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: This is an overview of Rock and Roll, not just as a musical
style but also as an important and influential social factor. How it has influenced the music we hear on
television, in films and in commercials.
How the influences of jazz, gospel, classical music and even its own
ancestors, rhythm and blues, and country and western has effected
the popular music that has become a soundtrack for our lives.
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 rock 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 rock and roll as one of the primary forces in our
society as a whole (socially, culturally, economically, politically, and musically). Any force that has that kind of impact on
society deserves study. That is the
purpose of this class.
TEXT: Rock and Roll - Its History and Stylistic
Development, 4th 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 semester schedule is
subject to change, but the subjects we will try to cover will be:
All readings
unless otherwise noted are in the class book
8/25 Review Syllabus - Technology
and popular tastes
8/ 29 Blues, country and the Roots of
Rock
9/1 Blues, country and the Roots
of Rock
9/6 The
Rise of Rhythm And Blues
9/8 The Rise of Rhythm And Blues
9/13 Off
9/15 Off
9/20 R & R: Fifties Style -
(31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
9/22 R & R: Fifties Style -
(31-37) - (45-49) - (55-66) - (39-41)
9 27 Teen Market, The
Early 1960s - (49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93)
9/29 Teen
Market, The Early 1960s - (49-53) - (66-75) - (80-93)
10/4 Beatles, Stones, others -
(98-111) - (146-168) - (111-117)
10/6 The
Beatles, Stones, others - (98-111) - (146-168) - (111-117)
10/11 The Beatles part 2 - (118 -133)
- (155-168)
10/13 The
Beatles part 2 - (118 -133) - (155-168)
10/18 Folk and Folk Rock - (175-191)
10/20 Folk
and Folk Rock - (175-191)
10/25 Soul and Motown - (195-218)
10/27 Soul and Motown - (195-218)
11/1 The Psychedelic Sounds - (222
- 237)
11/3 The Psychedelic Sounds - (222
- 237)
11/8 Jazz and Art Rock - (242-276)
11/10
Jazz and Art Rock - (242-274)
11/15 The Seventies - (284-327)
11/17 The
Seventies - (327-350)
11/22 The Eighties – (358- 374)
11/24 THANKSGIVING
11/29 The Eighties – (378-405)
12/1 Recent Developments (406-423)
12/6 Recent
Developments – (424-462) Overview for Final
12/8 Quiz and
Final Paper Due
GRADING
PROCEDURE: There will be a quiz each class based on weekly lectures and
videos. Each quiz is worth points per
week that accumulate till the end of the year.
You will be allowed to discard one quiz.
You must get permission by the professor to make up a missed quiz. You
are only allowed to make up 1 quiz.
Each student must prepare a Term Report on a musical group or subject
chosen by the student. There also may be homework assignments given for extra
credit.
GRADING
SCALE: Final grades will be points accumulated from: attendance, homework,
quizzes, extra credit, class paper outline and your final paper.
94
-100% = A 89
- 93% = A-
85
- 88% = B+ 80 -
84% = B
77
- 79% = B- 73 - 76% = C+
69
- 72% = 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 November 3. The outline will apply points on your research
topic grade. This must be on any
artist or group that took place before your year of birth and cleared by the
professor. The research paper on a group
or solo artist should include:
* 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 on the final
December 6 or 8th
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). The congressional hearings in the
early 80's questioning whether rock lyrics should be 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). Attend a musical performance during
the semester. The music should lie
within the genres studied. Include as many of the following as possible:
*Program (or list the players, instruments,
and the songs performed.
*Presentation and Spectacle *Influences
*Discuss
styles *Review and analyze