Black Hawk College http://www.bhc.edu Spring 2018 American Music S-2018 Syllabus p. 1 Music 256: Intro. to American Music 3 credits MWF 11:00 11:50 a.m. Building 4, Room 101 / Dr. James Fudge Office and hours: fudgej@bhc.edu (checked a few times a week); office hours are by appointment. College Mission Statement Black Hawk College provides the environment and resources for individuals to become lifelong learners. Catalog Description The study of the varied musical landscape of American music. Styles include: folk, bluegrass, country western, pop, jazz, rock, commercial, musical theatre, Native American, ragtime, tin-pan alley, Latin, sacred and secular art music 17-19 th century, concert music (late 19-21 st century), Cajun, zydeco, blues, gospel. Outside listening required. Modes of course delivery: in-class, online, and independent study. Expected learning Objectives A. Understand the historical evolution of music in the United States. B. Create an awareness of the value of all types of American music. C. Recognize the non-western influences in music of America. D. Identify music by geographic location. E. Enumerate the socioeconomic influences upon the music of America. F. Share details about the lives of prominent American composers and performers. Course Introduction American music covers a vast diversity of styles. As completely as time allows in only one semester, we will cover Native American music, sacred and secular music of the 17th 19th centuries, concert music, ragtime and Tin Pan Alley, country-western and urban folk music, Cajun, zydeco, blues, gospel, jazz, Latin, and rock. The course is basically lecture-style with music listening examples, but appropriate question are always welcome. There is no prerequisite. The student is expected to develop an overall understanding of the history of American music and an appreciation of various musical styles. Success in this class relies on consistently coming to class and taking notes, listening carefully to the required selections, studying thoroughly for each exam, and keeping a professional attitude. The student will definitely be expected to remember many terms, composers, or styles for each exam; if you feel you have difficulty in processing a good deal of information at once, the Student Success Center or your instructor should be of some help. Required Textbook No textbook will be required for this class, therefore coming to class and taking detailed notes will be essential. The following textbook is recommended for occasional review and research and is available in the BHC library as reference material: America s Musical Landscape, 6th edition, by Jean Ferris (2010) McGraw-Hill. Other supplemental library materials will be explained on take-home assignments. All required listening is available online at http://fudgelink.com/music; after getting into this home page, click the link for American Music. There you will find performance videos for all your required listening for each exam, our course syllabus, and detailed information regarding the research papers. This means you will need access to a computer and the internet for this class. If you do not own a computer, the library (downstairs in building 1) offers many for your use.
Syllabus p. 2 Course Content Specifics Basic Course Outline A. Native American music, early British and West African folk traditions, music of the Colonial, Revolutionary and Federalist Periods. B. The 19 th century and Romanticism: The Sacred Harp, populist hymn composers, the spiritual, the minstrel show and Stephen Foster, Civil War songs, and band music. C. Late Romantic concert music, The Second New England School, ragtime and Tin Pan Alley (the great songwriters). D. Moses Asch and Alan Lomax, early country-western, bluegrass, the Nashville Sound, Cajun and zydeco, urban folk music, the blues, and gospel. E. Latin popular music: tango, calypso, Cuban and Puerto Rican influences, salsa, Brazilian samba, Mexican conjunto, and Tejano (included on first take-home project). F. Jazz history (before bebop): beginning influences, early New Orleans and Chicago jazz, boogie-woogie and stride, the swing era, and various solo artists. G. Jazz history (bebop on): bebop and primary figures, cool jazz, hard bop (other sub-styles), Miles Davis and John Coltrane. H. American 20 th century art and film composers (included on second take-home project). I. Rock until 1970: early R&B, rockabilly, Chuck Berry, surf music and The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, The Brill Building, soul, folk and psychedelic rock, others. J. Rock since 1970: hard rock, country and Southern rock, jazz and progressive rock, funk and disco, punk and new wave, heavy metal and rap, alternative and grunge, and power pop. Course Schedule Note that this schedule is subject to change, dependent on holidays, snow days, and class progress. Likewise, listening may change depending on the availability of recordings on. Week Dates Topics Assignments 1 Jan. 15-19 Mon. Jan. 15 Introduction to Native American music, conflict with European colonization, basic musical characteristics, the Sioux grass dance song, powwow music/dances. 2 Jan. 22-26 The Native American flute, Iroquois quiver dance, Navaho yeibichai and circle dance songs, peyote song, and contemporary Indian music. 3 Jan. 29-Feb 2 Early British folk music traditions and dances, the ballad and broadside, West African traditions/characteristics, field hollers and the work song. Christian church music: hymns and psalm tunes. 4 Feb. 5-9 The Singing School movement, William Billings, fuging tunes, anthem, Mennonites, Moravians and English Society of Friends. Secular music: household music, instruments, early composers, ballad opera. 5 Feb. 12-16 Exam No. 1 likely. Intro to Romanticism, shape-note notation and The Sacred Harp, Lowell Mason, revival movements, 6 Feb. 19-23 Mon. Feb. 19 and the spiritual. The minstrel show and Stephen Foster. Patriotic and Civil War songs, band music and John Philip Sousa. 7 Feb. 26-Mar. 2 Early concert (classical) music, the virtuoso, Gottschalk and Dvořak, The Second New England School and Amy Beach, the rise of popular culture. Read the syllabus and all other information at
8 Mar. 5-9 Ragtime, Scott Joplin, Tin Pan Alley and the great songwriters (Berlin, Kern, Porter, Gershwin, et al). Exam No. 2 likely. Spring Break: March 12-16 9 Mar. 19-23 Moses Asch and Alan Lomax, old-time country western, bluegrass, western swing, the Nashville and Bakersfield sounds, new grass and alt-country. 10 Mar.26-30 Fri. March 30 Cajun and zydeco, urban folk music and the folk music revival (Guthrie, Dylan, Baez, et al). The Blues and Gospel 11 Apr. 2-6 Exam No. 3 likely. Jazz history origins, New Orleans, classic blues and W.C. Handy, small group and Chicago jazz, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. Boogiewoogie and stride. 12 Apr. 9-13 The Swing/Big Band era: Henderson, Ellington, Basie, and Goodman. Other influential figures. 13 Apr. 16-20 Bebop, Charlie Parker and others, cool jazz, progressive, hard bop, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. 14 Apr. 23-27 Exam No. 4 likely. Popular music post-wwii, rhythm and blues, and early rock and roll. Rockabilly, Sun Records, and Chuck Berry. Surf music, Phil Spector, the Brill Building and The British Invasion. 15 Apr. 30-May 4 Soul, Motown and Stax, The Byrds and folk rock, psychedelic rock, other late-60s artists. Rock since 1970: hard, country, southern, progressive rock styles. Funk and disco, punk and new wave. 16 May 7-9 Heavy metal, rap, alternative, Seattle grunge, power pop. Exam week Exam No. 5 American Music S-2018 Syllabus p. 3 Finish writing the research paper Written Assignments Two assignments that involve both listening and some writing will be assigned during the term. Details will be given at the appropriate time. Assessment of Student Learning Grade Distribution/Weight 16% Exam 1 Native American Music, early Folk, Colonial Federalist Periods 16% Exam 2 19 th Century, Early Concert Music, Ragtime and Tin Pan Alley 16% Exam 3 Country-Western, Cajun and Zydeco, Folk, Blues and Gospel 16% Exam 4 Jazz (beginnings through John Coltrane) 16% Exam 5 Rock 10% Take-Home Assignment No. 1 Popular Music of Hispanic America (due 1 week after exam 2) 10% Take-Home Assignment No. 2 20th Century Art & Film Composers (due 1 week after exam 3)
Syllabus p. 4 Grading Scale 90-100% = A 60-69% = D 80-89% = B Under 60% = F 70-79% = C Test Information Test questions are mainly multiple choice, plus true-false, and matching. Approximately one-fifth of each exam is listening or musical identification, where you will be asked to identify certain musical selections from your CDs and class web site. The Final (Exam No. 5) is scheduled during exam week and is not cumulative. A review sheet with terminology, composers/artists names and music titles, etc. will be made available prior to each exam. All exams must be taken during the planned testing time. Makeups are only in cases of a serious emergency (only one makeup per semester). Exceptions are also made if the Disability Services office has notified the instructor of an issue that requires the student to take the exam independently. You will be told to spread out in the classroom prior to testing time. The instructor also holds the right to require assigned seating, if necessary. The exams will be somewhat equally spaced in the semester; specific dates will be announced in class as the term progresses. Attendance policy Attendance is taken in this class, as a large part of your learning occurs right in the classroom, listening to music and taking notes. Come to class on time. An attendance sheet will be sent around the room within the very first few minutes of class. After that time, you are still welcome to enter the classroom and participate, but will need to talk to me after class. All absences are considered the same (there is no excused absence, as it still precludes you from the classroom learning environment). Work also cannot be used as an excuse for missing classes. Illness, flat tires, and other circumstances occur; please keep this in mind so that you attend every class you possibly can. Number of absences * Outcome No more than 2 +4% added to final grade 10 or more Failure of course * Class time missed for habitual tardiness or leaving early can accrue as absences. Classroom Rules No food is allowed in the classroom, however closed-container drinks are fine. Behavior Policies Students who read magazines or newspapers, sleep, write letters, study for other classes, text or use their cell phones for any other purpose, talk during lectures or listening examples, make rude or inappropriate comments, or leave before the end of class without notifying the teacher prior to class. All electronic devices are forbidden during the class hour. This includes portable music devices with headphones and other electronic games and equipment. Cell phones absolutely must be turned off during class time; you may not answer a call in the classroom or use it for texting during class. If you re texting (or whatever) on it while your instructor is trying to talk and concentrate, or play some incredible piece of music, obviously you are not listening actively, plus you are also showing me your overall attitude towards the class. If you expect an emergency, set your cell phone to vibrate, notify the teacher at the beginning of class, and leave the room if you do receive a call. Cell phones may not be used to take notes. Cheating and Plagiarism Policy Students who cheat on an exam or plagiarize in either research paper will receive an F for the entire course. Examples of exam cheating include but are not limited to the use of cheat sheets, copying answers, and allowing someone to copy your answers. College protocol allows the teacher to investigate such incidents.
Syllabus p. 5 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations are provided at Black Hawk College to ensure equal opportunity and access for students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, contact BHC Disability Services, Building 1, Room 241, on the Quad-Cities Campus (796-5900) or the Educational Advisor on the East Campus (854-1713). Students with Mobility Disabilities can register with Disability Services for Emergency Evacuation Planning and Procedures for the BHC campus by dropping off their current schedule of classes and a contact telephone number to Disability Services (QC). Title IX Statement Black Hawk College is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and school policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes sexual misconduct - including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. We understand that sexual violence can undermine students academic success and we encourage students who have experienced some form of sexual misconduct to talk to someone about their experience so they can get the support they need. Faculty and instructors are not confidential resources and are required to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator, who can provide information about resources and options. Visit www.bhc.edu/sexualmisconduct to 1) find confidential resources, 2) request interim protective measures and academic accommodations, and 3) file a complaint. Miscellaneous For more information about academic policies and procedures, student services, activities, and other services available, please refer to the Student Handbook.