Pasadena City College Music Department
History of Rock and Roll MUS-24B
Spring 2013 TH (6:50 – 10:10 pm) 3 Credit Hours
Professor: Dr. Brandon Bernstein
Email: bjbernstein@pasadena.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The History of Rock and Roll is a survey class that will cover the historical importance of
Rock music. Through a variety of interactive mediums, such as, readings, recordings,
videos, and discussions we will broaden our awareness of various elements, origins, and
developments in Rock music, and learn how Rock and Roll has impacted society. We
will use the term Rock music as a blanket term for all popular music of the 20th and 21st
centuries; whether it be R&B, Soul, Funk, Folk, Motown, Disco, Heavy Metal, or Punk.
Students will learn to explain the broad themes in Rock music, assimilate names and
dates of specific performers, differentiate between Rock styles, gain better listening skills,
and become improved critical thinkers.
Expectations: At the completion of the course, students should have: and understanding
of the history of Rock music; a perspective of 20th-century American history through one
of this culture’s most original of art forms; made connections between Rock, American
culture, personal experience and growth; an introduction to the history of the American
South; attended performances of Rock music; seen films related to Rock; read books and
articles about this American music; written about insights into Rock and its connections
to American culture.
Required Text: What’s That Sound: And Introduction to Rock and it’s History by John
Covach
Course Website (very important for the semester make sure you bookmark)!
www.professorbernstein.com
(you can also access this from my website www.brandon-bernstein.com )
Student Learning Outcomes:
Describe the cultural contexts for and the historical development of rock music
from the late-1940s through the 1990sIdentify representative works by major
artists, 1940s–1990s
Identify through aural examination different rock music genres for each
period(e.g.,blues, rockabilly, R&B, heavy metal, punk).
Describe the evolution of the rock band, the technological advances in the musical
instruments used, and how those changes and other influences (e.g., historical,
economic, social) impacted rock music.
Identify and describe various rock performance practices (i.e., different guitar
playing styles, vocal styles, onstage performances) and discuss how they differ
between genres.
Describe the implications of U.S. and world sociological, political, technological,
and economic changes as they affected rock music.
Identify the musical characteristics of different rock styles.
Attend a live concert of rock music and describe in writing, the background of the
artists and characteristics of the music, including the time period of origin, and th
stylistic qualities as experienced during the concert.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Listening Journal and Lab Hours : Students will be given weekly listening
assignments in which they will be required to listen and respond. Students will be
expected to use vocabulary and terminology that they have developed in class to
help aid in their critical responses to the music. Journals will be collected midterm and on the last day of class. I will post CDs will the required music in the
Music Lab and through Spotify on the course website.
2. Papers: Each student will write two five page papers. A detailed description on
what to write about will be handed out in the first few weeks of class. The first
paper will be due on April 12. The final paper will be due on the last day of class.
(not final exam day).
3. Weekly Quizzes: Most weeks there will be a short quiz. The quiz will be on
material covered in class, assigned readings, and listening.
4. Exams: There will be two exams. The mid-term and the final exam.
GRADING PROCEDURES:
Mid-term Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 25%
Essay 1 and 2 Average: 20%
Weekly Quizzes: 15%
Lab/Listening/Class Participation: 20%
GRADING PLAN:
Grading Policy:
100%-90% A
89%-80% B
79%-70% C
69%-60% D
59% F
Attendance Policy: As per college policy, students may be dropped by the instructor after
missing two weeks worth of class meetings. This means that students may be dropped by
the instructor from this course after missing four class sessions. 3 tardies equals 1
absence.