COURSE TITLE: HISTORY OF RECORDING BUSINESS
INSTRUCTOR: Mark Volman OFFICE
HOURS: by appointment
PHONE/FAX: 615-794-5801 E-MAIL: volmanm@mail.belmont.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of the foundations of
the recorded music business, which includes the development of recording
labels, technology-driven changes, and recordings from 1877 to the present.
Also discussed is the formation of the major recording
labels and the development of the marketing structure whereby recorded music is
exposed and sold to consumers.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course will provide a
survey of how popular music has often reflected the moods and circumstances of
society itself - be it in patriotic songs in time of war, the American ballads
of the great depression years, the protest pop during the Vietnam war or merely in lyrics that illuminate the social fabric of
the time. The music business culture's
influence has been felt in hairstyles, clothing, language, lifestyles and
politics. In other words, any historian
of the last half-century must devote significant consideration to music as one
of the primary forces in our society as a whole (socially, culturally,
economically, politically, and musically).
TEXT: Rock and Roll - Its
History and Stylistic Development, 5th Edition
Joe
Stuessy
Prentice
Hall; 2000
NOTEBOOK:
Students should keep a notebook.
You will want to keep a notebook of this material,
which will not be available in the textbook.
It could be on the quizzes.
ATTENDANCE: Missing classes are UNACCEPTABLE and WILL affect your final
grade. Lectures are only
given once, and it is your responsibility to obtain any missed notes from a
fellow student. You are responsible for
all material covered in class and class readings. Since there is only one class per week, if
you miss a class you have missed an entire week. MISSED CLASSES WILL LOWER YOUR GRADE.
LATE POLICY: Tardiness will be noted and will
result in a lower grade.
TOPICS
AND LECTURES: This schedule is subject to change, but we will
try to cover will be:
All readings unless
otherwise noted are in the class book
8/24 Review Syllabus
& opening thesis
8/29 Technology and
popular tastes
8/31 Blues, country
and the Roots of Rock
9/5 Blues, country and the Roots of Rock
9/7 The Rise of
Rhythm And Blues
9/12 The Rise of
Rhythm And Blues
9/14 R & R:
Fifties Style - (31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
9/19 R & R:
Fifties Style - (31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
9/21 Teen Market, The Early 1960s - (49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93)
9/26 Teen Market, The Early 1960s -
(49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93)
9/28 Beatles,
Stones, others - (98-111) - (146-168) - (111-117)
10/3 The Beatles, Stones, others - (98-111) - (146-168) -
(111-117)
10/5 The Beatles
part 2 - (118 -133) - (155-168)
10/10 The Beatles part
2 / Folk and Folk Rock - (175-191)
10/12 OFF
10/17 OFF
10/19 Folk and Folk Rock - (175-191)
10/24 Soul and Motown - (195-218)
10/26 Soul
and Motown - (195-218)
10/31 The Psychedelic
Sounds - (222 - 237)
11/2 The Psychedelic
Sounds - (222 - 237)
11/7 Jazz and Art
Rock - (242-276)
11/9 Jazz and Art Rock - (242-276)
11/14 The
Seventies - (284-327)
11/16 The Seventies -
(327-350)
11/21 The Eighties –
(358- 374)
11/23 THANKSGIVING
11/28 The Eighties & The Nineties
– (378-405)
11/31 The
Nineties
12/5 Recent
Developments (406-423)
12/7 Final Quiz
and Final Paper Due
GRADING PROCEDURE: There will be a total of 8 quizzes based on weekly
lectures. Each quiz is worth points that
accumulate till the end of the year. You
will be allowed to discard one quiz. You
may get permission by the professor to make up a missed quiz. Each student must
prepare a Term Report on a musical group or subject chosen by the student.
There also will be homework assignments given for more point credit.
GRADING SCALE: Final grades will be points accumulated from: attendance,
homework, quizzes, extra credit, class paper outline and your final paper.
95 -100% = A
90
- 94% = A-
85 - 89% = B+ 80
- 84% = B
77 - 79% = B- 74
- 76% = C+
69 - 73% = C 65
- 68% = C-
60 - 64% = D+ 56
- 59% = D
50 - 55% = D- Below
50% = Fail
ACCOMMODATION
OF DISABILITIES: In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and
the Americans with Disabilities Act,
RESEARCH TOPIC: You are required to complete a research topic outline on
the group or artist you have chosen to write about. An outline is optional and is due by October 31.
This must be on any artist or group that took place before your year of
birth and cleared by the professor. The
research paper solo should include, among other things:
*
The inception and pitfalls of their music career and their effect on society.
* The importance of this artist(s)
to the history of rock music?
* What songs (album, concert, tour,
etc.) are important for this contribution?
The outline
should include:
·
The topic/thesis (must be "popular
music history" related)
·
Your expected content…in
outline form
·
A summary of sources you
plan to use (at least 5 sources)
·
What you hope to learn from
this research
The research
report should include:
·
Technical requirements:
1). Must
be typed!
2). Minimum 10 pages
3). 12
pt. "Times" font
4). Margins: 1" top and bottom; 1.25" left and
right
·
Your graded outline
(attached to the back of your paper)
·
It should follow your
outline content
·
A bibliography with at least
five sources
The research outline and research report will be due at the final class
meeting
EXTRA CREDIT REPORTS: All
reports will be due the final day.
* Submit topic(s) for approval no later than
mid-November
* Must be typed and double spaced
* Paper must be 3-4 pages in length
* Have a cover page
* Book reports must require a bibliography,
which must site 3 reference sources.
* Reports will be worth extra points toward
your final grade
Spelling,
grammar and punctuation will count.
SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR EXTRA CREDIT: If you choose to do extra credit,
please include the names of the important people involved, date, why this topic
is important, and the sociological importance of this topic along with any
other data you feel is important.
1). A research paper of
one song from any period in rock. You
may relate the song to the history of rock.
You should consider:
*Lyrics
and/ or the music. *Background vocals *Success
*Instrumentation *Form *Social
implications
*Solo vs.
ensemble *Video
*Placement
of song on album *Marketing
2). Pop festivals
3). Payola
4). Rock - censored.
5). Styles of Music:
Reggae, Punk, New Age music, Contemporary Ethnic Rock Music (Latin influences,
etc.), Rock soundtracks
6). Compare and contrast three recordings from the 50's or 60's and their re-releases in the 80's or 90's.
7.
The Gatekeepers of Radio –
Then and Now
8.
Music from the Street – The
Popular Music Industry
9. New Technology and an expanded music business