Heartland Community College
Humanities & Fine Arts
Course Syllabus for Students
Course Prefix and Number: MUSI 260-02
Course Title: Jazz, Blues, & Rock’n’Roll
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory Hours: 0
The class meets: Mon-Wed 2:00-3:15 p.m., ICB 1801
Course Introduction: An exploratory history of various types and styles of music which
manifested themselves (mostly in the United States) in the forms of blues, jazz, rock’n’roll, and
other related musical types. The ability to read music is not required for enrollment.
Catalog Description: Jazz, Blues, & Rock’n’Roll provides an introduction to these musical
styles as they have flourished in the United States in the 20th century, and they remain popular
today. Particular focus is on stylistic trends from various historical periods, comparing and
contrasting the three styles, and some elements of music theory. Some goals of this course are to
stimulate interest in a variety of music, to provide information about the history of popular
music, and to encourage students to listen to all music actively and perceptively.
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer: MUSI 260 fulfills 3 of the
9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required for the A.A. or A.S. degree. It
satisfies the Fine Arts component of this requirement. MUSI 260 should transfer to other Illinois
colleges and universities as the equivalent of the General Education Core Curriculum course F1
900, described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative. However, students should consult an
academic advisor for transfer information regarding particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web
page for information as well at www.itransfer.org
Instructor Information:
Instructor name: Mr. Michael Hillstrom
Phone number: 825-3533
E-mail address: mhillstr@heartland.edu
Faculty office: ICB 2025
Office hours: Wednesday 12:30-1:30, please call or email for appointments
Required Textbook: I HEAR AMERICA SINGING, an Introduction to Popular Music,
David Kastin
Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes): After completing this course, the student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Identify the works of music that are considered to represent the greatest
achievements in jazz, blues, and rock’n’roll.
Listen to music with sensitivity and formal understanding.
Recognize various periods, mediums, and themes in music.
Become aware of various musicians' styles and begin to appreciate how and why
music changes over time as well as sometimes within an individual artist's career.
Understand the fundamental conceptual and theoretical framework that underlies
the production of popular music.
Develop the confidence to pursue specific areas of music on a more advanced
level.
Identify appropriate topics for scholarly research in music appreciation, utilize
standard bibliographic and other research tools, select suitable sources and
methodology, and write papers presenting the results of your research while
observing the conventions of scholarly discourse.
Course Outline:
I. ELEMENTS OF MUSIC AND LISTENING
II. THE BLUES
III. JAZZ
IV. ROCK’N’ROLL
V. POPULAR MUSIC AFTER 1970
Methods of Evaluation: Each student must complete the midterm and final exams. Written
assignments include two listening-based comparative analyses and a live concert review. Quizzes
will be given occasionally at the end of class.
Final grades will be calculated according to the following scale:
Three comparative analyses
Quizzes
Midterm exam
Concert review
Attendance/attitude
Final exam
- 30% (each 10%)
- 10%
- 20%
- 10%
- 10%
- 20%
Grades will be awarded according to the following scale:
92-100 %
83-91 %
74-82 %
65-73 %
Below 65%
A
B
C
D
F
Attendance: Come to class. Your attendance record will affect your final course grade. Your
success in this course will depend on your ability to participate during in-class discussions.
Missing classes will also make written assignments more difficult to complete effectively.
Excessive absences from this class will result in a point deduction from the attendance portion of
the final course grade.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given occasionally at the end of class—surprise! No make-up quizzes
will be given in this class! One quiz score will be dropped from each student’s final grade. (So
if you miss a quiz, consider that your dropped quiz.)
Exams: The content of the exams will largely depend on the music that is discussed in class.
Each exam will include various essay questions and also a listening section. Attendance at the
exams is absolutely mandatory. Make-up exams will only be given in special emergency
circumstances if (and only if) the instructor is notified about the situation before the beginning
of the exam. Students who fail to notify the instructor until after missing an exam will not
be allowed to take the exam.
Course Calendar: The tentative course schedule is as follows:
August 21-23
course introduction, discuss the styles
August 28-30
discuss music theory & fundamentals
NO CLASSES
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 – LABOR DAY
September 6
READ Chapter 2, discuss Blues
Assigned: Comparative Analysis #1
September 11-13
continue Blues
September 18-20
READ Chapter 3, discuss early Jazz
Assigned: Concert Review
September 25-27
discuss 1940s Jazz
DUE: Comparative Analysis #1
October 2-4
discuss 1950s and 1960s Jazz
Assigned: Comparative Analysis #2
October 9-11
Review for midterm exam
MIDTERM EXAM
October 16-18
READ Chapter 4, discuss 1950s Rock’n’Roll
October 23-25
discuss 1960s Rock’n’Roll
DUE: Comparative Analysis #2
Oct. 30-Nov. 1
continue 1960s Rock’n’Roll
Assigned: Comparative Analysis #3
November 6-8
READ Chapter 5, discuss 1970s
November 13-15
continue 1970s
November 20
discuss 1980s
DUE: Comparative Analysis #3
NO CLASSES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 – THANKSGIVING
November 27-29
continue 1980s, some recent jazz
December 4-6
DUE: Concert Review
Review for final exam
Final Exam:
Wednesday, December 13, 2:00-3:50 p.m.
Notice of Canceled Class Sessions: Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed
under Cancelled Class Meetings in the A-Z Index and under Academic Information in the
Current Students page on the HCC Web site. Go to http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/
to learn what classes have been cancelled for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to check
the last column, which might contain a message from the instructor.
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland
Community College and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs.
Moreover, because grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work
violate the right of their fellow students. The College, therefore, views any act of academic
dishonest as a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course failure,
suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may
have unforeseen effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or
suborning cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data,
falsification of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to computerized
academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these violations may be found in
the college catalog.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write
a paper, create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the
work, except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is
considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it
were your own.
Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as
if it were your own.
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism
may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or
expulsion from school in extreme cases. [Adapted from the Modem Language Association’s
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Support Services:
Heartland Library www.hcc.cc.il.us/library
The Library, located in the Students Commons Buildings at the Raab Road campus, provides
Heartland students with a full range of resources including books, online journal databases, videos,
newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and interlibrary loan. Librarians are available to assist in locating
information.
For more information, please call the Library (309) 268-8200 or (309) 268-8292.
Tutoring and Academic Support
Heartland Community College offers tutoring in various forms at no cost to
Heartland students at the Academic Support Center (ASC) in Normal and at the Pontiac
and Lincoln Centers. Tutors are available at convenient times throughout the week.
Study groups, group tutoring facilitated by a specially-trained tutor, are also available by
request. For more information about services available at each location, please call the
ASC in Normal (309) 268-8231; the Pontiac Center (815) 842-6777; the Lincoln Center
(217) 735-1731.
Academic Support Services (Academic Support Center) Lab
www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc
Testing Center Lab www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/testing
The Testing Center provides a quiet environment for students to complete make-up exams, online
exams, and exams for students with special accommodations. Students may be able to complete exams in
the Testing Center if arrangements are made with their instructor. For more information, contact the
Testing Center at (309) 268-8231.
Open Computing Lab
www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/complab
The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC students at convenient times
throughout the week. The computer lab is staffed by trained Lab Assistants and offers the use of
approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a laser printer, and an electric typewriter.