Music of Mexico and Borderlands Butler School of Music Fall 2020 Web-Based (Zoom) Meeting ID: 998 3631 6584 Password: MXBLMusic Instructor: Monica Fogelquist [email protected] Phone: 619-888-8821 Office Hours: M-W 10:00am-12:00pm and by appointment Zoom ID: 942 125 0222 Password: MFOffHrs
Course Description: To understand Mexican music on both sides of the border, we must understand the complexities of Mexican and Mexican American cultures. This course will explore the history, culture, and social constructs of Mexico and the Southern Borderlands, which have influenced musical output and mainstream acceptance. This course is 100% SYNCHRONOUS, with weekly lectures and small/large group discussion, to be supplemented by independent reading, writing, listening, and viewing of additional materials. Each class session will be recorded and saved so in case you must be absent, you will still have access to the daily lecture/discussion. Please be sure to communicate with me when you will be gone just so I know you’re ok, more than anything else. : ))
Class Recordings: Class recordings are reserved only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could lead to Student Misconduct proceedings.
Course Objectives: What you should be able to demonstrate throughout the course: • Your knowledge of turn-of-the century Mexican and Southwestern US history • Expressing your knowledge of various social, historical, and musical artists/topics through writing and discussion • Recognition and distinction between various genres of Mexican and Mexican American music • Give educated opinions and analyses of accompanying social, cultural, and historical factors that affect music as a form of identity, and vice versa • Your newfound enthusiasm for Mexican and Mexican American music : ))
Required materials: All reading, audio, and video materials will be posted to Canvas. (Let’s save some trees and $$)
Assessment: • Weekly writing (40%): You will have two writing assignments per week. The Tuesday assignments are due on Fridays at 8:00pm; the Thursday assignments are due on Mondays at 8:00pm. There is a 250-word minimum (double-spaced) for all writing assignments. Be sure to cite the readings and use any other materials to support your claims. All writing prompts are on Canvas. • Discussions (20%): During our classes (for which you should be present) we will engage in small and large group discussions related to the current topic(s) of study. I may call on you randomly to share (especially if it’s too quiet) so always be prepared with something to say. • Exams (20%): You will have three essay exams throughout the course. These exams will encompass the information from the three time periods in which the course has been divided: a. The turn of the century to c. 1960s b. The 1960s-1980s c. The 1990s-present You will be given 2 hours to complete the exams and may use any course resources that may help your writing. The goal is not for me to see if you have memorized isolated facts. The goal is to see if you can synthesize what you have learned in an relevant, organized, coherent manner. See the course schedule for exam dates. • Final project (20%): You will be assigned to a group and given a choice of topics on which to create an end-of-semester presentation for the class. The presentations will not be given in real time, so you can get quite creative in how you would like to present your information (e.g. podcast, slides, video demo, etc.) Project guidelines found on Canvas.
Grading Scale: 90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D 59-below=F
Course Schedule You can find all materials for each class session on the Canvas homepage: readings, links to writing assignments, video, and audio. The following is the topic schedule at a glance.
Date Topic 8/25 Transnationalism, globalization in music
No Zoom session but see Canvas for your assignment. 8/27 Introduction: syllabus review Meet the professor Meet the students 9/1 & 9/3 The corrido/música norteña 9/8 & 9/10 Jarocho music 9/15 & 9/17 The cine mexicano (Mexican cinema) and its music 9/22 & 9/24 The bolero and the emergence of trio music in popular culture 9/29 & 10/1 The Mexican American orquesta and Chicano R&B 10/1-10/4 EXAM #1 10/6 & 10/8 The Mexican balada 10/13 &10/15 Chicano music c. 1970s 10/20 & 10/22 Mexican pop icons of the 1980s & 1990s 10/27 & 10/29 Commercial success of Chicano musicians in the 1980s 11/3 & 11/5 Chicano punk in East LA 11/5-11/8 EXAM #2 11/10 & 11/12 Rock en español 11/17 & 11/19 Banda/norteño music and the rise of the narcocorrido 11/24 Chicano rap/lowrider culture 12/1 & 12/3 Chicana women and their music 12/3-12/6 EXAM #3 12/13 FINAL PROJECT DUE
Additional information:
COVID Caveats: To help keep everyone at UT and in our community safe, it is critical that students report COVID-19 symptoms and testing, regardless of test results, to University Health Services, and faculty and staff report to the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program (OHP) as soon as possible. Please see this link to understand what needs to be reported. In addition, to help understand what to do if a fellow student in the class (or the instructor or TA) tests positive for COVID, see this University Health Services link.
Accommodations for students with disabilities: Every accommodation will be for students with disabilities. If you need help being accommodated, contact the UT Services for Students with Disabilities center: Call 512-471-6259 Videophone 512-410-6644 Email [email protected] or visit our Contact Us page for more info.