Rock and Pop

Catalog description

Three lecture. This course provides an introduction to the birth and development of rock within the United States during the middle of the 20th century. Throughout the course, we will examine such musical genres as rhythm and blues, country western, and mainstream popular music as they existed prior to the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950’s, the British Invasion in the 1960’s, and the diversification of rock in the decades that followed. The materials used throughout the course are drawn from such disciplines as musicology, ethnomusicology, sociology, cultural studies, and, of course, history. Students will be able to: identify important people, organizations, events, songs, and concepts in the history of rock; compare rock songs according to certain musical properties, including instrumentation, melody, rhythm, form, vocal style, and lyrical content; categorize these musical comparisons within their historical contexts, which consist of the political, social, and technological developments of the 20th century and continuing to modern times; engage in critical/discussions of rock music as a musical genre; demonstrate the ability to think critically: assignments may include but are not limited to discussions, group projects, readings, use of video and additional media as appropriate, and short writing assignments. General Education: Arts and Humanities, Institutions in the Americas