report 30%

Quiz average 10% Assessment of Student Learning and Outcomes:

1. Students will learn and apply fundamental concepts, here called musical elements, in exploring, discussing, and analyzing selected music compositions. This will be accomplished through listening sessions and subsequent discussion. The mastery of these concepts will be demonstrated through their use in discussion and in a concert report. In addition, they will be the subject of quizzes and an exam. 2. Students will analyze music from different style periods—Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, etc.--and learn the particular significance of each work in its own time and place. Cultural norms, historical events, politics, and the Civil Rights struggle will all be addressed. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of these through class discussion and exams 3. Students will articulate how meaning is created in music and how a work of music is understood by them. This will be accomplished through class discussion and through a concert report in which each student will write of his or her own listening experience. 4. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the skills of composers and performers involved in the creative process. This will be accomplished through class discussion, the concert report, and through exams.

The course requires students to read, analyze, and assess information from their textbook, class lectures, film presentations, from on-line sources, and from the experience of a live jazz event. Blues, Ragtime, Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, Cool Jazz and more recent styles are studied for their performance traits and their historical context. Different notions of what jazz is and what Blues is are discussed. Since jazz is fundamentally Black music, the different attitudes towards jazz at various times of various populations: whites, creoles, blacks, etc, are examined. As a result students, develop an appreciation of Jazz from multiple perspectives. The assignment of attending live jazz events and writing papers reporting on the events compels the student to exercise their own faculties of evaluation. Students must determine what kind of jazz they are listening to and enumerate and explain the style characteristics (rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, ensemble, etc.) to support their determination. They must discuss how what they hear live compares with the in-class material studied. They must read reviews and compare these to their own experiences. Both midterm and Final Exams are essay exams in which the student might explain in their own words what, for example, Blues are. A well developed response might include discussion of African vocal origins brought to the U.S. via the slave trade, the twelve bar blues progression, the poetic form, examples of important artists (Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, etc) and titles and dates for songs. The concert reports also provide a venue for reasoned arguments based on live musical experiences. Students must evaluate and analyze the music heard for styles and influences. They also evaluate the skills of the performers and explain what they base their opinions on.

p.1-2; p.3-9; Week Introduction: What is Jazz? Outline of Jazz Styles, I p.362-363; p.395- 1 I I Buying Strategies 401 Week 2 I Origins of Jazz; The Blues I p.29-47; p.380-384 Week p.49-82 I 3 JEarly Jazz: Combo Jazz Prior to Middle 1930’s I Week 3 Elements of Music about Rhythm p.364-369

Week Elements of Music about Rhythm p.364-369 I 4

Week 5 Appreciating Jazz Improvisation p.10-28 Week p.384-393 6 Detecting Other Forms and Tone Color ,_ J 1. Week 7 Midterm Exam

Week Swing p. 83-103 I 8

p.104-122; p.123- Week 9 Duke Ellington and Count Basin Bands 135

Week Bop p.136-166 I 10

p.167-185; p.186- Week 11 Cool Jazz and Hard Bop 207

Week I Miles Davies, His Groups and John I p.208-238; p.239- I I I 12 Coltrane 256 1960s and 70s Avant-Garde and “Free” Jazz and Bill Week 13 Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Keith p.57-282; p.283-304 Jarrett Week Jazz-Rock Fusion; Contemporary 1980 to 2000s p.305-336; 357- I I I 14 Jazz; What is Jazz? 360 Week 15 I Final Exam I Humanities Department Attendance Policy It is the conviction of the Humanities department that a student who is not in a class for any reason is not receiving the benefit of the education being provided. Missed class time includes not just absences but also latenesses, early departures, and time outside the classroom taken by students during class meeting periods. Missed time impacts any portion of the final grade overtly allocated to participation and/or any grades awarded for activities that relate to presence in class.

Plagiarism and NYCCT Academic Integrity Policy: “Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.” (See pp. 73-76 in the student handbook).

Accessibility Statement

City Tech is committed to supporting the educational goals of enrolled students with disabilities in the areas of enrollment, academic advisement, tutoring, assistive technologies and testing accommodations. If you have or think you may have a disability, you may be eligible for reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments as provided under applicable federal, state and city laws. You may also request services for temporary conditions or medical issues under certain circumstances. If you have questions about your eligibility or would like to seek accommodation services or academic adjustments, you can leave a voicemail at 718 260 5143, send an email to [email protected] or visit the Center’s website: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/accessibility/ for more information.

N.B., Students who miss a scheduled presentation or exam due to illness or medically- related emergencies will be referred to the Center for Student Accessibility. The CSA will review any documentation requested and give the student a letter to share with the relevant instructor if accommodations need to be made.

Humanities Department Commitment to Student Diversity The Humanities Department complies with the college wide nondiscrimination policy and seeks to foster a safe and inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity in its many forms and enhances our students’ ability to be informed, global citizens. Through our example, we demonstrate an appreciation of the rich diversity of world cultures and the unique forms of expression that make us human. Course Intended Learning Outcomes and Assessment Details

This will be accomplished through listening sessions and subsequent Students will learn and apply fundamental discussion. The mastery of these concepts, here called musical elements, in concepts will be demonstrated through exploring, discussing, and analyzing selected their use in discussion and in a concert music compositions. report. In addition they will be the subject of quizzes and an exam.

Students will analyze music from different style periods—Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, etc.- Students will demonstrate their -and learn the particular significance of each knowledge of these through class work in its own time and place. Cultural discussion and exams. norms, historical events, politics, and the Civil Rights struggle will all be addressed. This will be accomplished through class Students will articulate how meaning is discussion and through a concert report in created in music and how a work of music is which each student will write of his or her understood by them own listening experience.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of This will be accomplished through class the skills of composers and performers discussion, the concert report, and involved in the creative process. through exams. Gain an in-depth understanding of the This will be accomplished through class cultural/historical forces and traditions that discussion, the concert report, and influenced the development of jazz. exams.

General Education Intended Learning Outcomes and Assessment Methods

Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods Creative Expression Knowledge: Students will develop a musical vocabulary and be Concert reports able to communicate in a coherent manner to both professional and non-professional audience as good musical critics Skills: Students should be able to develop good writing skills Concert reports Concert reports, class Values: Have an appreciation of aesthetic values discussion and exams

Updated March 2021

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