Monday, April 19, 2010

NO CLASS 4/20

Due to a medical engagement, we will not meet on Tuesday. I urge all of you to research your artists and gather how their music is related through the genres we've studied. Prepare for your final presentations. I will see you all on Thursday morning at 8:30AM sharp.

Prof. Bratcher

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

ROCK AND ROLL

Hello class,We will not meet on Thursday due to the recruitment trip I have to do for the band. With that being said, here are the notes that you need to be responsible for on Tuesday:

Rock n Roll genre of music that evolved in the United States after World War II.
composed of blues, gospel, folk, and country music
arrived at the time of technological change...after the development of the electric guitar, microphone, and the amplifier.

Rockabilly- refers to the type of rock and roll music that was played and recorded in the mid-1950s by white singers such as Elvis Pressley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, who drew mainly on the country roots of music.

American Bandstand- a term used for television show which premiered in the 1950's. It usually catered to teenagers and socially dictated everything from clothing, music, dances, and dialogue.

Royalty Cluase (Compulsory License)-usually when a government forces the holder of a copyright, patent, or other exclusive right to grant use to state or others. This law is still in effect today.

Covers-partial re-writes of a song. Usually done by speeding up the tempo and the backbeat. See example: (Big Mama Thorton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70b25AOZunE&feature=related) (Elvis Pressley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyHYGUJnuc&feature=related)

Doo Wop- one of the most popular forms of Rock n Roll. Featured multi-part vocal harmonies and meaningless vocal background lyrics. Still used in movies and musicals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bwzw9wVB10&feature=PlayList&p=E7A15F7277155D5F&index=3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHB3Rbz1OI)

Jazz Notes

Originally an American musical genre which enjoyed popularity from the late 1800s to around 1920.

Ragtime fell off when Jazz hit the big scene

Ragtime is a descendant of jigs and musical marches played by black bands.

Many Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) Bands got their start from the ragtime era...

"Novelty Ragtime" involved the use of a rolling scroll on old pianos allowing the performer almost complete creative freedom, since the music was nothing more than hollow chords or what is now refferred to as fake sheets.

Ragtime has several sub-categories: (You will need to familiarize yourselves with these)

Cakewalk- A pre-ragtime dance form popular until about 1904. The music is intended to be representative of an African-American dance contest in which the prize is a cake. Many early rags are cakewalks.

Two step- A pre-ragtime dance form popular until about 1911. A large number of rags are two-steps.

Coon song- A pre-ragtime vocal form popular until about 1901. A song with crude, racist lyrics often sung by white performers in blackface. Gradually died out in favor of the ragtime song. Strongly associated with ragtime in its day, it is one of the things that gave ragtime a bad name.

Ragtime song- The vocal form of ragtime, more generic in theme than the coon song. Though this was the form of music most commonly considered "ragtime" in its day, many people today prefer to put it in the "popular music" category. Irving Berlin was the most commercially successful composer of ragtime songs.

Foxtrot- A dance fad which began in 1913. Fox-trots contain a dotted-note rhythm different from that of ragtime, but which nonetheless was incorporated into many late rags.

Composers that you will need to be familiar with are:

Scott Joplin- the most famous ragtime composer by far. Famous for "Maple Leaf Rag" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc)and the "Entertainer."(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmruHc4S9Q&feature=related)

Jelly Roll Morton- jazz pianist, bandleader and composer. Famous for Black Bottom Blues and Buddy Bolden's Blues

Tom Turpin- African-American composer of ragtime music. He was so large in stature (6'4", 300lbs.) that his piano had to be raised on bricks to accomodate his stomach. He is also a Savannah, GA native

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Course Syllabus

Savannah State University
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Liberal Arts
MUSC 1101-01 Music Appreciation
Spring 2010
T/TH 8:30AM-10:20AM

Instructor: Prof. Bratcher
Office: Payne Hall (Room TBA)
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: bratchern@savannahstate.edu

Student Learning Outcomes: To gain an appreciation of Western Classical Music including Jazz and its influence throughout today’s musical spectrum.

Course Goals: Students will lean the historical origins of Classical and Jazz music by reading assignments and listening to various musical works in and outside of class.

Course Goals: Students will learn the historical origins of Classical and Jazz music by reading assignments, listening to various musical works in and outside of class, and several projects.

Course Objectives:

· To demonstrate or articulate an understanding of the elements of music
· To demonstrate or articulate an understanding of how elements combine to create music
· To recognize and compare various style periods including composers
· To recognize a specific style period of music through listening
· To clearly identify instrumental groupings visually and aurally

Course Description: A historical survey of the development of music, intended to provide a background for the understanding and application of music. Music to be studied will include American Popular Music (Blues, Jazz, Rock) as well as the different style periods of Classical Music.

Text/Workbook Materials: Perspectives on Music, Donald C. Meyer (text comes with a CD set for listening assignments), 978-1877761508 ISBN $45

Attendance: “Credit may or may not be awarded for any course if the number of absences exceeds the number of times that the class meets per week. Students who exceed the allowed number of absences in any course may receive a grade of “F” Savannah State University Catalog 2002-2006

2 Tardies = 1 unexcused absence

Grading:
90-100% A
80-89% B

70-79% C

60-69% D

59& Below F

Grading Policies:

Class assignments: 15%
4 Tests: 15% each
Final exam: 20%
Attendance: 5%

Class preparation: Students will come to class having read the assigned material listed on the course calendar. If the calendar changes, the instructor will assign the reading for the following class. This information will be listed on the Music Appreciation BLOG at http://ssumusicapp.blogspot.com and will be updated regularly. Please be sure to check back frequently.

Make-up exams: I have a “visual” policy for make-up exams. If I can “visually” see your legitimate excuse (i.e. doctor’s note, obituary, wedding program, letter from fraternity/sorority sponsor, bar mitzvah program, etc.) then we can work a make-up exam out. This, however, is left to the discretion of the instructor.

Listening Assignments: Each class will cover the reading material for the day as well as the listening examples in the book. Students will be expected to listen to music examples as part of the homework. CD’s are included as part of the purchase of the textbook. Listening guides are provided in the book and it is recommended that the student follow along in the book while listening to the assignment.

DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS: If a student has a documented and/or declared disability or any significant learning or health impairment, reasonable accommodations (support) will be provided if requested by the student according to the recommendations of The Office of Counseling and Disability Services: (912) 356-2202, Room 233, 2nd Floor King Frazier Annex.

Honor Code: All students are expected to do their own work in class. This includes homework, tests, projects and other work assigned by the instructor. Any work deemed not to be the student’s own will be treated as an honor code violation. Refer to the Savannah State University 2006-07 catalogue for further clarification.

CELL PHONES AND MP3 PLAYERS OF ALL KINDS WILL BE TURNED OFF AND PUT AWAY, INCLUDING BLU-TOOTH HEADSETS AND EAR PHONES OR BUDS. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN POINT DEDUCTION FROM QUIZZES AND TESTS.