Music 36: History of Rock  

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1. Students will be able to analyze a performance of a rock and roll piece and its use of the basic elements of music, i.e. melody, harmony, rhythm & meter, timbre, texture and form. As assessed by: a written on line concert report.

2. Students will compose a detailed critique for a rock and roll performance that analyzes the stylistic characteristics used in that performance. As assessed by: written critique.                                                                                                   

3. Students will be able to analyze and evaluate how post Second World War history influenced the development of rock and roll music. As assessed by: classroom quiz.
4. Critical Thinking: Demonstrate proficiency in the analytical and communication skills that advance reasonable conclusions as to how the musical language/ medium produces coherent and artistic results.

Assesments

•On line Quizzes, Reading and listening to music followed by class discussion. Written analyses evaluating forms and styles.

• Class discussion, Oral presentations.

• Individual and group project work to generate and present an oral and/or written production plan for a piece of music. Peer and instructor evaluation.

Syllabus

This course is about not only Rock music, but about the media of communication and their effect on American and eventually, world society as well. Music is a powerful way to "spread the gospel," as it were: i.e., not only "Gospel" in its original sense, but ANY form of political, religious, societal message. Music is a frame on which these ideas can be neatly delivered.

As additional reading I will ask you to read some of Marshall McLuhan’s writings. We will discuss some of his ideas in class as they pertain to different media, as this is an important part of understanding some of the "hows" and "whys" referred to in this course. These two videos are required watching for this class - here is the second video

Please do some online research about this very important thinker and be prepared to discuss what you've found out about him in class. Your participation in class will go toward your grade. No participation will never earn you an "A" in this class.

My job is to attempt to show you where some of this music comes from and how it got here. As a consequence, we will look into some song material which has been around since the 1400s or even earlier. I will help you link these old melodic strands into their contemporary forms and hope that you will be able to do the same for yourself by the end of the course. This will give you a broader or wider set of perspectives, which, in turn will (hopefully) help you make more informed decisions. Marshall McLuhan’s eclectic writing is a perfect companion study for the music we will be studying.

Three unexcused absences will lower your grade by one letter. I'm usually OK with a bit of lateness, but if it's habitual and continues after I have said something to you, you can expect the same lowering of your grade. You need to be present and awake for this class, as well as being "live and on-screen!"

Also, if you do a special report for extra credit, you MUST list your resources - and those must be at two other resources besides Wikipedia!

I will not give any "incomplete" grades, so don't ask for one.

I will expect you to spend at least one hour EVERY day (seven days per week) listening to assigned music. My suggestion is that you get together and listen with  your parents or grandparents if possible (after all - this is their music) so you can discuss the music you hear.

This class is not so much about facts and figures, but about an evolutionary process in pop music which we refer to as "Rock."

There are several things you will need to learn, if you already don't know them:

1.     a blues progression - both 12 and sixteen bar forms

2.     the "doo-wop" progression

3.     rhythm patterns - waltz, common time, march, cha-cha, mambo, complex time  patterns, downbeat, backbeat, and a few more.

4.     Instrument identification

5.    Vocal identification (when possible) and vocal styles (holler, hiccup, country,          r n' b, gospel, theater, classical, jazz, punk, etc.) 

If you need to get in touch with me, you can do so by email: my address is   -   parnell_dennis@smc.edu

There are some  good additional apps dealing with  "The History of Rock"

Here are a few

https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-rock-music-2898293/mp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_music

https://www.rockmusictimeline.com/  This one can be used for the entire course

CONTENTS & ASSIGNMENTS        

There are forty separate units and we have 15 weeks ( actually less when you consider Spring Break)

that would add up to about 3 units per week - I'll color them differently which might help you to keep up.

If you like to work ahead, please do so -

Midterm - eighth week

Final - last class

The Grade breakdown is as follows:

75% for Online course

15% class participation

10% written project

10% "extra" In case I ask you to do something extra to help raise your grade.

You must be present on the day of your in-class final 

or you will fail the course.   See above for the date of the final.

The Grade breakdown is as follows:

75% for quizzes

15% class participation

10% written project

10% "extra" In case I ask you to do something extra to help raise your grade.

You must be present on the day of your in-class final 

or you will fail the course.   See above for the date of the final.

HONOR CODE & CODE OF ACADEMIC CONDUCT

Honest and ethical students are protected at SMC. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the SMC Honor Code and Code of Academic Integrity, printed in the General Catalog. Please be extremely careful that you do not engage in any behavior that could even be construed as cheating. Outside of class, students are allowed to study together. However, copying another student's homework is not acceptable. If the instructor determines that students have “relied” too heavily on each other in preparing homework or any other project, the students may be assigned no credit. Future occurrences could result in academic disciplinary action.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

I am happy to make academic adjustments for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the Center for Students with Disabilities if this applies to you. The Center for Students with Disabilities is located in Room 101 of the Admissions/Student Services Complex, located on the north side of Main campus, next to Admissions. For more information, call (310) 434-4265 or (310) 434-4273 (TDD).

Dennis Parnell