UGS 303 THE BEATLES AND BEYOND SPRING 2017

Transcription

1 UGS 303 THE BEATLES AND BEYOND SPRING 2017 UNIQUE NO.: 63305, 63310, COURSE TIME AND PLACE: T TH 3:30 5:00 in CLA INSTRUCTOR: STEPHEN SLAWEK TEACHING ASSISTANT: OFFICE: MBE OFFICE HOURS: Th 1:00 3 PM OFFICE PHONE: slawek@austin.utexas.edu This course will comprise a broad introduction to the musical and cultural influence of The Beatles. We will begin the course by becoming acquainted with the early biographies of the individual members of the band and then launch into a detailed study of the evolution of the band s music, moving through their entire output of songs and albums in chronological order. A significant portion of our time will be devoted to close listening of songs followed by analysis and discussion. We will also devote a portion of the course to the work of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr following the disbanding of The Beatles, and we will be concerned with bands that followed in the wake of The Beatles, as well as the lingering effects their music has had on the global music culture. Lastly, throughout the course, we will be concerned with those aspects of The Beatles that scholars have found interesting to focus attention upon, and we will sample some recent and some not-so-recent scholarly literature that has addressed those aspects. Course Objectives: The major goals in this course are that students 1. learn why The Beatles were the most significant rock band in history 2. learn of the relationships that exist between the music of The Beatles and other types of music, including that of their predecessors 3. understand the impact of the music of The Beatles in the history of popular music and culture 4. acquire a basic knowledge of available resource materials for furthering their knowledge of The Beatles after leaving the course. 5. acquire an appreciation of the importance of music in culture and the means by which one can critically assess musical contributions to popular culture. 6. become dedicated FANS of The Beatles.

2 Slawek 2 COURSE REQUIREMENTS This course is being offered through the College of Undergraduate Studies in its signature course program. Thus, the course will include a variety of assignments that meet the requirements of such courses. Signature Course Mission & Course Essentials The Signature Courses at the University of Texas at Austin will connect students with distinguished faculty members in unique learning environments. By way of this rigorous intellectual experience, students will develop college-level skills in research, writing, speaking, and discussion through an approach that is interdisciplinary, collaborative, experiential, and contemporary. This course will address the Signature Course essentials in the following ways: - Information Literacy: You will find it necessary to search for information contained in various kinds of publications (books, journals, newspapers, magazines, online sources, etc.) in order to complete the writing assignments and to supplement your knowledge of the subject matter of the course. To help you practice such searches, you will be assigned a few exercises during the first third of the semester that will help you with research and writing assignments in the latter two thirds of the semester. - University Gem: You will visit the Fine Arts Library on February 3, when Interim Head of the Fine Arts Library, Dr. David Hunter, will introduce you to the various resources available to facilitate the study of popular music in general, and the music and career of The Beatles. In order for the visit to be more fruitful, it will occur during your discussion class with your teaching assistant. - Writing: You will have at least five opportunities to work on your writing skills during the course of the semester. Two of these will be in the context of the mid-term and final exams, as a significant portion of each exam will consist of short-answer questions that are to be answered with well-constructed paragraphs as well as questions centering on topics that are to be discussed in essay-length answers. Beyond the exams, you will have two projects that will require different degrees of writing. One project will center on developing a catalog of the songs by The Beatles. Each student will be assigned between four and five songs to research and compile information about according to a rubric that I will provide. By collectively working on this project, you will, at the end of the course, have a document that will contain invaluable information about the creative output of The Beatles. The second project is to write a medium-length research paper on a topic that involves The Beatles. Your choice of topic is not restricted in any way other than having some direct connection to The Beatles.

3 Slawek 3 - Oral Communication: In association with the class project regarding the creation of a song catalog, each of you will be required to present a short oral presentation about one of the songs you research. These presentations will be team efforts, with each team allotted a maximum of ten minutes of class time. - University Lecture Series: I recommend that you attend Tom Palaima s lecture on the Bob Dylan Archives on March 21 in the Union Theater. The other lectures in the series take place on February 7, February 22 and April 11. If you are unable to attend the Dylan lecture, you must attend one of the other lectures. You are to write a one paragraph summary of the main points covered in the lecture and submit it within one week of the lecture. REQUIRED BOOKS: The following books have been ordered and should be available at the University Co-op: The Cambridge Companion to The Beatles, edited by Kenneth Womack; and, The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band, by Allan F. Moore (this book may not be available for a few weeks, as I recently decided to add it to the course). In addition to these two books, I will post on Canvas scans of relevant articles, chapters, portions of chapters, etc. from pertinent publications. I have also ordered, as optional purchases, Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out, by Gordon Thompson, and William J. Dowlding s, Beatlesongs. These two books might also take a few weeks before they become available at the Co-op. UNIVERSITY POLICIES Religious holy days: A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor as far in advance as possible so that arrangements can be made to complete as assignment within a reasonable time after the absence. Students with Disabilities: You will need to provide documentation to the Dean of Student s Office so the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities (SSB 4.104, ). Any student who requires special accommodations must obtain a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement ( voice or TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). Present the letter to the professor at the beginning of the semester so that needed accommodations can be discussed. The student should remind the professor of any testing accommodations no later than five business days before an exam. For more information, visit

4 Slawek 4 Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty: Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the Univewrsity, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For further information, please visit the Student Judicial Services website at Use of for Official Correspondence to Students: All students should be familiar with the University s official student notification policy. It is the student s responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her address. Students are expected to check on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your address are available at University of Texas Core Values and Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. As a student of the University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity. Listening Practically all of the recorded musical examples we will encounter are available on YouTube and Spotify. You should keep track of the musical examples played in class and review them before each quiz and exam. Quizzes will take place in the Friday discussion class. EXAMINATIONS: MIDTERM March 9 FINAL May 4 Grading system: mid-term exam 20%; final exam 20%; research paper 20%; song catalog project 20%; quizzes/class participation 20%. The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at , TTY.

5 Slawek 5 TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE As this is the first time that I am teaching the course, it is highly likely that this tentative plan will receive significant alterations as the semester progresses. Specific weekly reading assignments will be distributed in the future, as will lists of songs, recordings, etc. that you should consult. January 17 Introduction: Meet the Beatles 19 In the beginning, there were... : from the Quarrymen to The Beatles 24 From Skiffle to Rock and Roll: Who are Allan Williams, Larry Parnes, Mona Best, Lord Woodbine, Bruno Koschmider, and Brian Epstein? Who are Lonnie Donegan, Tommy Steele, Tony Sheridan, and what is so great about Ernie Freeman s Raunchy? 26 American Rock and Roll : 31 From Hamburg to George Martin: The Beatles become recording artists February 2 The eruption of Beatlemania: Please, Please Me the album University Gems: You will visit the Fine Arts Library during your discussion class this week. 7 With the Beatles vs. Meet the Beatles: The songs that conquered rock and roll in the US (The Beatles landed at JFK Airport 53 years ago today) 9 Ringo coins a Ringoism and The Beatles become movie stars: A Hard Day s Night, movie and discussion 14 The songs of A Hard Day s Night 16 Beatles for Sale and Beatles 65: How much longer will the mania last? 21 Help! The Beatles in Technicolor: movie and discussion 23 The music of Help!; Yesterday... and Today and The Butchers 28 Rubber Soul: Outdoing both Dylan and the Beach Boys

6 Slawek 6 March 2 Revolver: The Beatles enter the psychedelic scene. Beatlemania fades away with the end of their touring career. 7 Eight Days a Week as review: screening and discussion. 9 MID-TERM EXAMINATION 21 Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band: 23 Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band 28 Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band 30 Magical Mystery Tour April 4 The Beatles ( The White album ) 6 The Beatles ( The White album ) 11 The Get Back project documents the dissolution of The Beatles 13 Abbey Road: an iconic album cover lives on 18 Let It Be: The last release, but not their last effort, comes back as Get Back... Naked. 20 The Beatles in a post-beatles world 25 Solo careers: John Lennon 27 Solo careers: Paul McCartney May 2 Solo careers: George Harrison and Ringo Starr 4 FINAL EXAMINATION