Course Title: MBU 2130.05 - HISTORY OF RECORDING BUSINESS
(3)
Semester: Spring 2007
Location: Massy 203 B
Instructor: Mark Volman, B.A.,M.F.A.
Phone/Fax: 615-794-5801
E-mail:
volmanm@mail.belmont.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Meeting Time: Tuesday &
Thursday – 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM and 11:00AM – 12:15 AM
Final Exam: to be announced
Educational Objectives of the
Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music: 1) To provide a
personalized, career-oriented and practical education that emphasizes
leadership, innovation, private enterprise and entrepreneurship. 2) To equip students with the tools
to think critically, communicate effectively, accept responsibility, make
successful decisions, and prosper in diverse work environments. 3) To emphasize
quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian
principles.
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.
Performance Criteria:
1. Identify how the music business
culture's influence has been led by technology, art and commerce; 2. Analyze
how technology and music in its many changes it has made have influenced
society through all of its hairstyles, clothing, language, politics and
lifestyles; 3. Explain how historians in
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).
Learning Outcomes: Though homework, quizzes and a student driven
research project the student will synthesize all course material 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.
Honor Code:
It
is the responsibility of each student to abide by the Belmont University Honor
Code. “In affirmation of the Belmont University Statement of
Values, I pledge that I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I
will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work, in the
preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that is to be used by the
instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic
fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others
abide by the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge.”
Accommodation of Disabilities: In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide
reasonable accommodation of all medically documented disabilities. If you
have a disability and would like the university to provide reasonable accommodations
of the disability during this course, please notify the Office of the Dean of
Students located in Beaman Student Life Center (460-6407) as soon as possible.
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.
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.
Textbooks: “Rock & Roll: It’s history
and stylistic approach,
5th edition”
By: Joe Stuessy & Scott Lipscomb
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 must get
permission by the professor to make up any missed quiz. Each student will be allowed to make up one
quiz during the semester.
Term paper: Each student
must prepare a Term Report on a musical group or subject chosen by the student
with the approval of the professor. The term paper will be worth a significant
part of your grade
Homework
Assignments: 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, 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
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 not optional and is due by April 3rd. This must be on any artist, group or topic
that took place in music history before your year of birth and must be cleared
by the professor. The research paper
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
·
A
bibliography with at least five sources
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
You are allowed to turn in a
maximum of 2 extra credit reports
All extra credit reports will
be due by April 26th.
* Submit topic(s) for approval
* Must be typed and double spaced
* Paper must be 4 - 6 pages in length
* Have a cover page
* Book reports must require a bibliography,
which must site 5 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 (etc.),
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
Topics and lectures: This
schedule is subject to change, but we will try to cover will be:
1/11 Review Syllabus & opening
thesis
1/16 Technology and popular tastes
1/18 Technology and popular tastes
1/23 Blues, country and the Roots of
Rock
1/25 Blues,
country and the Roots of Rock
1/30 The Rise of Rhythm And Blues
2/1 The Rise of Rhythm And Blues
*
2/6 R & R: Fifties Style -
(31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
2/8 R & R: Fifties Style -
(31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
2/13 Teen Market, The Early 1960s -
(49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93) *
2/15 Teen
Market, The Early 1960s - (49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93)
2/20 English Invasion - (98-111) -
(146-168) - (111-117) *
2/22 The Beatles, part 1 and others
- (98-111) - (146-168) - (111-117)
2/27 The
Beatles part 2 - (118 -133) - (155-168)
3/1 Folk and Folk Rock -
(175-191) *
3/6 Folk
and Folk Rock - (175-191)
3/8 Soul and Motown - (195-218) *
3/13 Spring Break
3/15 Spring Break
3/20 Soul and Motown - (195-218)
3/22 The Psychedelic Sounds - (222 -
237) *
3/27 The Psychedelic Sounds - (222 -
237)
3/29 Jazz and Art Rock - (242-276)
4/3 Jazz and Art Rock - (242-276)
4/5 Easter Break
4/10 The Seventies - (284-327)
4/12 The Seventies - (327-350)
4/17 The Eighties – (358- 374) *
4/19 No Class
4/24 The
Eighties & The Nineties – (378-405)
4/26 The Nineties – (378-405)
5/1 Recent Developments (406-423)
Final Final Quiz and Final Paper Due
*
Research Topic:
You are required to complete a research topic outline on the group or artist
you have chosen to write about. This
must be on any artist, group or topic that took place in music history before
your year of birth and must be cleared by the professor. The research paper should include, among
other things:
Why you chose this group out of all the choices you had
in musical history?
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?
Any technology
that has been important to their musical history
What songs (album, concert, tour, etc.) are important for
this contribution?
This should reveal the group and why they are important
to the history of popular music.
The influences of this group from musical history and who
they have also influenced
Any thing you can learn to help you understand why they
made their place in history
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
The research report will be due
at the final class meeting