Course No:
Credits:
Date:
Course Title:
Introduction to Rock Music
Institution:
Rogue Community College
Type of Program:
Transfer
Length of Course:
A minimum of 30 lecture hours per one term
Prerequisites:
RD30; WR121 (may be taken concurrently)
Department Assignment:
Music
MUS206
3
April 2015
Course Description: Surveys rock music from its origins to the present as revealed through the
study of the most innovative and influential artists of this American musical form. Emphasis is
placed on building listening and comprehension skills through listening to rock, in-class
discussion of the music, class assignments, research, and reading of the text.
Institutional Learning Outcomes:
Personal Growth
Students will balance life and civic responsibilities, believe in
themselves, accept and commit to change, self-reflect, and be
tolerant and respectful of themselves and others.
Communication
Students will engage in quality communication using active
listening and reading skills and expressing ideas appropriately in
oral, written, and visual work.
Approach to Learning
Critical Thinking
Students will engage in and take responsibility for intentional
learning, seek new knowledge and skills to guide their continuous
and independent development, and adapt to new situations.
Students can recognize own and others’ assumptions and cultural
contexts, raise significant and relevant questions, demonstrate an
ability to seek, organize, analyze, and interpret data, foresee
consequences of actions, and engage in behaviors that support
sustainability.
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Application of Knowledge
Students will synthesize and use knowledge in familiar and
unfamiliar situations to effectively solve problems and complete
tasks.
Course Outcomes, ILO (Institutional Learning Outcomes) Indicators and Assessment:
Course Learning Outcomes:
Key ILO Indicators
Assessment Methods:
1. Learn the important elements of a
rock performance.
1. Students will describe
four or more elements
observed in a rock concert
in an essay to be turned in
for a listening assignment.
2. Critique recorded and “live” rock COM 4 - Work respectfully
and roll performances.
with others by considering
opposing view-points and
different cultural
perspectives.
2. Students will present for
class a critical analysis of a
recorded or live Rock and
Roll concert.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the
characteristics of the main style
periods of rock and roll and their
sub-genres.
3. Students will identify
and describe the
characteristics of the main
style periods and sub-genres
of rock and roll on written
tests or quizzes.
4. Identify the most important
innovators and artists of rock and
roll and their contributions.
4. Students will identify the
most important rock artists
and innovators and their
contributions through
written essays and on tests
and quizzes.
5. Identify the roles of the various
cultures that have contributed to this
musical form—American jazz and
blues, African, Latin, and European.
AK 3 - Apply knowledge and
skills through a global
perspective with an
awareness of context,
personal assumptions, and
worldview.
5. Students will identify
through written tests or
written essays the various
cultures that have
contributed to the rock and
roll style of music.
Typical Required and Recommended Text(s): Charlton, Katherine. Rock Music Styles, A
History. 3rd edition Helander, Brock. The Rockin’ ‘50s. 4th edition Campbell, Michael, and
Brody, James. Rock and Roll: An Introduction.
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TYPICAL COURSE OUTLINE:
I. Introduction
A. Essential Elements of Music
1. Rhythm, meter and groove
2. Melody, key signatures, scales and modes
3. Harmony, basic ideas of chord progressions
4. Form, the roadmap of music over time
B. What are we listening to?
1. The instrumentation of rock music
2. The role of the recording studio and modern electronics
II. The Roots of Rock and Roll
A. The root influences
1. Europe
2. Africa
B. Root Styles
1. The Blues
2. Jazz
3. Folk Music
III. The Birth of Rock and Roll
A. Rock’s First Class
B. The rise of Elvis
C. The Day that Music Died
IV. Rock Rises Again
A. The British Invasion
B. The American Response
V. Psychedelia
A. The San Francisco Scene
B. The London Scene
VI. The ‘70s Rock Monster
A. Blues-based Rock
B. Southern Rock
C. Progressive Rock
D. Jazz Rock
VII. Further Evolution
A. Mainstream Rock
B. Punk Rock
C. New Wave
VIII. The ‘80s
A. Heavy Metal
B. Rap
C. Alternative Rock
IX. The ‘90s and Beyond
A. Grunge
B. Hip Hop
C. New Metal
D. Where are we now?
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