Rock & Popular Music Spring 2017

Announcements, links, and information. As I add new posts, the old posts will move down the page.

Syllabus

4/24 Last Website Update

I’ve really enjoyed our two days of presentations so far, and am looking forward today’s set. This is a final reminder that any redos or revisions on previous work is due today 4/24.

We next meet on Monday, 5/1 at 3pm for our Final Unconference. The question we will discuss will be “Does music have value?”

We will talk for about an hour or so and then see if we want to keep talking. We will definitely be done by 5pm at the latest. I expect to end between 4:15 and 4:30.

Thanks so much for a wonderful semester. I really have enjoyed working and talking with you all. Please keep in touch.

See you next Monday at 3pm!

David

4/12 Presentations Start Monday; Final Unconference Info

I hope you enjoyed our last topic on controversial music. In class today, I recommended you watch videos of bell hooks talking with various people. Here’s one where she talks with Laverne Cox. All of the dialogues in this series from 2014 at the New School are well worth you time and are on YouTube.

We start our end of semester presentations on Monday. Check the schedule below (4/5 post) to make sure you are prepared for your day in class, and make sure you come and listen to your colleagues presentations and ask questions.

If you have any quizzes or assignments to make up or revise either of the projects, they are due on Monday, April 24.

Final Unconference

• During our Final Exam Period: May 1, 2017 at 3pm in our classroom.
• The final unconference is worth 10% of your final grade.

A conference is a bunch of academics reading and presenting papers to each other where interaction waits for sometimes mean-spirited Q & A. Instead, an unconference is a loosely structured event where the attendees determine the agenda together. Our class has been a version of this in some way, but I’d like to give over our last time together to discuss a single topic. How we actually do this is up to you. Last semester I chose the topic “Can music improve society?” Think about what question you would like us to discuss for our time together. Below I’ll provide a list I brainstormed myself. We’ll make a choice at some point next week.

Once we’ve chosen a question to discuss, how your prepare is up to you. You can prepare for the final by researching other people’s thoughts or find examples to prove your opinions and thoughts. You can also think through your ideas and come up with some thoughts you would like to share. If you are really good at talking off the top of your head, you can just show up and take part in the discussion. This is all up to you.

Make sure you participate, since I have to grade this somehow. And it will basically be graded on participation. Take part and you’ll do fine. My goal is to have a meaningful discussion that you’ll remember, and if we go on tangents, I think those are important and valuable. In the end, it’s like a usual discussion we have, except for a longer time and this time I’ll mainly stay out of the way.

Drop me an email or talk to me before or after class if you have any thoughts or concerns you want to share about this format.

A Possible Final Unconference Topic List

• Can music improve society?
• Does creating music for money change the way the artists make it?
• Can music be authentic?
• Does music have value?
• Is music worth it?
• Is music worse than it used to be?
• Can music harm us?
• Is music art or entertainment?
• Is music emotional?
• Can you account for musical taste?
• Can music change the world?
• Is music a waste of time?
• What do you value about music?
• What do you hate about music?

See you on Monday!

David

4/5 Controversial & Banned Music Stuff; Presentation Schedule

I hope you enjoyed our week on covers and parodies. We have one more weekly topic: Controversial and Banned Music. Be thinking about what you want to discuss for the final unconference during the final exam time period on May 1.

Controversial Songs Reading and Listening List

I created our final listening list from this article about 40 songs that have been banned or censored. Please read this page before class on Monday to get an insight into why society reacts negatively to music.

Spotify playlist | YouTube playlist

• Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” (1939)
• The Kingsmen, “Louie, Louie” (1963)
• The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows” (1966)
• Loretta Lynn, “The Pill” (1975)
• Donna Summer, “Love to Love You Baby” (1975)
• Elvis Costello and the Attractions, “Radio Radio” (1978)
• Olivia Newton-John, “Physical” (1981)
• Neil Young, “This Note’s For You” (1988)
• Rage Against the Machine, “Take the Power Back” (1992)
• Eminem, “The Real Slim Shady” (2000)

Controversial Songs Assignment (Due Wed 4/12)

• This is the last assignment of the semester and is due Wednesday 4/12.
• Please choose a controversial or banned song. If you need help choosing one, this article has a long list of songs that were supposedly “banned” after 9/11 (they weren’t).
• Listen to the song and/or watch the music video.
• Write a short essay (about 100-200 words) talking about why you think someone would think it is controversial and therefore want to ban or censor it. Also do you agree?

End of Semester Presentation Schedule

The timings on the schedule are preliminary. We will start each presentation day at the beginning of class. Everyone has 5-10 minutes to present, and when we get through everyone signed up for that day, we can go home. Please come to class on days when you are not presenting to listen and ask questions.

• Monday April 17
  • 3:30 Courtney
  • 3:45 Kiara
  • 4:00 Shadazia
  • 4:15 DeVon
  • 4:30 Brantley
• Wednesday April 19
  • 3:30 Brittany
  • 3:45 Logan
  • 4:00 Dom
  • 4:15 Sierra
  • 4:30
• Monday April 24 (All Makeup Quizzes, Assignments, & Revised Projects Due)
  • 3:30
  • 3:45 Zaria
  • 4:00 Jasmine
  • 4:15 Tyler
  • 4:30 Jordan

See you on Monday!

David

3/29 Covers & Parodies Stuff; End of Semester Presentations

I hope you enjoyed Chris O’Neill’s lecture on punk music and our day connecting artists through their influences. We are moving into the final stretch and have two more weeks of topics, 3 days for student presentations (see below), and then the final unconference (more on this later). Here’s what you need for our week on Covers & Parodies and the End of Semester Presentations.

Covers & Parodies Listening List

For this week’s listening list, you only need to remember the song title and the artist, like usual. The information about the original versions of these covers and parodies is for your own interest.

Spotify playlist | YouTube playlist

• 5 Covers
  • Ike & Tina Turner, “Proud Mary” (1971) [Originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)]
  • Devo, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1977) [Originally by The Rolling Stones (1965)]
  • The Fugees, “Killing Me Softly” (1996) [Originally by Robert Flack (1973)]
  • Tori Amos, “Raining Blood” (2001) [Originally by Slayer (1986)]
  • Johnny Cash, “Hurt” (2003) [Originally by Nine Inch Nails (1995)]
• 5 Parodies by “Weird Al” Yankovic
  • “Eat It” (1984) [Originally “Beat It” by Michael Jackson (1983)]
  • “Like a Surgeon” (1985) [Originally “Like a Virgin” by Madonna (1984)]
  • “The Saga Begins” (1999) [Originally “American Pie” by Don McLean (1997)]
  • “White & Nerdy” (2006) [Originally “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone (2006)]
  • “Foil” (2014) [Originally “Royals” by Lorde (2013)]

Covers & Parodies Reading & Assignment (For Wednesday)

This week both the reading and the assignment will be for Wednesday (4/5).

• Please read the following short opinion piece comparing “Weird Al” parodies to other younger parody artists (with videos).
  • “Weird Al Versus YouTube: Who Does Better Song Parodies?” by Josh Chesler in the Phoenix New Times on August 2, 2016.
• For the assignment due Wednesday 4/5, please choose a famous song, and write parody lyrics to at least one section of the song (verse, chorus, etc.). Those who are interested in sharing their lyrics can do so in class on Wednesday.
  • If you want some guidance on writing a song parody, here’s a wikiHow article. (Keep in mind you don’t have to do most of these steps, since you are just creating about a paragraph worth of lyrics.)

End of Semester Presentations

Our end of semester presentations will be over three class days in a couple of weeks (4/17, 4/19, and 4/24). So it’s time for you to start thinking about what you want to do for your presentation. We’ll sign up for days and times this coming week.

• Your presentation is basically like either of our previous projects. Your topic is up to you.
  The only difference is that you are required to present and that whatever you do outside of the presentation itself is optional (paper, essay, etc. is optional.)
• Plan a presentation of about 5 to 10 minutes long.
• Please have a visual aid of some kind (powerpoint, handout, etc.). Make sure you email me your powerpoint, so I can refer to it as I grade afterward.
• This presentation is worth 20% of your final grade. (The projects were each worth 25%.)

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

See you on Monday!

David

3/22 Guest Lecture Monday; Project 2 Due Wednesday

I hope you enjoyed our week on YouTube Stars. Make sure you are working on your project 2, which is due next Wednesday (3/29). On Monday, we have a guest lecturer, Chris O’Neill, on punk music. It should be a lot of fun. (I’ll be in class that day.) I’ll plan something for Wednesday.

Project 2 Reminders

• Due Wednesday 3/29.
• Cite your sources, including any music you directly discuss.
• Include a self-evaluation (see the questions to answer on this rubric page).

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We’ll return to quizzes and assignments with Covers & Parodies the week after next.

See you Monday!

David

3/8 Enjoy Your Break & Updated Calendar

Thank you all for coming to class today before you head off the spring break. We choose our last three topics today. Remember that Project 2 is due the week after we get back, and that all you need to do for class the day we get back (Mon 3/20) if you want, is have a video you would like us to watch and discuss of a YouTube Star that does music or a musician who became famous through YouTube.

Here’s an updated calendar of the rest of the semester after we get back from spring break.

• Topic 7: YouTube Stars [No Quiz this week]
  • 3/20
  • 3/22 You will have a short assignment due this day that I will assign on Monday.
• Project 2 Week
  • 3/27 Guest Lecture by Chris O’Neill
  • 3/29 Project 2 Due
• Topic 8: Covers and Parodies
  • 4/3 Quiz
  • 4/5
• Topic 9: Controversial & Banned Music
  • 4/10 Last Quiz
  • 4/12
• End of Semester Presentations for 3 Days
  • 4/17
  • 4/19
  • 4/24 All Make Up Quizzes, Assignments, and Revised Projects Due
• Final Exam Time
  • 5/1 3:00pm: Final Unconference Discussion on a TBD Question

Let me know if you have any questions.

See you on Monday 3/20!

David

3/7 Project 2 due 3/29, Spring Break Next Week

We spend tomorrow’s class talking about Hamilton and also deciding what our last three topics will be. In the meantime, here’s some info for you.

• Since I screwed up the playlist this week, everyone gets full credit for this week’s listening quiz.
• Next week is spring break! Enjoy some down time.
• Remember that Project 2 is due Wednesday 3/29. Make sure you cite your sources, including the music you discuss, and write a self-evaluation (the questions to answer are on the project rubric).
• Here’s a calendar for the next few weeks.
  • 3/8 (Tomorrow): Hamilton and choose topics.
  • No class on 3/13 & 3/15 for Spring Break.
  • 3/20 & 3/22: Next Topic (which we decide tomorrow).
  • 3/27: Guest Lecture from Chris O’Neill (I’ll be in class). Past students have really enjoyed Chris.
  • 3/29: Project 2 due; Extra Day, I’ll have something prepared for this day.

Let me know if you have any questions.

See you tomorrow (Wednesday)!

David

3/1 Broadway Tunes Stuff

I hope you learned about R&B history this week. The term, the genre, and its styles have changed a lot over time. We move on to Broadway Tunes next week. There will no assignment this week so you can focus on the reading/listening.

Broadway Tunes Listening List

Your job is to remember the musical title and the song title. (I’ve given you the composer/lyricist names as well, but you don’t have to memorize them.)

[3/6 edit: I screwed up the Spotify playlist! I linked to the wrong old list I had made for a previous semester. The correct playlist is now linked below.]

Spotify playlist | YouTube playlist

2/22 R&B Stuff

I hope you enjoyed our week on Girl Groups and Boy Bands. Thanks so much for your handouts on various groups today. I’ll have your first project graded by tomorrow and will be able to give them back to you on Monday. Now we move on to R&B.

R&B Listening List

Spotify playlist | YouTube playlist

R&B Viewing (for Monday)

Please watch the following hour-long video about Mary J. Blige and Contemporary R&B before class on Monday 2/27. We will discuss the video together in class.

• Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music, Episode 6: From Ghetto to Fabulous (2005)

R&B Assignment (due Wednesday)

• Due Wednesday 3/1.
• For your given time period (listed below), make a single page handout for that time period. This is basically the same idea for the Girl Group & Boy Bands assignment.
• Here is a series of wikipedia pages that list the number one R&B hits from 1942 to the present. You can use these lists of songs as a place to start.
• If you have the 60s, you may also want to look at the main billboard number ones list, since they eliminated the R&B chart during 63-65 because of the amount of crossover hits.
• Email me your assignment by 2:30pm on 3/1 for me to make copies, or bring 16 copies to class (this is enough for everyone including yourself).
• Time Periods:
  • 1942-49 Brantley
  • 50-54 Colbey
  • 55-59 Sierra
  • 60-64 Jordan
  • 65-69 Brittany
  • 70-74 Tyler
  • 75-79 Logan
  • 80-84 Jasmine
  • 85-89 DeVon
  • 90-94 Shadazia
  • 95-99 Ki
  • 2000-05 Courtney
  • 05-09 Zaria
  • 10-17 Dom

See you on Monday!

David

2/20 Assignment due Wednesday

Here’s your assignment due on Wednesday (2/22).

• Choose a girl group or boy band of any era. Please stick to ones that are mainly known as vocalists singing in groups who mostly don’t play their own instruments while performing (Supremes, Boyz II Men, One Direction, Spice Girls, etc.).
• Your job is to make a handout for your colleagues about your chosen group. How you do this is up to you.
• Your goal is to fit it on one sided of one printed page. If you need to go onto the back, that’s okay.
• Make your handout, and either email it to me by 2:30pm on Wednesday 2/22, or make 16 copies and bring them to class.
• We will discuss your chosen bands and artists in class as a group. You will telling your colleagues about what you learned and sharing songs.

See you today in class!

David

2/15 Girl Groups and Boy Bands Stuff

I hope you enjoyed this week’s classes on song form and harmony. Do with this information what you will. I just wanted to give you a taste of the ways music scholars talk about the music we study.

I collected your Project 1 today in class. Make sure you get your project to me soon if you haven’t yet. In the meantime, we talk about Girl Groups and Boy Bands next week.

Listening List

As normal, remember the artist and song title for the quiz.

Spotify playlist | YouTube playlist

• The Crystals, “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)
• The Drifters, “Under the Boardwalk” (1964)
• The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)
• The Temptations, “Get Ready” (1966)
• The Stylistics, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (1974)
• Labelle, “Lady Marmalade” (1974)
• Boyz II Men, “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994)
• Spice Girls, “Wannabe” (1996)
• TLC, “No Scrubs” (1999)
• NSYNC, “It’s Gonna Be Me” (2000)

Reading for Monday

Please read this article about current Girl Groups hit problems for class on Monday (2/20).

• “Why Can’t Modern Girl Groups Land a Radio Hit?” by Joe Lynch on Billboard on March 5, 2015.

I will assign an assignment due Wednesday on Monday next week.

See you on Monday!

David

2/8 Project 1 Due Next Week & Updated Calendar

I hope you enjoyed our discussion of how The Lion King connects to our society today in class. Next week your Project 1 is due (Wed 2/15), so we’ll talk about musical form (how songs are shaped) and harmony (various ways chords are used to create songs) rather than a new topic. There will be no quiz or graded assignment due next week. I want you to focus on working on your project. If you have time, please read the pages on my website listened below. We also chose three new topics. See the calendar below for what we’ll do in class for the next few weeks.

Song Form (Reading for Monday)

• “Form in Rock and Popular Music” on my website. You’ll learn about 3 standard song forms and we’ll use this as a starting point for looking at songs on Monday.

Harmony (Reading for Wednesday)

“Harmony in Rock and Popular Music” on my website. You’ll learn about 2 chord progressions that undergird songs. We’ll sing and play along in class on Wednesday.

Updated Calendar

• Musical Ideas
  • 2/13 Song Form
  • 2/15 Harmony Project 1 Due
• Topic 4: Girl Groups & Boy Bands
  • 2/20 Quiz 4
  • 2/22
• Topic 5: R&B
  • 2/27 Quiz 5
  • 3/1
• Topic 6: Broadway Tunes (Musicals)
  • 3/6 Quiz 6
  • 3/8
• Spring Break!
  • No Classes 3/13-3/17

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

See you on Monday!

David

2/1 Disney Soundtracks Stuff

I hope you enjoyed our week on TV Theme Songs, and our discussion today in class. Everyone who was in class today gets full credit for the assignment that was the discussion. (If you weren’t in class, contact me about ways for you to makeup today’s class.)

Also, as I announced in class on Monday, our classes on 2/13 & 2/15 will be about Musical Ideas to allow you time that week to focus on completing Project 1 rather than a new listening list, quiz, etc.

In the meantime, we are moving on to Disney Soundtracks.

Disney Soundtracks Listening List

We return to a 10 song list for this topic. This time you need to remember the song title and the movie title for the quiz.

YouTube playlist

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), “Someday My Prince Will Come”
• Cinderella (1950), “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”
• One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), “Cruella De Vil”
• The Jungle Book (1967), “The Bare Necessities”
• Robin Hood (1973), “Not In Nottingham”
• The Little Mermaid (1989), “Kiss the Girl”
• Beauty and the Beast (1991), “Be our Guest”
• Aladdin (1992), “Friend Like Me”
• Frozen (2013), “Let It Go”
• Moana (2016) “Where You Are”

Disney Soundtracks Viewing and Assignment (Due Wednesday 2/8)

• Your job before class on Wednesday 2/8 is to watch The Lion King (1994).
  • Here’s a link to watch it free online.
  • Make sure you pay attention to how each song fits into the structure of the movie and the story.
• Then write a short essay (about 250 words) for Wednesday 2/8.
  • Choose one song from the movie.
  • Explain how this song fits in the movie’s story and structure. Some possible questions to answer in your essay:
    • Who is singing?
    • What are they singing about?
    • Why are they singing?
    • Where is it in the movie and the plot?
    • Why style is the song? How fast is it?
    • What mood does it create?
    • Does this song continue the plot moving the action forward or does it stop the plot for the character to pause and reflect on their situation and emotions?
  • We will talk about specific songs this way during class on Monday to prepare you to write the essay.

See you on Monday!

David

1/31 Info for Project 1

Class tomorrow is our in class discussion on “What Makes A Great TV Theme Song?”. Yesterday, in class I talked about the first project. Here’s an organized chunk of information for you about it.

Project 1 (Due Wednesday 2/15)

• Read the section on the syllabus about projects on p. 3.
• Here’s a rubric for the projects.
• Your project is worth 25% of your final grade.
• After I grade the project, you can revise and resubmit it for a higher grade.
• See the syllabus for possible ideas for your project (paper, blog essay, video, song, visual art, presentation, etc.).
• If you choose to make a nonwritten project, please include a written page explaining why and how you made your project so that I can have context to help me grade your work.
• If you choose to make a powerpoint or other similar presentation materials, I expect you to schedule and make an in-class presentation as a part of your grade.
• Please cite your sources. Let me know where you got your information from.
• Also include a self-evaluation of your project. The rubric includes 3 questions for you to answer for the self-evaluation.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

See you on Wednesday!

David

1/25 TV Theme Songs Stuff

I hope you enjoyed our week on music videos. Here’s what you need for next week and our next topic: TV Theme Songs.

TV THEMe Songs LISTENING LIST

Since the music is so short, this list has 20 songs. I will play 10 songs for the quiz and you only have to remember each show’s title.

YouTube playlist

• I Love Lucy (1951-1957)
• The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)
• Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967)
• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
• Sesame Street (1969-Present)
• M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
• Sanford and Son (1972-1977)
• The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
• The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
• Family Matters (1989-1997)
• The Simpsons (1989- Present)
• Law & Order (1990-2010)
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
• The X-Files (1993-2002)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-Present)
• That’s So Raven (2003-2007)
• Doctor Who (2005-Present) [Also 1963-1989]
• The Big Bang Theory (2007-Present)
• The Walking Dead (2010-Present)

TV Theme Songs Reading (for Monday)

Please read the following article to discuss in class on Monday.

• “Where Nobody Knows Your Name” by Ernie Smith from Tedium on January 13, 2016.

TV THEME SONGS Assignment (FOR Wednesday)

Instead of a written assignment, we will have an in class discussion on Wednesday 2/1 on the following question: “What Makes a Great TV Theme Song?”

This will be graded on participation, which means come to class and have something to say. You can prepare for this however you like. You can research theme songs, listen to a lot of them, write some thoughts down beforehand, or even just walk in cold and talk about your opinions. The goal is to have a meaningful discussion in class led by you all rather than me. I will talk only as needed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

See you on Monday!

David

1/18 Music Videos Stuff

I hope you found our discussion of different ways of listening helpful. We begin our first topic, Music Videos, on Monday. Here’s the stuff we need for next week.

Music Videos Listening (Watching) List

We will have our first listening quiz on Monday (1/23). Please make sure you can recognize each song by listening alone and write down both its title and artist for the quiz.

YouTube playlist | I usually make a Spotify playlist, but multiple songs on this list aren’t on Spotify.

• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” (1982)
• Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” (1983)
• A-ha, “Take on Me” (1984)
• Peter Gabriel, “Sledgehammer” (1986)
• Madonna, “Express Yourself” (1989)
• The Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy” (1994)
• Lauryn Hill, “Everything Is Everything” (1999)
• Dixie Chicks, “Landslide” (2002)
• OutKast, “Hey Ya!” (2003)
• Missy Elliott ft. Pharrell Williams, “WTF (Where They From)” (2015)

Music Videos Reading (for Monday)

Please read the following article for class on Monday as a jumping-off point for our discussion and music video viewing in class.

• “Why Music Videos Are Still Relevant” by Daisy Jones from i-D on April 15, 2015.

Music Videos Assignment (Due Wednesday)

• Due Wednesday 1/25.
• Choose a music video either from the listening list or of your own choosing (if not on the list, make sure you give me a link to the video).
• Write a very short essay (around 250 words) talking about your chosen video. It can take any form you like (a review, a critique, a reaction, etc.). Make sure your essay feels whole at this length. Take this is an experiment in writing about music with precision and concision.
• Either email me your essay by class time or hand me a hardcopy at the beginning of class.

I look forward to talking about music videos with you all. Let me know if you have any questions.

See you on Monday!

David

1/11 First Topics and Calendar

I hope you enjoyed our short look at “Hound Dog” today in class. If you haven’t yet, please fill out the online First Day Survey. Here’s an updated calendar with our first few topics. I will make the first listening list next week sometime.

• Next Week
  • 1/16 No Class (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
  • 1/18 A Song Listening Activity
• Topic 1: Music Videos
  • 1/23 Quiz 1
  • 1/25
• Topic 2: TV Theme Songs
  • 1/30 Quiz 2
  • 2/1
• Topic 3: Disney Soundtracks
  • 2/6 Quiz 3
  • 2/8
• Topic 4: TBD
  • 2/13
  • 2/15 Project 1 Due

See you on Wednesday!

David

1/9 Syllabus and First Day Survey

Welcome to Rock & Popular Music! I hope we will have a fun semester together. In the meantime, you have three things to do before Wednesday.

• • 1. Please read the Syllabus linked to at the top of the page. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about it.
    2. Fill out this online First Day Survey to tell my a little about yourself and the music you listen to. This survey is your first assignment. It is graded on participation.
    3. Be prepared to discuss what topics you would like to cover over the next few weeks on Wednesday.

See you on Wednesday!

David