Course Syllabus
Course: MUSC 3030
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Music
Title: Jazz and Popular Music I
Semester Approved: Spring 2020
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2025
End Semester: Fall 2025
Catalog Description: This course is a survey of the history of Jazz and American Popular Music from the 19th Century to the present day. This course chronologically introduces musical components of jazz and popular music and the contributions of its major artists. Jazz styles to be studied include blues, ragtime, and New Orleans Jazz. Popular music styles to be studied include parlor songs, spirituals, and Tin Pan Alley, Country, Rock, Rhythm and Blues, Hip Hop, and Modern Pop. This course chronologically introduces musical components of jazz and the contributions of its major artists. Students will further develop listening skills that help them identify and intelligently talk about jazz styles.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: Admission into the Bachelor of Music degree program.
Justification: This course serves students who are completing the Bachelor of Music with Emphasis in Commercial Music degree, providing them with a substantial foundation in American vernacular music traditions.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to aurally identify important styles, genres, composers and artists in Jazz and American Popular Music. Students will be assessed through listening exams.
Students will be able to transcribe important works harmonically, melodically and rhythmically. Students will be assessed through analysis assignments.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the historical contexts of Jazz and American Popular Music. Students will be assessed through written work and exams.
Students will demonstrate and understanding of the cultural contexts of Jazz and American Popular Music. Students will be assessed through class discussion, assigned written work, and exams.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the music industry from its creation to the present day. Students will be assessed through class discussion, and exams.
Content:
This course will introduce the roots of Jazz and American Popular music. It will trace the development of Jazz, Country, Blues, Rhythm and Blues, and American Popular song from the 19th Century to the present day. The course will also locate American vernacular music in the contexts of race, politics, culture, and commerce.
Key Performance Indicators:
Assigned Written Work 15 to 30%
Class Participation 20 to 30%
Written Essay Based Exams 30 to 40%
Listening Tests 20 to 30%
Analysis Assignments 5 to 10%
Pedagogy Statement:
This class is discussion based. Most content is located on Canvas. The goal is not to motivate students to memorize information, but to use information to defend their arguments in class discussion.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 30
Optimum Class Size: 20