The Popular Arts in America: Elvis Presley - The King of Rock and Roll

Catalog description

The significance and influence of Elvis Presley as an artist and cultural force focusing on his recordings and major performances. INART 200 The Popular Arts in America: Elvis Presley - The King of Rock and Roll (3) (GA)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirement. INART 200 is composed of eight chronologically arranged units of study that trace Elvis Presley's life; accomplishments; the significance of his art; his influence as a performer, recording artist, and motion picture star; and , perhaps most important, his place as a force and symbol of social/cultural change in the second half of the 20th century. Elvis was the principal symbol of change in a time when change was all-important. He was the first of the great rock and roll superstars, a herald of the cultural revolution of the 1960s, and the central figure in the musical revolution that brought rock and roll into the popular mainstream. He was - and is - the King of Rock and Roll and his place and importance in the cultural history of the twentieth century can never be overstated or exaggerated.The thrust of the course is sociological and cultural rather than musicological and the intent of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of Elvis as an artist, his significance in the development of rock and roll, and his importance in our social and cultural history.Each unit of study will be accomplished by key examples of recorded music and video records of important performances from television and motion pictures. The course includes approximately 100 important recordings and 15 video performances for required study.Grades in INART 200 will be determined by a series of eight objective tests and four assignments in the Popular Music Forum. The Popular Music Forum will examine important issues in popular music and culture concerning or related to the life of Elvis Presley that require research, critical thinking, the formation of objective opinions, and discussion. The Popular Music Forum is conducted online as a series of asynchronous discussions on Forum topics. The class will be broken into groups of fifteen students for the purpose of discussion.Grading will be based on a point system. There are 1200 possible points that can be earned during the course - 800 points on exams (2/3 of the final grade) and 400 points on written assignments in the Popular Music Forum (1/3 of the final grade).