San José State University/School of Music & Dance
MUSC 119, History of American Rock and Pop, 01,
Spring, 2015
Contact Information
Instructor:
Gordon Haramaki
Office Location:
Music 107
Telephone:
(408) 924-4634
Email:
gordon.haramaki@sjsu.edu
Office Hours:
T/Th 10:30-12:00
Class Days/Time:
T/Th, 9:00-10:15
Classroom:
Music 161
Prerequisites:
GE/SJSU Studies Category:
Completion of core GE, upper division standing (60 units),
passage of Writing Skills Test (WST), 100W as a prerequisite or
co-requisite.
Category S: Self, Society, & Equality in the U.S.
Faculty Web Page and MYSJSU Messaging
Course materials such as syllabus, handouts, notes, assignment instructions, etc. can be
found on my faculty web page at http://www.sjsu.edu/people/gordon.haramaki. You are
responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU (or other
communication system as indicated by the instructor) to learn any updates.
Course Description
Since its invention in the 1950s, the various musical genres of popular music that
constitutes Rock and Roll are some of the most important and influential aesthetic
products that the U. S. has contributed to its own culture and that of the world.
Accordingly, this course focuses on the social, political, and economic forces driving the
development and evolution of Rock and Pop music, how they contributed to ongoing
historical processes and interactions between different ethnic, social, and geographic
groups within the U.S., and these musics’ changing effects on collective and individual
American identities.
To understand not only the cultural effects of Rock and Pop music, but the music itself,
we will examine how music works formally, through hearing, identifying, and discussing
MUSC 119, History of American Rock and Pop, Spring 2015
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the elements of sound/sonic resources such as melody, harmony, amplitude, time,
rhythm, form, processes, textures, densities, and foreground and background hierarchies,
as well the voices and instruments used to produce these sounds. We will also examine
how the visual and aural semiotics created in Rock and Pop when these elements are
performed reflect, define, undermine, and critique American subjectivities, classes, and
cultures
Since the medium has an important effect on the message, the course will also cover the
changes and development of technologies in recording and music distribution and its
effects on Rock and Pop over the last sixty years.
The prerequisites for this include completion of Core General Education, upper division
standing, passage of the Writing Skills Test (WST). 100W is required either as a
prerequisite or as a co-requisite.
Course Goals and Learning Objectives
GE Learning Outcomes (GELO) and Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)
Courses to meet Areas R, S, and V of SJSU Studies must be taken from three different
departments or distinct academic units.
Writing about Rock and Pop music and utilizes specialized and challenging set of skills
incorporating technical description, cultural contextualization, subjective reaction, and
certain stylistic conventions in a unique mix. This course is designed to give you
experience and guidance in developing these skills, especially a basic competence in the
use of technical music terminology.
The 3,000 word writing requirement for this general education upper division category S
course are met by: online discussions; in-class writing and peer critique; a 500-word
persuasive essay arguing for the inclusion of a group/performer/genre not covered by the
course; two (2) 750-word concert reviews; and a draft and final version of a 1,500-word
research paper.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1.
Demonstrate and employ a basic knowledge of the history of American Rock and
Pop music, and show how such musics have shaped identities in the changing
equalities and inequalities of American society and culture from 1940-2000
[Area S GELO B.1] (exams, concert reviews, research paper).
2.
Enjoy, express, and illustrate the cultural significance of Rock and Pop music as
an achievement of the human intellect and imagination, and appreciating, in the
continuing course of their evolution, the specifically American interactions of
between people of different racial, cultural, and geographic backgrounds in their
creation and development [Area S GELO B.4] (in-class writing, concert reviews,
research paper).
3.
Identify, define, and assess historically important creators and performers of
American Rock and Pop music, and describe, examine, and appraise the effects
of their music as social action upon equality and social justice in regards to such
MUSC 119, History of American Rock and Pop, Spring 2015
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equality issues as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation from 1940-2000
[Area S GELO B.3] (exams, concert reviews, re-write history persuasive essay,
research paper).
4.
Describe and explain the history, and basic techniques and technologies of the
developments and changes in sound recording and recorded music distribution
from 1940-2000, and their economic effects on diversity, equality and inequality
[Area S GELO B.2] (exams, research paper).
5.
Recognize, describe, and interpret the music and musical elements of important
Rock and Pop genres and sub-genres (in-class writing, exams, concert reviews,
research paper).
6.
Identify, name, and describe the timbres and instruments characteristically used
in Rock and Pop music (in-class writing, exams, concert reviews, research
paper).
7.
Grasp the processes of composition and listening, and appraise Rock and Pop
music from the subject positions of both composer and audience (concert
reviews, research paper).
8.
Effectively conceive, analyze, and develop their own ideas and assessments of
Rock and Pop music in response to lecture, discussions, readings, sound
recordings, and live performances, both verbally and in writing (in-class writing,
concert reviews, research paper).
9.
Engage in thoughtful and civil criticism and discourse (in-class writing, concert
reviews, re-write history persuasive essay, research paper).
10.
Assess, criticize, and support their individual aesthetic appraisal of a received
historical narrative (re-write history persuasive essay).
10.
Develop, organize, and write using correct grammar, appropriate language,
constructing effective arguments, using pertinent supporting material, and
including, where appropriate, correct editorial mechanics and standards for citing
primary and secondary sources (in-class writing, concert reviews, re-write
history persuasive essay, research paper).
Required Texts/Readings
Textbook and Recordings
John Covach, What’s That Sound?: An Introduction to Rock and Its History, W. W.
Norton & Company, 2012, 3rd edition. ISBN: 978-0393912043.
Simon Frith, Will Straw, and John Street, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Pop and
Rock, Cambridge University Press, 2001. Kindle Edition. ($16.50)
Mark Katz, Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music, University of
California Press, 2011. Kindle Edition. ($17.49)
MUSC 119, History of American Rock and Pop, Spring 2015
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The music discussed in class may be obtained for purchase through various sources, such
as iTunes, amazon.com, or similar sources.
Other Readings
Copies of the course syllabus, PDFs of lectures, as well as assigned readings aside from
those in the required texts may be found on my faculty web page accessible through the
quick links/faculty web page links on the SJSU home page (address above).
Other material requirements
Internet access is required for both the discussion forum, and outside-class music
listening.
Please bring a loose-leaf notebook with removable 8.5 x 11 pages (not spiral-bound) for
in-class writing activities.
Library Liaison
Patricia Stroh
The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
(408) 808-2059
Email: patricia.stroh@sjsu.edu
Course Requirements and Assignments
SJSU classes are designed such that in order to be successful, it is expected that students
will spend a minimum of forty-five hours for each unit of credit (normally three hours per
unit per week), including preparing for class, participating in course activities,
completing assignments, and so on. More details about student workload can be found in
University Policy S12-3 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-3.pdf.
Note that University policy F69-24, “Students should attend all meetings of their classes,
not only because they are responsible for material discussed therein, but because active
participation is frequently essential to insure maximum benefit for all members of the
class. Attendance per se shall not be used as a criterion for grading.”
Assignments
Discussion, In-Class Writing, and Discussion Forum (10%)
Lively participation in general discussion will be noticed and appreciated, but so will the
ability to allow space for shyer or quieter members of the class to contribute their views.
We will be doing in-class writing designed to get you thinking—in writing—about what
you hear in conjunction with what we discuss and read, and these writings offer a forum
for you to engage repeatedly with Rock and Pop music, society, and culture. Students
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will also participate in in-class peer critique, and your response to your classmates work
should be seriousness, thoughtful, and constructive.
Readings and music listening will be assigned every week, and all students are expected
to participate in the online discussions of the readings and music each week with
responses of at least 150 words each week.
Four (4) Exams (10% each = 40%)
Each exam will cover the music and materials of the previous sessions, and will consist
of listening identification, multiple choice, and write-in-answer questions. While the
exams are not cumulative, the knowledge of basic course material will continue from
exam to exam.
Two (2) Concert Reviews (10% each = 20%)
Students will attend two (2) rock and pop music concerts of contrasting styles, and write
a 750-word analysis of the concert’s roster of bands, as well as the your general concertgoing experience.
Re-Write Rock and Pop History (5%)
As will be seen, it is impossible to include every important group, performer, and genre
of Rock and Pop in a historical survey course such as this. In this paper, you will write a
500-word persuasive essay advocating for the inclusion of a group, performer, or genre
not covered in this course. The essay should consider the group, performer or genre’s
aesthetic significance, cultural and social influence, and importance to a historical
overview.
Rock and Pop Research Paper (25%)
Students will write a 1,500-word research paper on the band/performer of their choice
(but not covered in class) and will critically discuss the aesthetic and functional
significance of their music, engaging in writing with music itself as well as the discourse
surrounding the band/performer and their genre, utilizing both musical and performative
description, and referencing the philosophical, aesthetic, and political manifestos and
agendas upon which the genre is built.
The paper should include a short biography, a selected discography, with the bulk of the
paper devoted to your critical discussion based on a clear thesis statement and supported
by independent library research. A bibliography is required (including broad reference
works to more specific materials, such as journal and newspaper articles, and recordings),
and citations should be according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
The paper should be the best expression of your critical thoughts in considered, polished,
and corrected prose. To support the writing process, students will submit a first draft for
in-class peer critique, and turn the critiqued draft into the instructor for further evaluation
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and feedback. No final papers will be accepted without having gone through the first
draft process. Papers are due on the day of the Final.
Grading Policy
Grading is based on satisfactory participation and performance of the course
requirements. No extra credit will be given. Written assignments will be graded
according to:
1. Correctly following assignment questions, prompts, guidelines, and length
requirements.
2. Correct usage and spelling of names, dates, titles, technical terms, and concepts.
3. Quality, originality, and accuracy of content.
4. Appropriate academic style.
5. Legibility, completeness, and neatness.
6. Unstapled multi-pages Concert Responses will not be accepted.
Grade Scale and Percentage System
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
100-97%
96-93%
92-90%
89-87%
86-83%
82-80%
79-77%
76-73%
72-70%
69-67%
66-63%
62-56%
55 % and below
Late Work
Assignments are collected at the beginning of class on the due date. Work turned in
during class after it is collected is considered late, and will be penalized a half a grade.
Assignments received after class on the date that it is due will be penalized a full grade.
Late work will be penalized a full grade for each day after that, and late work will be
accepted only until the next class meeting after its due date. No late work will be
accepted after the final meeting.
Due to their ongoing nature, which includes class discussion, in-class writings will not be
accepted after the class in which they are done.
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Exams will be given at the start of class on their assigned dates. Makeup exams will only
be given in the case of documented emergencies.
A minimum aggregate GPA of 2.0 for SJSU Studies (R, S, & V) shall be required of all
students as a graduation requirement. To see full text, review University Policy S11-3 at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S11-3.pdf.
Classroom Protocol
Students are expected to arrive on time, bring their materials to class, ready for reasoned
discussion on the topics presented in class. During class laptops should only be used for
course-related activities. Please turn off cellphones, pagers, and other electronic
messaging devices during class. Students are responsible for all material and
assignments discussed in class, and absence does not grant exemption from material
covered in class.
University Policies
Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop,
grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester’s Catalog Policies section at
http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the
current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at
http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is
available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware
of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.
Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at
http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.
Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material
University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to
obtain instructor’s permission to record the course. Please email the instructor to obtain
permission in writing. In classes with guests, or active participation of students may be
on the recording, permission of those guests or students should be obtained as well.


“Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone
when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor’s permission to
make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the
recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are
the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to
reproduce or distribute the material.”
“Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the
instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not
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publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam
questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent.”
Academic integrity
Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose
State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of
Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical
Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without
giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For
this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise
specified. If you would like to include your assignment or any material you have
submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic
Integrity Policy S07-2 requires approval of instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need
to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential
Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf
requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the
Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of
their disability.
In 2013, the Disability Resource Center changed its name to be known as the Accessible
Education Center, to incorporate a philosophy of accessible education for students with
disabilities. The new name change reflects the broad scope of attention and support to
SJSU students with disabilities and the University's continued advocacy and commitment
to increasing accessibility and inclusivity on campus.
Student Technology Resources
Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at
http://www.sjsu.edu/at/asc/ located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and in the Associated
Students Lab on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be
available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther
King Library.
A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media
Services located in IRC 112. These items include DV and HD digital camcorders; digital
still cameras; video, slide and overhead projectors; DVD, CD, and audiotape players;
sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.
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SJSU Peer Connections
Peer Connections, a campus-wide resource for mentoring and tutoring, strives to inspire
students to develop their potential as independent learners while they learn to
successfully navigate through their university experience. You are encouraged to take
advantage of their services which include course-content based tutoring, enhanced study
and time management skills, more effective critical thinking strategies, decision making
and problem-solving abilities, and campus resource referrals.
In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of
undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by
appointment basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including
preparing for the Writing Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory,
alleviating procrastination, surviving your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics.
A computer lab and study space are also available for student use in Room 600 of Student
Services Center (SSC).
Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Garage on
the corner of 10th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and in
the Living Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer
Connections website at http://peerconnections.sjsu.edu for more information.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. All Writing Specialists have
gone through a rigorous hiring process, and they are well trained to assist all students at
all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. In addition to one-on-one
tutoring services, the Writing Center also offers workshops every semester on a variety of
writing topics. To make an appointment or to refer to the numerous online resources
offered through the Writing Center, visit the Writing Center website at
http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter. For additional resources and updated information,
follow the Writing Center on Twitter and become a fan of the SJSU Writing Center on
Facebook. (Note: You need to have a QR Reader to scan this code.)
SJSU Counseling Services (Optional)
The SJSU Counseling Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Fernando
Street, in Room 201, Administration Building. Professional psychologists, social
workers, and counselors are available to provide consultations on issues of student mental
health, campus climate or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or
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group basis. To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit Counseling
Services website at http://www.sjsu.edu/counseling.
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MUSC 119 / History of American Rock and Pop, Spring
2015, Course Schedule
Course schedule is subject to change with fair notice: schedule and due-date changes
will be announced in class. Due assignments are indicated in boldface.
Course Schedule
Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1
Jan. 22
Course Introduction, and Music Basics
2
Jan. 27
Jan. 29
Music Technology I: The Microgroove Era
Instruments of Rock and Pop
3
Feb. 3
Feb. 5
Roots of Rock and Pop: Blues, Country, and Gospel
Roots of Rock and Pop: Doo-Wop, R&B
4
Feb. 10
The early ’50s Pop Scene: Tin Pan Alley, Big Bands, and the Baby
Boom
Beginnings of Rock: Teen Culture and Rockabilly
Feb. 12
5
Feb. 17
Feb. 19
Exam 1
’50s Rock, and “The Day the Music Died”
The Pop Reaction to Rock: ASCAP and the Brill Building
6
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
“Populuxe”: American Band Stand and ’60s Dance Crazes
Music Technology II: The Stereo Era
7
Mar. 3
Mar. 5
Concert Review 1 due
’60s: Surf Rock and the “Garage” Band
’60s: Motown and Stax
8
Mar. 10
Mar. 12
’60s: Flower Power and Folk Rock
’60s: The British Invasion
9
Mar. 17
Exam 2
’60s: The “San Francisco Sound” and Acid Rock
’70s: “Hyphen” Rock: Glam-, Prog-, Country-, Roots-
Mar. 19
10
Mar. 24
Mar. 26
11
Mar. 31
Apr. 2
Spring Recess
César Chavez Day
Research Paper first draft due
In class peer critique
MUSC 119, History of American Rock and Pop, Spring 2015
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Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
12
Apr. 7
Apr. 9
’70s: Heavy Metal
’70s: Funk and Disco
13
Apr. 14
Apr. 16
Concert Review 2 due
’70s: Ska and Reggae
’70s: Proto-Punk and Punk
14
Apr. 21
Apr. 23
Music Technology III: Cassette Tape, the Walkman, and MTV
’80s: Rap and the Beginnings of Hip Hop
15
Apr. 28
Apr. 30
Exam 3
’80s: The Revival of Pop
’90s: Alt Rock and Lilith Fair
16
May 5
Music Technology IV: Digital Media and the End of the Record
Store
’90s: Boy Bands
May 7
17
Final
Exam
May 12
Re-Write Rock and Pop History Essay due
’90s: Indie Rock
Exam 4
Research Paper due
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