2nd period: room 3406

Course Syllabus 2020-2021

​Instructor:      J. Craig Cantrell                             Office Phone:          770-967-0080 ext. 748
​Email:              [email protected]             Conferences/Tutorials: Before School / By appointment

Overview

This course provides the opportunity to explore the historical and socio-cultural development of indigenous American ethnic and folk music.  It traces the roots of rock and roll music to its origins, styles, composers, performers, and socio-political influences. 

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion, the successful student will be able:

• to describe elements of music that he/she hears, employing correct musical terminology
• to place music into an appropriate historical or cultural context
• to compare and contrast the achievements of selected composers and/or performers

TOPICAL OUTLINE

• Elements of Music:  Sound, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Form, Text
• Sociology and origins of rock music from African-American blues, rhythm and blues, country, and blues revival.
• Folk elements
• International styles through hip-hop and avant-garde styles
• Singer/songwriter/instrumentalists such as Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Sr., The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana.
• Music, poetry, and the social context
• Crossover from Western culture and the influence of new technology
• Civil Rights movement of the 1960s

Required class Materials

​All students are required to have the following materials daily:
*Pencils (all work & exams submitted to the instructor MUST be written in pencil unless your work is completed in a music notation program)
*Notebook Paper
​*Standard 1" 3-ring Binder

SUGGESTED CLASS MATERIALS

Textbook:                  Valdez, Stephen.  A History of Rock Music, 4th Edition,
                                    Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

DVDs:                         TBA

CDs:                            12 Volumes compiled by instructor to coincide with textbook examples (copies are made available for                                                 student use)

.mp3 Player:             A must for class presentations.

Internet Access:      Both for presentations and class assignments.  Mobile computer lab is brought in monthly for class                                                    assignments and internet/video presentation is currently being used.

Course Overview

​

1. Elements of Music (Sound, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Form & Text)
2. Forerunners of Rock (American Music Roots)
   1. Blues
   2. Country & Western and Western Swing
   3. Rhythm & Blues
3. Rock in the 1950s (The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll)
   1. Bill Haley:  Northern Band Rock & Roll
   2. New Orleans Dance Rock & Roll (Fats Domino/Little Richard)
   3. Memphis Country Rock (Carl Perkins/Elvis Presley/Jerry Lee Lewis)
   4. Chicago Rock & Roll (Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley)
   5. Vocal Group Rock & Roll (Various Doo-Wop Groups)
4. Rock in the 1960s (2nd Generation Rock)
   1. Surf Music/The Beach Boys
   2. Folk Music
   3. Bob Dylan
   4. Folk-Rock Music, Country Rock, Southern Rock
   5. Soul, Motown, Funk, Pop Funk and Rap
   6. British Beat Groups:  The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and others
   7. Psychedelia in the 1960s:  Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and others
5. Rock in the 1970s-1980s
   1. Singers/Songwriters
   2. Heavy Metal
   3. Led Zeppelin
   4. Fusions – Jazz and Art Rock
   5. Pink Floyd
   6. Punk Rock
   7. Alternative Rock
   8. New Wave
      
6. Rock in the 1990s and Beyond

Resources

All Music Guide                                                      http://www.allmusic.com
History of Rock (1950s based)                             http://www.history-of-rock.com
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum         http://www.rockhall.com
Wikipedia                                                                 http://wikipedia.com