MUS 125 - History of Rock and Roll (3)

Rock and Roll is the music of youth, rebellion, and of the common spirit that ties all that together. Rock and Roll music tells the story of the human spirit involving controversy, tragedy, self-indulgence, love, sex, peace, and tranquility. This class will trace the history of Rock and Roll music from its rise as a blending of White and African-American music traditions amidst the youth oriented culture of post-World War II America to its subsequent diversification and internationalization. This history will be viewed in the context of the political, historical, economical, demographical, cultural and technological forces at work in the modern and post-modern world. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to 1) demonstrate an awareness of the major factors involved in the development of Rock and Roll from its roots to the present; 2) develop an aural awareness of the changing sounds of Rock and Roll over time; 3) classify the subject of a pop song into cultural/social categories such as environment, peace/antiwar, sports, social upheaval, justice/injustice, civil rights, economics, gender roles in society, romantic love, sex, alienation, introspection, counter culture, etc.; and 4) demonstrate the art of song writing using music technology.