Luke Conklin, instructor

lmc113@case.edu

Harkness Chapel Classroom

MWF 11:30-12:20

MUGN 212: HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL

I. OBJECTIVES: MUGN 212 is an introductory course on the history, sounds, and culture of rock music. Through this course, students will:

understand how rock music is created and why it appeals to a mass audience.

acquire the ability to describe the musical elements of rock, including melody, rhythm, and form.

explore the interactions of rock with various extra-musical art forms, including dance, album art, and music videos.

gain knowledge of rock subgenres and will understand the relationship of these styles to the culture that produced them.

become familiar with important examples of rock and its antecedents and will be able to describe how these works fit into the genres history.

investigate how rock music illuminates and interacts with constructions of identity including gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality.

II. COURSE MATERIALS

Required Text: Covach, John and Andrew Flory. Whats That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, 4th edition. New York: W.W. Norton and

Company, 2015. Henceforth abbreviated as WTS.

Companion Website: An online study space for WTS, featuring podcasts, interactive listening guides, and playlist links. Accessible at:

http://wwnorton.com/college/music/whats-that-sound4/

Recommended Text (on reserve in the Kulas Music Library in Haydn Hall): Cateforis, Theo, ed. The Rock History Reader, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge,

2013. Henceforth abbreviated as RHR. Required readings from RHR will be

available on Blackboard or via the reserve copy in the Kulas Music Library. Any

additional readings will likewise be posted to Blackboard.

Listening: A large part of this class is learning to listen, so practice early and often. All of the examples that you are to be responsible for will be posted on

Blackboard. If there is a problem with the Blackboard file, it is your responsibility

to inform me before the class for which it was assigned or find alternate ways to

listen to the track such as the supplementary material for WTS.

III. ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments 1-3: Close readings of a song, 3-5 pages. On the first page, create a listening guide in the format used in WTS. Be sure to include the songs title, form, time signature, and instrumentation, followed by a breakdown of the tracks constituent sections. Each section should be labeled with a formal name

(introduction, verse, chorus, etc.) and should be identified by timings, measure

count, opening lyrics (if applicable), and a brief description of the distinguishing

musical events. Following the listening guide, use the remaining space to discuss,

in prose, the musical aspects of the song, including meter, record production,

melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, instrumentation, form, and anything else that

strikes you about the sound of the track. You should conclude your reading with

some thoughts about how this song fits into the history of Rock and Roll.

Assignment 4: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame report, 5-7 pages. For your final assignment, you will be required to make a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of

Fame. The assignment sheet with complete instructions will be distributed after

Spring Break. As Case Western students, you should receive free admission. It is

accessible via the Red Line. This assignment will be due on the last day of class.

It will entail 6-7 written pages addressing a specific critical question relating to

the history of Rock and Roll as presented at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

IV. QUIZZES AND EXAMS

Quizzes: There will be four short listening quizzes given over the course of the semester. These will include identification of song title and artist for repertoire

assigned on the syllabus as well as musical content that has been discussed in

class and in the textbook.

Exams: A midterm and a final exam will be given in the class. These exams will consist of a listening identification section as well as multiple choice, short

answer, and short essay sections. The listening section will require the correct

identification of musical genres, artists, and song titles, as well as prose

description of the sounds you hear. Any song on the syllabus may be included on

the exam, whether or not it was discussed in class. Be sure to know the whole song,

as you may hear any part of it, including verses and instrumental sections. The

final examination will be given during the scheduled final exam period but will

cover only the material since the midterm: it will be cumulative in terms of

concepts and trajectories, but it will not be cumulative in terms of chapters

covered.

V. GRADING PROCEDURES

Please note that a great deal of your success in this course depends upon your willingness to participate in discussion. As music, culture, and even history are all

subjective modes of expression, an active class dialogue is crucial.

Final grades will be determined as follows: i. 40% Assignments 1-4

ii. 10% Quizzes iii. 15% Midterm exam iv. 25% Final exam v. 10% Attendance and participation

VI. COURSE POLICIES

Assignment guidelines: Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late submissions will receive a penalty of one letter grade for each class period they

are late. All assignments must be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman

font, with one-inch margins. College-level proficiency in grammar and spelling is

expected.

Rewrites: If you wish to rewrite an assignment, you must first write me a three-paragraph petition explaining why you deserve an exception.

Absences and makeup exams: Makeup exams will only be given to students with a documented excuse approved by the instructor. Acceptable excuses

include documented illness or emergencies. If you know you must miss a test for

another reason, see me ASAP to learn if it will be excused. Students who must

miss an exam because of a religious holiday must see me by the second week of

classes to make arrangements. If a religious holiday falls on an assignment due

date, you must turn it in early not late. Students are responsible for all class material missed due to absence.

Accommodations: Students with disabilities who have special needs with regards to assignments and tests must see me to make arrangements ASAP. See

http://students.case.edu/education/disability for information about official policies.

Academic integrity: The work you submit in this course must always be your own; any sources you use must be properly cited. Students are expected to read

and adhere to the universitys Academic Integrity Policy, which may be found at http://studentaffairs.case.edu/office/integrity/policy.html. The penalty in this

course for academic dishonesty is a grade of F on the first plagiarized

assignment, which will be calculated as a zero into your final grade, and failure

of the course for subsequent infractions. All cases of plagiarism will be reported

as prescribed by the Academic Integrity Policy.

VII. COURSE CALENDAR: IMPORTANT DATES

Monday, January 11th: First Day of Class

Monday, January 18th : Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, No Class

Friday, January 22nd: Last Day for Add/Drop

March 7th-11th: Spring Break

Monday, April 25th: Last Day of Class

Friday, April 29th, 8:30am-11:30am: Final Exam