THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN UGS 302 Songwriting: Following in the Footsteps of Texas Legends Spring 2016 POLICY STATEMENT AND SYLLABUS Instructor Professor Moore christym@utexas.edu Office hours: 2-3:30, 5-6:30 or by appointment in the Cactus Cafe Teaching Assistant Song is an art form that engages the mind, body, and creative spirit of listeners as well as musicians. Texas songwriters such as Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Nanci Griffith have written songs on their own terms rather than shape their art to fit the demands of Nashville, New York, or Los Angeles. Outside the mainstream of country or popular music, this unique community of artists is a wellspring of iconoclastic creativity. is course allows you not only to study that group, but also to join it as songwriters yourselves. e course will follow two primary tracks. e first will involve analysis and study of songs by Texas songwriters. e second track will work like a creative writing workshop with students writing songs and critiquing each other's songs. e objectives of the class are to analyze and think critically about songs; find and use credible sources for academic research; learn the tools that songwriters use to craft songs; and write and revise original songs. Required Listening 1. Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter 2. Listening List compiled by instructor Reading Required: Pattison, Pat. (2009) Writing Better Lyrics. Writers Digest Books: Cincinnati, OH. Recommended: Strunk, W., Jr. (1999). e Elements of Style. (Original work published 1918) Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/141/. Lyrics to songs on the Listening List You will occasionally need to download the lyrics and chords to particular songs from one of the many resources on the web such as UltimateGuitar (http://www.ultimateguitar.com/0 or CowboyLyrics (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html). Other readings will be handed out in class or posted on Canvas. I recommend purchasing the songs on the Listening List from ITunes, but you can also listen to them on YouTube and may benefit from finding different performances of the same song. You should read the lyrics (which will be posted on Canvas) and listen to each song. You are expected to keep up with reading and listening assignments so that you can participate in class discussion. OUTSIDE EVENTS University Lectures Signature Course students are required to attend a lecture on campus. is requirement gives students an opportunity to interact with leading members of our institution nationally and internationally renowned scholars, scientists, artists, and civic leaders. We will attend the 1
following lecture as a group: Bob Dylan Archives Prof. Tom Palaima & Michael Chaiken Tuesday, Mar. 21 7-8 p.m. Texas Union eatre Gems of the University e University of Texas has a wide array of world-class resources, such as the Harry Ransom Center, the LBJ Library, and the Blanton Museum, available to students. One goal of the Signature Course program is to introduce first-year students to the wealth of resources available to them. We will fulfill this requirement in two ways. 1. We will have class in the Blanton Museum on April 13. 2. In addition you are required to attend at least one musical performance at the Cactus Cafe. You must let me know ahead of time which performance you plan to attend and then turn in a review of the event. Open Mic You are required to attend at least one open mic before spring break. I encourage you to perform. A list of approved open mics will be posted on Canvas. You need to turn in a brief description of the open mic that includes a list of the performers. For at least three of the performers list the titles of songs that they performed. ASSIGNMENTS e course will include the writing assignments described below: 1. Homework/in-class exercises/informal assignments: Included in this category are object writing exercises, worksheets breaking down the structure of song lyrics, peer critiques of other students songs, and a description of the open mic you attend. 2. Reflection papers. a. a personal reflection on a song that had a powerful effect and an analysis of why (1 to 2 pages); b. an analysis of Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt (1 to 2 pages); c. a review of the performance you attend at the Cactus Café (1 page) 3. Quizzes. You will have two scheduled quizzes over Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter, the Listening List, and the readings. Additional quizzes may be added. 4. Essay analyzing a song on the listening list. You will analyze a song and write a thesis-driven essay in which you use close reading of the song to gather specific evidence to support your argument. You must look at a song by a Texas songwriter. It can be any song by any songwriter on the Listening List or Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter except Pancho andlefty. You can propose another song by one of the writers on the Listening List. 5. Research presentation and annotated bibliography. You will work in a team to research a Texas songwriter or some trend in or historical aspect of Texas songwriting. From this research the group will create an annotated bibliography. Each student will contribute a summary of at least five sources. e team will make an oral presentation to the class on their research. You will be required to create a PowerPoint presentation in which sources are properly cited and listed in the bibliography. 6. Song portfolio. e portfolio will include at least three original songs. e first song will be an individual song on a topic of your choosing. e second song will be a song inspired by a piece of art. e third will be co-written with another student in the class. e portfolio will include pre-writing exercises, the first draft, a copy of all the peer critiques you received on the song, revisions, and a recording of each song. You need 2
to make a significant revision of at least one of the songs and write an explanation of what was useful in the peer critiques, what you revised, and why you made the artistic choices you made. We will have a show at the end of the semester at a venue near campus. Each student will perform one of the songs he/she has written during the semester. e performance is a required part of the portfolio. e portfolio will be graded on the basis of how seriously students have taken the writing process from pre-writing to revision and finally to performance. GRADING Your course grade will be based on an average of your grades on written assignments and oral presentations. To pass the course, you must submit all major assignments before semester's end. I will not give any incompletes. Final course grades will be weighted as follows: Homework/Exercises/Peer Critiques/ 10% Reflection Papers 10% Quizzes 10% Essay 20% Research Project 20% Songwriting Portfolio 30% CELL PHONES AND COMPUTERS Two rules concerning the technology enriches our lives: 1. Turn your cell phones off in class. 2. Turn the computer off if you are not using it to take notes or use it for a specific in-class assignment. I know it s tempting to check your email, do a little social networking, and just keep up your multi-tasking skills, but please turn the computers off unless we re doing a writing or research activity involving computers. PLAGIARISM In all academic work you must acknowledge any source you quote, paraphrase, or summarize, and any work you do on an assignment must be your own or your team s. In songwriting, the legal issues are even thornier. Plagiarism can result in a failing grade for the course and a report to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. For more on UT s policy on scholastic dishonesty, please see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis.php. SPECIAL NOTE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES e University provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TDD or the College of Engineering Director of Students with Disabilities at 471-4321. RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS If you observe a religious holy day that conflicts with class, you will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence. It is the policy of e University of Texas at Austin that you must notify each of your instructors at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates you will be absent to observe a religious holy day. CONFERENCES I will hold office hours every week. If the scheduled times are inconvenient, please ask me for an appointment. You should make time to meet with me to discuss any concerns you have about the course in general or about a particular assignment. 3
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UGS 302 Songwriting: Listening List 1. Waiting for a Train Jimmie Rogers 2. Texas, 1947 Guy Clark 3. Georgia on a Fast Train Billy Joe Shaver 4. Desperados Waiting for a Train Guy Clark 5. Boxcars Butch Hancock 6. Cotton Lightnin Hopkins 7. Jesus Was Our Savior Billy Joe Shaver 8. Cotton Sam Baker 9. Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance Steve Fromholtz 10. Love at the Five and Dime Nanci Griffith 11. San Antonio Rose Bob Wills 12. Dallas Jimmie Dale Gilmore 13. Beaumont Hayes Carll 14. Houston Johann Wagner 15. Levelland James McMurtry 16. Corpus Christi Bay Robert Earl Keen 17. Gallo del Cielo Tom Russell 18. e West Side of Town Tish Hinojosa 19. e Other Texas David Rodriguez 20. When I Heard Gypsy Davy Sing Carrie Rodriguez 21. It s a Hard Life Nanci Griffith 22. London Homesick Blues Gary P Nunn 23. If I Had A Pony Lyle Lovett 24. If I Were a Bluebird Butch Hancock 25. Mr. Bojangles Jerry Jeff Walker 26. e Road Goes on Forever Robert Earl Keen 27. Feeling Good Again Robert Earl Keen 28. Oh, Pretty Woman Roy Orbison 29. Baby, Please Don t Go Lightnin Hopkins 30. You ve Got a Lover Shake Russell 31. Love Me Like a Song Kimmie Rhodes 32. at s the Way Love Goes Lefty Frizzell 33. Roots and Wings Carrie Elkin 34. Company of Friends Danny Schmidt 35. Naomi Libby Koch 36. Daddy Said Nanci Griffith 37. Mama Said Ruthie Foster 38. If I Were the Man You Wanted Lyle Lovett 39. Leaving Amarillo Chuck Hawthorne 40. I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal Billy Joe Shaver 41. She's About a Mover Doug Sahm 42. at'll Be the Day Buddy Holly 43. Just a Wave Not the Water Butch Hancock 44. A Dangerous ing Katie Gosnell 45. Crazy Willie Nelson 46. You Don't Know Me Cindy Walker 47. Hello Walls Willie Nelson 48. Somedays You Write the Song Guy Clark 49. Beat the Devil Kris Kristofferson 50. Live Forever Billy Joe Shaver 5
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We ek 1 Tu 1/17 1/19 2 Tu 1/24 1/26 3 Tu 1/31 2/2 4 T 2/7 2/9 5 T 2/14 2/16 6 T 2/21 2/23 7 T 2/28 3/2 8 T 3/7 3/9 Introductions SCHEDULE Focus Prepare for class Assignments due Discussion of powerful songs. Listen to TVanZandt Live at the Old Quarter (TVZ). Why We Write Read Didion Why I Write Ch1, Writing Better Lyrics(WBL) Listen to songs 1-10 from song list. Analyzing songs Listen to songs 10-25 from song list. Ch 2 3 WBL Analyzing songs Listen to songs 25 to 40 on song list Read Song Structure Handout and Ch 18 WBL Arguments Analyzing songs: esis statements Guest Songwriter: Johann Wagner Analyzing songs Writing songs: Using the tools Writing songs: Using the tools Writing songs: Using the tools Song Critique exercise Listen to songs 40-50 on the song list. Read Ch 10 (WBL). Read Ch 4 (WBL) Read Ch 5 (WBL) Read Ch 6 (WBL) Read Ch 7 (WBL) Read Ch 8, (WBL) Read Ch 9, (WBL) Read Ch 11-12, (WBL) Guest songwriters, Luke Bellet, Phil King, Rachel Johnson, and Adam Belsky on giving and receiving critiques Read Chs 13, (WBL) Writing songs: Using the tools Critiquing songs Read lyrics and listen to the first 9 songs by your classmates. Due: Reflection paper - a song that had a powerful effect on you. In class reflection on the Joan Didion essay and Chapter 1 of WBL. Quiz on TVZ Live at the Old Quarter, Songs 10 25 or the Listening List. Due: Reflection paper on Pancho and Lefty. What is it about and what the song-writer is trying to say. Quiz on Listening List and readings from WBL. Due: Essay on song analysis. Due: First song. Submit audio and lyrics by noon 3/6. HW due in class: written critiques of songs. Critiquing songs Read lyrics and listen to next 9 songs. HW due in class: written critiques of songs. 7
S P R I N G B R E A K 3/14 3/19 Week Focus Prepare for Class Due 9 Tu 3/21 Research. Using sources properly Meet in PCL 7 p.m. Attend University Lecture Research Preparing research projects 3/23 10 Tu 3/28 Research Preparing research projects 3/30 Research Presentaion of research projects. Due: Research projects and presentations. 11 Tu Guest songwriter TBA 4/4 Chuck Hawthorn Finding Read WBL Appendix 4/6 inspiration 12 Tu Ekphrastic Meet in the lobby of the Blanton 4/11 4/13 13 Tu 4/18 4/20 writing Collaborative songs Collaborative songs Collaborative songs Museum. Read WBL 14 16 TBA Read WBL Ch 17 and 19 Ekphrastic song due. Submit lyrics on Canvas by noon 4/12. HW due in class: written critiques of songs. 14 Tu 4/25 4/27 15 Tu 5/2 5/4 Songwriting Workshop Read WBL 20 -- 21 Submit audio file and lyrics on Canvas by noon 4/20. HW due in class: written critiques of songs. Songwriting Read WBL 22 -- 23 Workshop Revision Workshop Present final song Performance. Venue to be announced. Due: Portfolio 8