Honors College Core Offerings Honors Course Number, Title, and Credit Hours: HON 124 Honors Core Understanding the Past and Understanding the Creative Arts, 3 hours Department(s) and College(s) Offering Instruction a.) Honors College Instructor(s): Julie Koidin Term Offered: Spring 2018 Section Title: Classical Music in Popular Culture 1. Please give a brief description of this course: This course will study the history of Western European based art music through the lens of its use within popular culture vehicles such as film and commercial television. As a music survey course, students will study the basic tenets and influential musicians of the major stylistic periods medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic, and contemporary as well as original music written for film and television. Students will explore how filmmakers utilize musical and sound components to give further meaning to their audiences. Students will also examine, generally, how musical elements produce emotional reactions in the listener. 2. List under major and minor headings the principal topics of this section. Please provide as full an outline as possible. The course will be organized around topics from the textbooks and assigned readings from supplementary online articles and text excerpts available at UIC s online library. There will be a list of required readings, recordings as well as required Youtube videos. All lectures will have powerpoint slides outlining the topics. Note: When feature film titles are listed below they are in the form of clips and students will not be required to watch full length films for assignments. Clips will vary in length and will average 5-10 minutes. I) Introduction to Principal Musical Terminology and Emotional Outcome (6 hours). Reel Music textbook, pp. 15-30 Scherer, Klaus R. Which Emotions Can Be Induced by Music? What Are the Underlying Mechanisms? And How Can We Measure Them? in Journal of New Music Research 2014, VOL 33, No. 3, pp. 239-251. As most students will be untrained in music/music terminology the first part of the course will be what I call terminology boot camp where students will learn basic terms for describing the music they hear including textures, dynamics, introduction to the instruments and how these elements affect emotional perception. Short YouTube and 1
sound recordings will be used to highlight certain terminology and students will have in class exercises to practice describing what they are hearing. II) Introduction to Drama and Film Terminology Opera, Theater, and Film (3 hours). Reel Music, pp. 3-14 Green, Jessica. Understanding the Score: Film Music Communicating to and Influencing the Audience, The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 44, No. 4, Winter 2010, pp. 81-94. This unit is the corresponding cinematic terminology boot camp where we will explore the basics of employing sound within the cinematic medium. III) Predecessors to Film Music, and Listening to Film Music ( Reel Music Chapter 4)- (6 hours) Function and placement, establishing unity and thematic transformation to dramatic situations. Introduction to the philosophy of Richard Wagner and his impact on modern film composition. Concepts: Absolute vs. Program Music. Reel Music, pp. 35-53 Reel Music (first edition permission granted by author), pp. 3-9. Repertoire: Beethoven s Symphony No. 5 Cyclic Symphony and the concept of Thematic Transformation develops Wagner s Ring Cycle - Concepts of Gesamtkunstwerk and leitmotif Films: Apocalypse Now IV) Music History Exploring the Art Music History as Predecessor and Inspiration for Modern Composers of Cinema and Commercial Film Soundtracks (18 hours total - comprised of A D below) A) Medieval Music (3 hours) - General overview of historic context and its transformation into popular culture Specific repertoire: Dies Irae History, Use within Film & Commercials Burgess, Melissa. Pop Culture Keeps Resurrecting This Deathly Gregorian Chant in The Federalist (online resource), November 9, 2015. O Bannon, Ricky, Gregorian Chant Gets a Second Coming with Help from Hip Hop, Classical MPR, April 16, 2014 (online source). Film clips* include: The Shining; Citizen Kane; and Django Unchained Various TV Commercials 2
B) Baroque Music (4 hours) - General overview of historic context and its transformation into popular culture. Composers: Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Bach, Handel. Genres: Concerto, Requiem, Oratorio. Reading: Reel Music, pp. 376-377; 439-440 Repertoire includes: Vivaldi Four Seasons; Handel, Messiah; Pachelbel, Canon in D Film clips include: Ordinary People Various TV Commercials C) Classical Music (4 hours) - General overview of historic context and its transformation into popular culture. Composers: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven. Genres: Symphony, Opera, String Quartet Reading: Reel Music, pp. 393-395 Repertoire includes: Beethoven symphonies, Mozart, Clarinet Concerto; Film clips include: Out of Africa, and Amadeus Various TV Commercials D) Romantic Era Music (8 hours) - General overview of historic context and its transformation into popular culture. Composers: Berlioz, Rossini, Verdi, Smetana, Stravinsky, Wagner. Genres: Symphonic Poem, Opera, Viennese Waltz Reading: Reel Music, pp. 290-292 Repertoire includes: Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique; Rossini, Barber of Seville Rossini, William Tell Overture; Richard Strauss, Thus Sprach Zarathustra, Smetana, Moldau Stravinsky, Rite of Spring Film clips: Sleeping With The Enemy; 2001: A Space Odyssey; Tree of Life. Various TV Commercials V) John Williams Star Wars and beyond (3 hours) Reel Music pp. 345-363; 487-493 Scheurer, Timothy E. John Williams and Film Music Since 1971 in Popular Music and Society (UIC Library resource) This unit will explore John Williams influences from classical composers, particularly Wagner and Gustav Holst in his Academy Award winning film scores ranging from Star Wars to Jaws 3
Film clips: ET, Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark VI) Suspense/Thriller Movies that Use Classical Music and Original scores with analysis of musical works (5 hours). Reading: Textbook Reel Music pp. 281-284 Schubert s Erlkönig (Analysis and Discussion) Sleeping with the Enemy Symphonie Fantastique Shining Symphonie Fantastique, Ligeti, Lontano, Bartok, Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, III Dies Irae Psycho Jaws John Williams Clockwork Orange Various Hitchcock film clips Halloween VII) Commercial Music Use of Classical music and Psychology of Advertisement (3 hours). Exploration of how advertisers use sound to sell. Readings Dubee, Laurette, Jean-Charles Chebat, Syvie Morin, The Effects of Background Music on Consumers Desire to Affiliate in Buyer-Seller Interactions. in Psychology and Marketing (July 1995, 12; 4; ). Page numbers unknown. Hung, Kineta. Framing Meaning Perceptions with Music: The Case of Teaser Ads. Journal of Advertising, Fall 2001: 30, 3, p. 39-49. Kellaris, James J. and Anthony D. Cox. The Effects of Background Music in Advertising: A Reassessment, Jornal of Consumer Research, Vol,. 16, No. 1, June 1989, pp. 113-118. Total Hours 45 4
3. List required texts. In all instances give author, title, and the latest date of publication, and indicate how the material will be made available to the student (blackboard, open access, purchased by student, etc). For Purchase: Hickman, Roger, Reel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music, 2017: W.W. Norton, 628 pp. Optional (for final project): Membership to Amazon Prime for Movie access. Amazon Prime has a free student membership for 6 months so all students should be able to register for this service (www.amazon.com/primestudent). Movies for final project will be from Amazon Prime s list, but videos can be obtained from UIC library, Netflix, or other sources. Film and music clips presented in class were obtained from YouTube and/or Roger Hickman (author of Reel Music textbook). These clips will be posted to Blackboard. Students who do not have the ability to sign up for Amazon Prime have the option of using Netflix or other services to access clips that are not available on Blackboard. Additionally, I will be coordinating with the library to reserve certain films that will be studied in class. There are many resources to access films for class which are either free or have low cost including the UIC library, area libraries, Netflix, HULU, Amazon Prime, and Redbox. Articles and Book Excerpts (more to be added): All titles below will be posted to Blackboard in pdf format. Burgess, Melissa. Pop Culture Keeps Resurrecting This Deathly Gregorian Chant in The Federalist (online resource), November 9, 2015. Cohen, Annabel J. Music as a Source of Emotion in Film from Music and Emotion pp. 249-272. Dubee, Laurette, Jean-Charles Chebat, Syvie Morin, The Effects of Background Music on Consumers Desire to Affiliate in Buyer-Seller Interactions. in Psychology and Marketing (July 1995, 12; 4; ). Page numbers unknown. Green, Jessica. Understanding the Score: Film Music Communicating to and Influencing the Audience, The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 44, No. 4, Winter 2010, pp. 81-94. Hung, Kineta. Framing Meaning Perceptions with Music: The Case of Teaser Ads. Journal of Advertising, Fall 2001: 30, 3, p. 39-49. Kellaris, James J. and Anthony D. Cox. The Effects of Background Music in Advertising: A Reassessment, Jornal of Consumer Research, Vol,. 16, No. 1, June 1989, pp. 113-118. 5
O Bannon, Ricky, Gregorian Chant Gets a Second Coming with Help from Hip Hop, Classical MPR, April 16, 2014 (online source). Powrie, Phil and Robynn Stillwell, eds., Changing Tunes: The Use of Pre-existing Music in Film, 2006: Ashgate Publishing, pp. 167-173. Rosar, William H. Film Music What s in a Name? in The Journal of Film Music, Vol. 1, Number 1, pp. 1-18, 2002. Scherer, Klaus R. Which Emotions Can Be Induced by Music? What Are the Underlying Mechanisms? And How Can We Measure Them? in Journal of New Music Research 2014, VOL 33, No. 3, pp. 239-251. Scheurer, Timothy E. John Williams and Film Music Since 1971 in Popular Music and Society (UIC Library resource) Sbravatti, Valerio. The Music in the Shining, 2010 (UIC Library Resource) Tan, Siu-Lan, Matthew P. Spackman, and Matthew A. Bezdek. Viewers Interpretations of Film Characters Emotions: Effects of Presenting Film Music Before or After a Character is Shown, in Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 25, No. 2, Dec. 2007, pp. 135-152. 4. General Education Criteria Understanding the Past Learning Outcomes select 1 or more from the 5 possible Assessment methods (under each outcome separately) Understand the implication and meaning of technological innovation and scientific discovery for the development of human society. The advent of recording technology not only was paramount to the development of the film medium, but also to the development of contemporary music composition techniques. This class will explore the influence and history of recording technology on both medium and how film and music technology intersect. Assessment methods: class participation, journals, assigned essay questions, mid-term exam and final project. Examine the relationship between individuals and past events, their interactions, and the repercussions of these interactions. Understand and explain the significance and influence of the past and its connection to current political, scientific, and cultural forces. Artistic movements naturally are on a continuum. This course will demonstrate how not only artistic movements of the past and immediate present may influence a given artist (composer, musician, director, and the like), but how they also interact Stanley Kubrick s, 6
2001: A Space Odyssey, for example, and its extensive use of Western art music from contemporary and historic composers. Assessment methods: class participation, journals, assigned essay questions, mid-term exam and final project. Justification for this category: The music component of the course will explore the main stylistic and historical periods of Western music history: Medieval through 20/21st century avant-garde approaches. We will explore central composers of historically significant works in each of these periods and how they and similar music from these periods is used in the modern vehicles of film primarily commercial advertisements and feature films. The film component of the course will also explore films from various decades since the medium has emerged in the 20th century. Understanding the Creative Arts Learning Outcomes select 1 or more from the 5 possible Assessment methods (under each outcome separately) Also see above Item #5 Learning Outcomes for the course: Basic issues of interpretation. How does a work mean anything? How does one determine meaning? How can a work have numerous meanings, often at the same time? Assessment methods: class participation, journals, assigned essay questions, mid-term exam and final project. Questions of value. How can such creative works be evaluated? How are critical vocabularies developed? How does a work come to be called a classic? How do new works and genres become accepted as art? Assessment methods: class participation, journals, assigned essay questions, mid-term exam and final project. Questions of cultural and historical context. How do creative works relate to the societies in which they are produced and received? How do cultural roles of creative products, definitions of art, institutions, markets, and patronage affect the creation of works of architecture, art, music, literature, and other media? Justification for this category: This course will explore the interaction between the musical arts and film arts. The music component of the course will explore the main stylistic and historical periods of Western music history: Medieval through 20/21st century avant-garde approaches. We will explore central composers of historically significant works in each of these periods and how they and similar music from these periods is used in the modern vehicles of film primarily commercial advertisements and feature films. The film component of the course will also explore films from various decades since the medium has emerged in the 20th century. A central component and learning outcome of the class will be for the student to develop 7
his/her own interpretation of the way in which both composers and directors manipulate and utilize sound in order to give the audience an emotional outcome. 5. Course Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking this course, students will be able to: 1) identify how sound, visual and dramatic elements interact to form an emotional outcome for the audience. Please see below Item #6 as to how evaluation of this outcome will occur. 2) discuss central composers and film directors from the United States and Central and Western Europe and their contributions to music and film. Please see below Item #6 as to how evaluation of this outcome will occur. 3) develop a new way of listening to music, no matter the style or era, which will include recognizing how central musical elements such as texture, key, articulation have a direct role in the emotional outcome of the audience. Students will practice honing their listening skills through class assignments and group discussions. Please see below Item #6 as to how evaluation of this outcome will occur. 6. Course Learning Outcome Assessment Methods: Students will be assessed throughout the semester as follows: 1) Weekly or bi-weekly journals based on listening they are doing in their daily lives for example, analysis (interpretation and evaluation) of background music of television commercials, programs, movies. These will be short entries of approximately 1-2 pages and are designed to give students practice, working towards their final full-length film project. 2) Short reports of 1-2 pages on assigned readings. Students will answer directed questions about the specific films, music repertoire and/or commercials that will be featured in class. Like the journal entries, these will be short reports of approximately 1-2 pages. 3) Participation: Class discussion on readings and viewings per class meeting. This evaluation method encourages students to keep current with the assigned materials and share their thoughts with the class. Answers may be interpretative and/or evaluative. 4) Mid-term exam. The exam will be in multiple choice and essay question format. This exam will be used to solidify the basic components of terminology usage and historical context in order to better prepare students for the final project. 5) Final project Full length Movie Analysis. In lieu of a final exam, there will be a final project in which the student will watch a full-length feature film titles to be chosen from Amazon Prime - and write commentary on the interaction of the visual, dramatic and musical elements throughout the film. This will be a 10-page paper whereby the student will interpret, analyze and evaluate the musical elements in the film along with the dramatic and visual components as we have been doing throughout the semester. Their short journal entries will be their practice sessions for this major document submitted at the end of the semester. They will submit to me the film they would like to review at the start of the semester for approval. 8
APPROVALS: Department Approval: College Approval: Department Approval: College Approval: Honors College Approval: November 1, 2017 Office of Academic Affairs Approval: 9