MUS 307 HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC UNIQUE NUMBER: 21095 through 21150 INSTRUCTOR: STEPHEN SLAWEK TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Kevin Parme, Carlos Davalos, JaYoung Joo TIME /PLACE: MWF 12 PM in FAC 21; discussion T or Th @ 5, 6, 7 or 8 OFFICE: MBE 3.202 OFFICE HOURS: W @ 2 – 4 PM or by appointment OFFICE PHONE: 471-0671 Rock and Roll is undoubtedly the most popular music ever to have existed. At first thought to be music for only the younger generation, the mixed-generation audiences that exist at rock concerts today and the existence of “classic rock” radio stations have proven its staying power. This course will survey the stylistic development of rock music from its beginnings to the present. It will also be concerned with the music and musicians who have created rock’s history and with the social, political and cultural forces that have been at work in that history, particularly with regard to how these have influenced the sound of rock music. The course will begin with a short overview of the fundamentals of musical style to equip students who are new to the academic study of music with the tools necessary to an understanding of stylistic influences in the development of a musical tradition. The course will include a great deal of LISTENING, and you will be expected to develop the ability to recognize various aspects of musical style such as rhythm, form, timbre, etc. Course Objectives Students who take MUS 307 will: 1. master a basic vocabulary of musical description, enabling them to describe the characteristics of melody, rhythm and instrumentation of the various styles of rock music; 2. gain an understanding of the important contributions of music in the creation of culture; 3. develop a basic understanding of major "musical styles" in rock music; 4. develop a more extensive knowledge of the people involved in rock music throughout its history; 5. develop a greater capacity for the aesthetic and intellectual appreciation of rock music; 6. develop the means of thinking deeply about the socio-cultural issues that arise within the milieu of rock music (particularly regarding the music industry, race relations, class, gender and sexuality; but also politics, technology, altered states of mind, censorship, and deviance). Course Requirements SLAWEK: MUS 307 2 Required reading: What’s That Sound?: An Introduction to Rock and Its History (3rd edition), by John Covach and Andrew Flory; and The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader, by David Brackett. I recommend that you stay ahead of the game in reading the materials that are part of this course. While I suggest below the approximate areas of the course that relate to the reading selections, a one-to-one correspondence is not intended. What is most important is that you complete the readings that are assigned for each exam. Required Listening: The syllabus contains listening assignments linked to practically every class. The great majority of the songs and other musical pieces in these lists are easily available on YouTube. In addition to YouTube, you can find links to some of the songs listed below in a number of “Playlists” that I will post on Canvas. These playlists are outdated remnants from a previous incarnation of the course, but might be of use to you. Discussion: Your weekly meeting with one of the teaching assistants is an essential component of this course. This class is your opportunity to clear up any questions you have from the primary lectures and to discuss the content of the course at greater length. The discussion section instructor might also introduce new material that doesn’t appear in the MWF lecture, and will also play several of the songs drawn from items in the syllabus that don’t make it into the FAC lectures.. There will be three quizzes administered in the discussion section and most of your participation grade will be based on your performance in this class. Class time: We will use class time in a number of ways: straight-forward lecture, where I present material and you take copious notes; collective examination of analyses of recorded musical examples as we listen to those examples; viewing video materials (you should try to note main points); possible musical demonstrations; discussion of key issues found in assigned reading; quizzes; addressing any questions you might have regarding course content. Examinations: The course will include three hourly exams during the regular semester. There will not be a comprehensive final examination during the final examination period. Anything presented in class or contained in the reading is relevant to this course and could appear on an exam. At least 10% of each exam will consist of questions pertaining to reading assignments. It is very likely that the contents of some of these assignments will never make it into the classroom, but it is your responsibility to understand what the main arguments are in the assigned readings. As this course emphasizes the development of intelligent listening practices and the understanding of music as a phenomenon of our sonic environment, each exam will include questions testing your abilities to recognize musical concepts, pieces, groups etc. as represented in their aural form. Because of the large size of the class, the exams will consist of multiple choice, true-false, matching and other types of objective questions and will be graded electronically. Grades will be posted on Blackboard within a few days of each quiz and exam. Exams occur in FAC 21 on the following dates: SLAWEK: MUS 307 3 First hourly exam: February 23, 2015 Second hourly exam: April 3, 2015 Third hourly exam: May 8, 2015 REMEMBER TO BRING A #2 PENCIL TO THE EXAMS Concert Report: Everyone must attend one musical event featuring Rock music during the semester and write a report (maximum length = 4 pages) describing the nature of the event (concert in an arena/outdoors/club/fraternity party, etc.), the type of music that was performed (rock and roll, rockabilly, blues-based rock, heavy metal, punk, alternative, etc.), who performed the music (i.e., the band and something about its members), and the audience (teenyboppers, college-aged crowd, mixed generation, etc.) and how it responded to the music (use of drugs?; danced; stood up throughout; sang along; played air guitar, booed; removed clothing, etc.). In preparing the report, you should also supplement your ideas with some research that will enable you to write more knowledgeably about the music performed. The report is to be turned in to your Teaching Assistant no later than at the beginning of class on Friday, May 1. Additional guidance for this assignment will be posted on Canvas. Grading: Grades will be determined by a total of earned points. There are 100 points distributed in the following manner: Exam 1 20% Exam 2 20% Exam 3 20% Participation 15% Quizzes 10% (February 10/12; March 10/12, April 21/23) Research Paper/ 15% Due May 1 (to your TA at the start of class) Concert Report TOTAL 100% Course Web Site: Web-based, password-protected class sites are available for all accredited courses taught at The University. Syllabi, handouts, assignments and other resources are types of information that may be available within these sites. Site activities could include exchanging e-mail, engaging in class discussions and chats, and exchanging files. In addition, class e-mail rosters will be a component of the sites. Students who do not want their names included in these electronic class rosters must restrict their directory information in the Office of the Registrar, Main Building, Room 1. For information on restricting directory information see: SLAWEK: MUS 307 4 http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gi00-01/app/appc09.html The web site for MUS 307 on Canvas will be a useful resource for you throughout the session. An electronic version of this syllabus will be available there, along with other useful materials that will be posted as the course progresses. You should try to visit the course site regularly throughout the semester. GENERAL POLICIES While I encourage a relaxed classroom atmosphere open to discussion, there are a few rules of protocol that I find useful to clarify at the outset: 1. Please be reminded of the UT Honor Code: The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. 2. Incompletes will be given only if extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing course requirements. In any case, if you wish that a grade of incomplete (X) be assigned for the final grade, you MUST discuss the matter with me in advance. 3. If you have a question in class pertaining to something in the course content, by all means ask it! If you feel your question might be too removed from the direction of the lecture, you can always e-mail me. 4. Many quiz and exam questions originate in material of class lectures that is not found in the readings. You are encouraged to TAKE THOROUGH NOTES in all classes and obtain notes for any classes you may miss. 5. Any student with a documented disability (physical or cognitive) who requires academic accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Area of the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259 as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations. 6. Please review the note on appropriate behavior below. 7. I am usually very prompt in replying to any communication, including e-mail. However, because the volume of e-mail can often get overly burdensome, I WILL NOT REPLY to questions whose answers are contained in this syllabus or in announcements or documents posted on the course web site (e.g., When is the second exam? Is there going to be an exam in the final examination period? How do I access the sound files?) 8.