SLAWEK: MUS 307 1 MUS 307 THE HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC UNIQUE NUMBER: 21610 – 21675 INSTRUCTOR: STEPHEN SLAWEK TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Ben Krakauer ([email protected]), Ian Dunham ([email protected]), Kat MacIntyre ([email protected]) TIME /PLACE: MWF 12 PM in FAC 21; discussion T or Th @ 4, 5, 6, or 7 OFFICE: MBE 3.202 OFFICE HOURS: W @ 3:00 – 5:00 PM (or by appointment) OFFICE PHONE: 471-0671 E:MAIL: [email protected] Rock and Roll is undoubtedly the most popular music ever to have existed. At first thought to be a music for only the younger generation, its staying power has been proven by the mixed-generation audiences that exist at rock concerts today and the existence of “classic rock” radio stations. This course will survey the stylistic development of rock music from its beginnings to the present, but with emphasis on the trends of the earlier decades that set the patterns of later developments. 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. that differentiate the various sub-genres of rock music. BE FOREWARNED: This is not an “easy A” course. If you have registered for this course under that mistaken assumption, you will be disappointed in May. Numerous students have commented in the past that the course is among the most difficult they have experienced at UT-Austin. 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; SLAWEK: MUS 307 2 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 Required reading: Rockin’ Out (5th edition) by Reebee Garofalo, and The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader (2nd edition), 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. Any additional reading assignments will be available through EReserve in the University Library System. Required Listening: A series of sound files containing songs relevant to this course are available for online listening through the Electronic Reserves system. These recordings should be used to review and supplement musical items studied in class, and to prepare for the listening sections of the exams. The password for the home page of the course is mus307. 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 might 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. 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. 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 SLAWEK: MUS 307 3 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, April 22. 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 exam. First hourly exam: February 21, 2011 Second hourly exam: April 1, 2011 Third hourly exam: May 6, 2011 Grading: Grades will be determined by a total of earned points. There are 100 points distributed in the following manner: Exam 1 25% Exam 2 25% Exam 3 25% Participation 5% Quizzes 10% (February 1/3; March 8/10; April 19/21) Research Paper/ 10% Due April 22 (to TA at the beginning of class) Concert Report TOTAL 100% SLAWEK: MUS 307 4 Lecture Capture This class is taking part in a lecture capturing experiment. As part of this experiment, audio and projected material presented in class will be recorded and made available to you for review via Blackboard. To watch a recording, simply click on the link for the recording, enter your UTEID information and select the version of the recording you want to watch (use High Speed if you have a fast internet connection and Low Speed if you have a slower connection). You will need Flash installed on your computer to view these recordings (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/). Please remember that this is a trial of the lecture capturing system, so an issue might arise that could prevent material from being made available in a timely fashion or at all. Although every effort will be taken to keep the system running, UT does not guarantee the availability of these recordings. Attending class is the only way to insure your viewing of the professor's presentation. You can find additional information about the lecture capture system as well as report technical issues at: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/information-technology/faqs/echo360- faq.php 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. Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any aspect of the course and, if discovered, will be treated in accordance with University regulations. 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 or one of the teaching assistants. 4. Many exam questions originate in material of class lectures that is not found in the text. You are encouraged to TAKE THOROUGH NOTES in all classes and obtain notes for any classes you may miss. SLAWEK: MUS 307 5 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. Disruptive behavior in the classroom is unacceptable and could result in expulsion from the course, with a resultant grade of F. As a courtesy to your classmates, please ensure that cell phone ringers, pagers etc. are turned off before entering the lecture hall, that you arrive on time, and that you do not disrupt lectures by leaving early.