SOCIOLOGY
3310 - SOCIOLOGY OF MUSIC
SPRING
2006 - Tues/Thurs 1:30-2:45 PM
AWB
102
Sara Horsfall,
Ph.D.
Room 243 PUMC
(Poly United Methodist Church)
Phone:
531-4264
Email: shorsfall@txwes.edu
Music Web Page
http://www.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/Music.html
(http://sociology.txwes.edu/horsfall/Music.html)
Office Hours:
Mon 12-5 PM, Tues 2:45-5 PM,Thurs 2:45-7 PM, Sat 12-1 PM (Tk B)
TEXT: Please
refer to the WebCT Music Course for all reading material.
OBJECTIVES: This course
introduces the meaning and use of music in society. Students will develop an
understanding of the role of music in popular culture and society. Students
will also develop an appreciation for music as art, as rebellion and protest,
and as expression. Finally students will come to understand and appreciate
organizational structures of music and the music industry, as well as
stratification of the music world. Music from this country and from some other
countries will be examined and discussed. Students will study and discuss the
context in which music is created, its value to the people whose culture it
inhabits, the instruments upon which the music is played, and the
transformation of music in our society. Music reading skills and knowledge of
basic music principles are helpful but not required. At the end of the course,
the student should be able to define and identify key sociological and musical
concepts; be able to analyze a musical setting in a sociological manner; be
able to locate further academic material on the sociology of music; and have an
appreciation for the subject matter beyond that of students who have not taken
this class.
FORMAT: Reading,
listening and discussion will form the major part of the class. There will be
daily reading assignments, and various other small assignments on a regular
basis throughout the semester. Students will be expected to contribute to the
class body of knowledge in a variety of ways, including through academic
research, personal experience and a sociological project.
DISCUSSION: Students are expected
to read and prepare for discussion each class period. Discussion grade will be
based on indication of having read the material and prepared for class as well
as quality and pertinence of facts, depth of thought, cohesive and constructive
arguments used when presenting a point. Please note that what distinguishes
academic discussion, whether it be verbal or written, is clarity of thought,
comprehensiveness of argument, and supporting material. Attendance is a part of
the discussion grade.
WEEKLY
NOTES:
Students will prepare a one page summary of the reading material for each week.
Notes are due on Thursdays, and will cover the reading material of both Tuesday
and Thursday. Exceptions to this will be noted in class.
TERM STUDY: Each student will complete a
sociological study during the semester. The study will be to investigate some
aspect of music from a sociological perspective. Examples might be:
Stratification and differences in music listening among different races; Gender
differences in music listening; Gender differences in music studies; The
meaning of popular music to 21st century American society; Music as
a cooperative venture – the interaction between band musicians; Tryouts,
firing, and the search for other band members among amateur youth rock bands;
Popular music as rebellion; The struggle for authenticity among popular music
artists.
The student
will do research on their subject during the first part of the semester – and
prepare a rough draft. Analysis and completion of the paper will be in the
second half of the semester. At each step along the way, consultation with the
instructor is essential. Paper topics must be approved.
TESTS: There will be two tests - a midterm and a final. The format
of the test is likely to be essay, drawing on the material covered during the
course. Each test is worth 30 points.
GRADES:
Discussion
10
Paper 20
2
Tests 60
Weekly
Notes 10
A final grade
of A signifies that the student has excelled in this course, going beyond the
expected requirements. A final grade of B signifies that the student has
mastered all the concepts, has a working knowledge of the subject as
demonstrated in tests, the project and class discussions. A final grade of C
signifies that the student’s understanding of the subject matter is acceptable.
A final grade of D signifies that the student is familiar with the subject
matter, but may not understand or recall some important ideas. A final grade of
F signifies that the student has not mastered the material of this course. Most
students who have taken this class in the past received Bs or Cs as their final
grade.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS:
A Sociology of Music Internet page will
be maintained. Please refer to it often for a variety of information. http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/Music.html
http://sociology.txwes.edu/horsfall/Music.html (a possible change of address)
Sociology
Virtual Library: Web links for
sociology can be found in the Sociology Virtual Library. http://www.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/library.html
PROCEDURES:
Ø
Discussion and questions are encouraged. A free flow of
ideas is essential to a college education. No student should hesitate to
express him/herself for fear of being wrong, etc. All ideas are valuable, and
all contributions are welcome.
Ø
Respect is an essential element of academic discussion and
interaction: between students and between instructor and students. Prejudice,
resentment and other hostilities are not a part of academic behavior.
Disagreements can be settled by clarification of the issues, reference to Texas
Wesleyan University guidelines, and amicable discussion between parties.
Agreeing to disagree is an acceptable academic resolution.
Ø
Class attendance is expected and absences will affect your
final grade. Each classtime is important and students should plan not to miss
class, as much of the understanding of the content of the course will become
clear in the discussion. More than two unexcused absence could result in a drop
by the instructor. If for some reason – legitimate or not - you miss a
deadline, or are absent from class but intend to continue, please notify the
instructor as soon as possible. Disastrous situations can sometimes be
salvaged, albeit not without consequences.
Ø
Students absent for whatever reason are responsible for all
material, including announcements that they missed.
Ø
Anyone caught cheating on a test/assignment will receive a
grade of zero for that assignment.
Ø
Anyone guilty of plagiarism will receive a zero on that
assignment and risks further sanction by the University. Plagiarism is copying
someone else’s writing and claiming that it is your own. This includes ANY AND
ALL material from the Internet, papers of other students, material from a text
or any other book.
Ø
Late papers or assignments will be graded down, with points
being taken off for each day late.
Ø
Students with questions or complaints about anything having
to do with the course are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor
to discuss the situation. Misunderstanding and inadvertent human error - on the
part of students or instructor – can cause unnecessary problems. The easiest
solution is informal discussion. No concern is too small to be addressed.
Ø
Students are urged to use common sense when approaching the
course procedures and grading. Evaluation is based on expressed knowledge,
including definitions and indications of meanings. Instructors cannot presume
you know what you are talking about if you don’t explain yourself. Similarly, a
low daily grade does not mean you will fail the course. Please refer to the
syllabus for the weight that grade has in the over all grade. Grades indicate
mastery of the course content. They are not necessarily an evaluation of a
student’s ability.
Ø
Every attempt is made to judge and grade all students
fairly. Please note, however, that a portion of the final grade rests on the
subjective judgment of the instructor. If you feel this assessment is in error,
you may appeal to the instructor with evidence to support your reasoning.
Further grade appeals must go through the procedure outlined in the University
catalog.
Students should read the current Texas Wesleyan University Catalog and Student Handbook to become familiar with University policies. These policies include, but are not limited to grade appeal, sexual harassment, student access to records, and others; policies specified in the current catalog are applicable unless otherwise stated in this syllabus.
Texas
Wesleyan University adheres to a disability policy which is in keeping with
relevant federal law. The University will provide appropriate accommodation as
determined by the Director of the Counseling Center, Dr. Michael Ellison.
Students must notify instructors of any permanent or temporary disabilities and
must provide documentation regarding those disabilities prior to the granting of
an accommodation. For assistance, students should consult with Dr. Ellison.
Note: Course syllabi are intended to provide students with basic information concerning the course. The syllabus can be viewed as a 'blueprint' for the course; changes in the syllabus can be made and students will be informed of any substantive changes concerning examinations, the grading or attendance policies and changes in project assignments.
******************************************
CLASS SCHEDULE
“And the
Beat Goes On” Handout
1. "Music on the Mind" by Sharon Begley, Newsweek, July 24, 2000. t
2. "The Musical Mind" by Tim Appenzeller, US News and World Report, August 13, 2001.
3. The Effects of Background Music on Learning, by Yiftach Levy, San Diego State Univ.
4. Effect of Music on Cardiovascular Performance …by Carla Hepler and
Rachel Kapke,
IAHPERD Journal Volume 29. No.2 Spring, 1996.
5. "The Musical Hormone" MuSICA
Research Notes edited by Norman Weinberger, in Music
and Science Information Computer Archive, Volume IV, Issue 2, Fall 1997.
6. Can Music Really Improve One's Quality of Life? http://64.33.34.112/.WWW/stress.html
“Popular” by Anahid Kassabian, in Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture, edited by Bruce
Horner and Thomas Swiss, Blackwell Publishers, 1999.
1. "Introduction: Reflections on Music and Society Today" in Music and Society by Wilfrid
Mellers, Roy
Publishers (NY) 1950.
2. "The Sociology of Music and Related Disciplines" in Music in Society: A Guide to the
Sociology of Music by Ivo Supicic. Pendragon Press 1987.
3. An Extract from one of Garfinkel’s talks in Toronto on Sudnow’s critique of Becker’s article
on dance musicians.
4. "Introduction: Sociology and Music" by Peter Martin in Sounds and Society: Themes in the
Sociology of Music. Manchester Univ Press. 1995.
"The Origins of Popular Music" in The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke
Author's Preface, Chapter One
February 2 Western
Music from 1700 to early 1900
Nursery
Rhymes
Student paper on
Nursery Rhymes
http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/ENGL/courses/engl208c/esharris.htm
Origins of Nursery Rhymes
http://www.sca.org.au/bacchus_wood/origins_of_nursery_rhymes.html
British History and Nursery Rhymes http://www.innvista.com/brit/rhymes.htm
Other Nursery
Rhyme sites on http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/Music.html
February 7 Western
Music from 1700 to early 1900
The Contemplator's Short Histories (by Lesley Nelson-Burns
Broadside Ballads http://www.contemplator.com/history/broadside.html
John Gay and the Beggar's Opera http://www.contemplator.com/history/johngay.html
Microencyclopedia of Folk Music http://www.contemplator.com/history/epedia.html
Women in the Revolutionary Era http://www.contemplator.com/history/revwomen.html
History of Highwaymen http://www.contemplator.com/history/highwaymn.html
Short Biographies of Famous Highwaymen http://www.contemplator.com/history/famous.html
History of Grog http://www.contemplator.com/history/grog.html
History of important events http://www.contemplator.com/history/histrysit.html
February 9 Western
Music from 1700 to early 1900
Chapter 2 Minstrelsy, and the War between the States
in The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke
February 14 Western
Music from 1700 to early 1900
PBS Program on Stephen Foster http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/
Stephen Foster Page by Bob January, 2001 http://www.bobjanuary.com/foster/sfhome.htm
University of Pittsburgh pages on Stephen Foster http://www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/foster.htm
James Bland http://www.pwcweb.com/d24alions/bland.html
http://www.wilberforce.edu/library/archives/history/biographies/bland.htm
Brown Univ African American Sheet Music
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/rpbhtml/aasmhome.html
February 16 Western Music from 1700 to early 1900
PBS Blackface Minstrelsy http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/sfeature/sf_minstrelsy.html
Blackface Minstrelsy Univ Virginia http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/huckfinn/minstrl.html
African American Music in S Foster's Time http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/peopleevents/e_aamusic.html
February 21 Western Music from 1700 to early 1900
Chapter 3 The Rise of Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley
in The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke
American Popular Song by Howard Becker http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/hbecker/pops.html
1994.
"The Music of Sub-Saharan Africa" in Excursions in World Music by Bruno Nettl and others,
Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 2001. Handout
(See also Notes http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/AfricaMu.html)
Selections from "Echoes of Africa" by Beatrice Landeck, David McKay Company, Inc, NY, 1969
Selections from "Rock is Rhythm and Blues:The Impact of Mass Media" by Lawrence Redd,
Michigan State Univ Press 1974 and Other Readings
"Negro Spirituals" by Thomas Wentworth Higginson (from Atlantic Monthly, June 1867)
March 9 Early Slave
Music
Chapter 4 "The Ragtime Era and the Coon Shouters"
in The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke
"Heart and Soul: A Celebration of African American Music" - World Book Encyclopedia. http://www2.worldbook.com/features/aamusic/html/intro.htm. Please review all the links, including those of performers, and listen to the examples.
March 21 African American Influence on Popular Music: 19th century to modern times
Chapter 5 "The Early Years of Jazz"
in The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke (Read the first 1st ten paragraphs,
then skim to the section on Louis Armstrong. After LA, skim the rest of the chapter.)
"The Devil's Music: 1920s Jazz" (PBS) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/beyond/jazz.html
Early Jazz: 1900-1930 (PBS) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/music/jazz.html
African Americans in California Sheet Music (Duggan)
Duke Ellington's Washington - PBS Program Transcript
March 23 African
American Influence on Popular Music: 19th century to modern times
Fort Valley State College State Festival 1938-1943 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ftvhtml/ftvhome.html
*Fort Valley State College State Festival (Recordings) http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/ftvbib:@field(NUMBER(@range(5147a1+5167b2)))
H.T Burleigh http://www.afrovoices.com/burleigh.html
The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html
*The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip (Recordings) http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lomaxstategenre.html
The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip (Notes about the recordings) http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/lomaxbib:@field(DOCID+@lit(fn0001))
The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip (photographs) http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/lomaxbib:@field(DOCID(@range(lmx1999000002+lmx1999000406)))
James Bland http://www.wilberforce.edu/library/archives/history/biographies/bland.htm, http://www.pwcweb.com/d24alions/bland.html
Scott Joplin Sites on http://web.txwesleyan.edu/sociology/horsfall/Music.html
History of the Drinking Gourd http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd1.html
North American Slave Narratives http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/neh.html
Jubilee Songs http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/sfeature/songs.html
1. "Race" by Russell Potter, in Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture, edited by Bruce Horner and Thomas Swiss, Blackwell Publishers, 1999. Handout
2. Rock, Rap and Punk Music (Student paper)
3. Rap Music and its Changes by Charles Beaudion (student paper)
4. Street Dreams: The Ontological Study of Hip Hop By Barry Williams (student paper)
5. The Height of Hip-hop: A record setting sweep of Billboard’s Top 10, Star Telegram
6. Minstrels in Baggy Jeans. Newsweek.
7. Rap to the Rescue: Will the ailing concert industry embrace hip-hop? Newsweek
1. Women in Jazz: A Look back and a survey of current Releases
2. Billy Tipton
3. "Gender" by Holly Kruse, in Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture, edited by Bruce Horner and Thomas Swiss, Blackwell Publishers, 1999.
4. Madonna and Social Change by Michael Bridges
5. "Musicologists, Sociologists, and Madonna" by John Street in European Journal of Social Sciences, Vol 6, Issue 3, pp 277, 1993.
April 6 THE
MUSIC INDUSTRY TODAY
"The Industrialization of Popular Music" by Simon Firth in Popular Music and
Communication (2nd
Ed) Sage Publications, 1992.
April 11 "Technology and the Musician" by Steve Jones in Rock Formation: Music Technology, and
Mass Communication, Sage, 1992. Handout
Secret History of Technology and Pop Music on NPR
April 18 "Who Killed Rock Radio" by Keith Moerer, SPIN, February 1998.
April 20 "Business" by Mark Fenster and Thomas Swiss, in Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture,
edited by Bruce Horner and Thomas Swiss, Blackwell Publishers, 1999.
The
Business of Music http://www.musicweb.uk.net/Roth/index.htm (It’s a whole book – just browse)
April 25 "The Consumption of Music and the Expression of Values" A Social Economic Explanation
for the Advent of Pop Music" by Wilfred Dolfsma, Univ of Bonn.
May 2 Recent Trends in the Music Industry
18. "Sect, Prophets, and Myth" by Neil Leonard in Jazz: Myth and Religion. Oxford Univ Press. 1987.
"The Analysis of Popular Music: Class, Generation and Ethnicity" by John Shepherd in Music as Social Text, Polity Press, 1991. Handout