DESCRIPTION & OVERVIEW:

This course will...

...INVOLVE STUDENTS IN A LEARNER/TEACHER ROLE WHERE EACH STUDENT/GROUP WILL DELIVER AND RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF MUSIC IN A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT.

...demand students to collect documents from multi-media resources (e-mail, internet, cds, dvds, and more).

...involve a variety of materials to include reading, listening, and viewing of major performers and events in the history of music.

...involve independent and team study sessions. Students will be activley involved in classroom discussions and lecture where there WILL be a wide variety of listening and analyzing of musical events.

...enable students to learn through lectures, presenting, and viewing/listening to an array of musical examples and historical events.

...involve students and teacher in a 'build-your-curriculum' style of learning.  Historical/musical information will follow a timeline which discusses genres, musicians, and significant events determined by the teacher and students.

...cover elements of both instrumental and vocal history--evolving from th early 1900s to the present.

OBJECTIVES:

Discuss, teach, listen-to, and view a variety of examples that will influence the curriculum of this course. Students are encouraged to investigate and gather information, independently in order to contribute to class discussion.

SECTION I: "JAZZ & FUNK"--THE TRUEST AMERICAN ART FORM (FROM JELLY ROLL MORTON TO MILES DAVIS):

DISCUSSION TOPICS: Focus will be on African American musicians in a variety of genres, to include but not limited to the following: Jazz—America’s Music; Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Hendrix, Billi Holiday, Count Basie, Charles Mingus, James Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, and Quincy Jones.   The class may view portions or all of music videos, documentaries, and movies which are based solely on musical or historical events.

SECTION II: "FOLK & ROCK"--WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?

DISCUSSION TOPICS: Most topics in this unit will be student based, but not limited to:  Sigur Ros, The Locust, The Clash, David Bowie, The Beattles, Elton John, Hair Metal Bands, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, the Bee Gees, and much more.  The class may view portions or all of music videos, documentaries, and movies which are based solely on musical or historical events.

SECTION III: "CLASSICAL HARMONISTS"--INFLUENCES IN OUR LIVES:

DISCUSSION TOPICS: Throughout this segment, students will research and report daily how music has influenced soundtracks, movies, theatre and documentaries. Artists and genres to be covered will include, but are not limited to the following: danger music, John Cage, Philip Glass, minimalism, orchestral & symphonic music, instrumentation, and several prominent classical/romantic/baroque composers.  The class may view portions or all of music videos, documentaries, and movies which are based solely on musical or historical events.

CLASS DOCUMENTS:

classes