Week 16: Billy Joel

Week 16: Billy Joel
TU 12.1/TH 12.3
Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 – 200
Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Note new due date; email Thu 12.3 by 5 PM)

Upcoming:

Week 17: Sam Smith
TU 12.8 (LAST REGULAR DAY OF CLASS)/TH 12.10 (SEC. 63 ONLY; FINAL EXAM TIME)
Sec 63 Final Exam Time: Th 12/10 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 8 (Due Tue 12.8)

Week 18: Beyoncé
TU 12.15/TH 12.17 (FINALS WEEK)
Sec 38 Final Exam Time: Tu 12/15 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Class review

Music News 11.23.15 (Adele Edition)

• How Adele and the BBC pranked a group of Adele impersonators (Entertainment Weekly) 
• Adele smashes Beyoncé's iTunes sales record (People)
• 25 release is on track to be the fastest selling album in America—ever (Guardian)
• Adele and Drake in a virtual lovefest (Rolling Stone)
• Hear Adele's stunning raw mic feed from this weekend's Saturday Night Live (Independent)
• Also ... Saturday Night Live shows how Adele can silence your conservative relatives during Thanksgiving (YouTube)

Week 15: Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (1998)

Week 15: Lauryn Hill
TU 11.24/TH 11.26 (THANKSGIVING—NO CLASS)
Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 - 150
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Excerpts from BBC Four Sessions: Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (BBC Four)

Upcoming:

Week 16: Billy Joel
TU 12.1/TH 12.3
Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 – 200
Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Note new due date; email Thu 12.3 by 5 PM)

Week 17: Sam Smith TU 12.8 (LAST REGULAR DAY OF CLASS)/TH 12.10 (SEC. 63 ONLY; FINAL EXAM TIME)
Sec 63 Final Exam Time: Th 12/10 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 8 (Due Tue 12.8)

Week 18: Beyoncé
TU 12.15/TH 12.17 (FINALS WEEK)
Sec 38 Final Exam Time: Tu 12/15 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Class review

Music News 11.17.15

• Social media campaign pushing Eagles of Death Metal's Duran Duran cover, "Save a Prayer," to top of UK charts (OfficialCharts)
• Also ... London soccer fans at France vs. Englnd match unite in "La Marseillaise" to honor French terror victims (BBC News)
• Justin Bieber drops twelve dance videos in support of his new album, Purpose (Cosmopolitan)
• Taylor Swift partners with Scholastic to donate 25,000 books to NYC schools (Entertainment Weekly)
• Zayn Malik's previews a clip of his first solo single, "Befour" (People)
• Tool announce 2016 tour, Primus to open (Consequence of Sound)

Week 14: Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn, "You Ain't Woman Enough" (1966)

Week 14: Loretta Lynn
TU 11.17/TH 11.19
Read: OWEN—Pg. 51 – 100 Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Writers workshop
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Draft 1, B&W print or in electronic form)

Upcoming:

Week 15: Lauryn Hill
TU 11.24/TH 11.26 (THANKSGIVING—NO CLASS)
Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 - 150
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Excerpts from BBC Four Sessions: Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (BBC Four)
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (email by 5PM on Tue 11.24)

Week 16: Billy Joel TU 12.1/TH 12.3
Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 – 200
Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations

Week 17: Sam Smith TU 12.8 (LAST REGULAR DAY OF CLASS)/TH 12.10 (SEC. 63 ONLY; FINAL EXAM TIME)
Sec 63 Final Exam Time: Th 12/10 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 8 (Due Tue 12.8)

Week 18: Beyoncé
TU 12.15/TH 12.17 (FINALS WEEK)
Sec 38 Final Exam Time: Tu 12/15 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Class: Class review

Music News 11.14.15

• Terrorists kill over 100 people at Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris (Rolling Stone)
• Also ... All band members survived attack (JustJared)
• Judge dismisses copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift (Entertainment Weekly)
• Empire's ratings hit new low—is it vulnerable? (Complex)
• Justin Bieber: "I just want people to know I’m human. I’m struggling to get through the days."
• Number one 50 years ago this week: The Sound of Music soundtrack (Billboard)

 

Week 13: Jay-Z

Jay-Z (Ft. Alicia Keys), "Empire State of Mind" (2009)

Week 13: Jay-Z
TU 11.10/TH 11.12
Listen: DB—Owen Noon and The Marauder music primer
Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 50; eR—“Infographics: Separating the Great from the Mediocre” (The Next Web), “What Makes a Great Infographic?” (DashBurst), “The 90 Best Infographics on the Web” (Creative Bloq), “You Suck at Infographics” (Wired)
Class: ENGLISH DEPT. ASSESSMENT; Reading discussion; Presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks); Lecture—“Infographics 101”
Due: REFLECTION 7A or 7B

Upcoming:

Week 14: Loretta Lynn

TU 11.17/TH 11.19

Read: OWEN—Pg. 51 – 100 

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Writers workshop

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Draft 1, B&W print or in electronic form)

Week 15: Lauryn Hill

TU 11.24/TH 11.26 (THANKSGIVING—NO CLASS)

Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 - 150 

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations;  Excerpts from BBC Four Sessions: Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (BBC Four)
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (email by 5PM on Tue 11.24)

Week 16: Billy Joel

TU 12.1/TH 12.3

Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 – 200

Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations

Week 17: Sam Smith

TU 12.8 (LAST DAY OF CLASS)/TH 12.10 (SEC. 63 ONLY)

Sec 63 Final Exam Time: Th 12/10 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Class: Presentations

Due: REFLECTION 8

Week 18: Beyoncé

TU 12.15/TH 12.17 (FINALS WEEK)

Sec 38 Final Exam Time: Tu 12/15 from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Class: Class review

Infographic: A History of Music Playback Technology

Even in your own lifetime, the ways people listen to music have radically changed. Technology that was once bulky and cumbersome (e.g. the Discman) has evolved into that which is sleek and easily accessible. It's easy to take for granted the almost unlimited access we have to music today. And it is also easy to forget that it hasn't always been this way. For this assignment, you will create an infographic illustrating the development of music playback technology from the 19th century to today—and beyond. Which technologies you choose to highlight is up to you, but strive provide a comprehensive view of the advancements in this field. Also, you are responsible for whatever sources utilized in your infographic. And just as in traditional essays, you will require a thesis to guide your design.

Some points to consider:

• The next wave: Consider the implications of the next wave of technology. For example, was the next technological advancement merely an incremental, or did it represent a fundamental shift?
• The retail angle: You might consider how and where music is (or was) purchased. What is the relationship between musical recording technology and the ways in which we purchase music—or don't?
• Portability: Think about all the places we can and do listen to music. Does technology allow us to take music into places that were previously difficult or impossible?
• Continued issues: What issues has current technology still failed to address? What are potential areas of growth for new technologies (e.g. high-res audio)? 

Infographics are most easily utilized in PowerPoint (or a comparable program). Additionally, if you are experienced in it, you may also utilize Photoshop or Illustrator. This assignment must be delivered electronically.

Requirements:

• Six sources minimum
• The infographic's must outline your thesis
• Include a works cited page

A well-executed infographic will:

• Have a title that articulates the goal of the assignment
• Have a concise thesis as the subheading—important
• Have a concise controlling argument dictating the design
• Visually translate perspectives and facts in a clear and enlightening manner
• Stay within the parameters of movie and real life AI

Due: Thu 11.19 (Draft 1; B&W hard copy or in electronic form); Thu 12.3 (Final draft; email by 5PM)

Music News 11.5.15

• Kurt Cobain's iconic MTV Unplugged cardigan set to go to auction (New Music Express)
• Adele's "Hello" is the best selling single in over 15 years (Entertainment Weekly)
• Josh Groban and Kelly Clarkson perform electrifying cover of "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera (Vutlure)
• Queen Latifah and Jermaine Dupri to search for Hip Hop's next big star on Lifetime series (Hollywood Reporter)
• Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" spawns plagiarism lawsuit (USA Today)
• Five hundred people arrested at a pair of SoCal EDM shows (Consequence of Sound)

Reflection 7-B: California, Here I Come—Songs of the Golden State

Note: This week you have the option to choose from two different prompts. Do only one, either 7-A or 7-B. Each is only one full page.

In 1965, The Mamas & the Papas, stuck in a dreary New York City, pined for a warm Los Angeles day in "California Dreamin'":

All the leaves are brown
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray.
(And the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk
(I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day.
(On a winter's day).

I'd be safe and warm
(I'd be safe and warm)
if I was in LA
(If I was in LA)
California dreamin'
(California dreamin') 
on such a winter's day.

The Mamas & the Papas were certainly not alone in longing for California. For decades, thousands of artists have drawn inspiration from California, and their songs are as diverse as the state itself. For this reflection, examine two of the following songs. In your examination, consider how the state is portrayed through all aspects of the song (e.g. melody, lyrics). What images are used? What emotions are evoked? Is it a realistic portrayal of the state or a fantasy? Finally, is the California of these songs something you've experienced?

Whole California:
Leslie Gore, "California Nights"
Phantom Planet, "California"
LL Cool J, "Going Back to Cali"
Eagles, "Life in the Fast Lane" 
Al Jolson, "California, Here I Come"
Carole King, "Back to California"
2Pac, "California Love" 
The Presidents of the United States of America, "Fuck California"
Joni Mitchell, "California"
The Beach Boys, "Surfin' USA"
Eagles, "Hotel California"
The Decemberists, "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade"
Katy Perry, "California Gurls"
The Beach Boys, "California Girls"
Sammy Hagar, "I Can't Drive 55"

Northern California:
Linda Ronstadt, ""Talk to Me of Mendocino"  
Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues"
The Doobie Brothers, "Ukiah"
Journey, "Lights"
Tony Bennett,  "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
Otis Redding, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"
Scott McKenzie, "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"
Judy Garland, "San Francisco" 
Chris Isaak, "San Francisco Days"
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lodi"
Dionne Warwick, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" 
The Thrills, "Santa Cruz (You're Not that Far)"

Southern California:
Dwight Yoakam, "Streets of Bakersfield"
Jan and Dean, "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena"
Doris Day, "Hooray for Hollywood"
Collective Soul, "Hollywood"
Randy Newman, "I Love LA"
Missing Persons, "Walking in LA"
Hole, "Celebrity Skin"
Sheryl Crow, "All I Wanna Do"  
Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Under the Bridge"
The Doors, "LA Woman"
Tom Petty, "Free Fallin'"
Frank Sinatra, "LA is My Lady"
Tom Waits, "San Diego Serenade"


Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length

Due: Thu 11.12

Reflection 07-A: Guilty as Charged—Confessing Our Musical Guilty Pleasures

Note: This week you have the option to choose from two different prompts. Do only one, either 07-A or 07-B. Each is only one full page.

Though we may not admit it, we all have them. And while they are near and dear to our hearts, often they are kept secret. Yet, our musical guilty pleasures serve an important role: they make us happy—even if we don't always own up to them. But why are guilty pleasures, so guilty? What sets this music apart from that which we enjoy openly? Can a song really be so bad it's good? This reflection is your opportunity to come out of the musical closet and reveal three of your musical guilty pleasures.

 Include one of the following in your discussion:

• "Why Do We Feel Guilty about ‘Guilty Pleasures’?" (Den of Geek) 
• "Science of Guilty Pleasures: Study Uncovers How Feeling Bad Can Boost Your Happiness" (Daily Mirror)
• "21 Heavy Metallers Admit their Guilty Pleasures" (Buzzfeed)
• "'Mambo No. 5' is the Most Popular 'Guilty Pleasure Song,' According to Spotify" (People)
• "Guilty Pleasures: What Music are You Embarrassed to Love?" (NPR Music) 
• "25 Guilty Pleasure Songs That I Will Not Apologize for Loving" (Thought Catalog)

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length
• Must include a works cited page

Due: Thu 11.12

Week 12: Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" (2006)

Week 12: Justin Timberlake
Tu 11.3/Th 11.5
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY (ANNOTATED—INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN IN CLASS PRIOR TO TURN IN)

Upcoming:

Week 13: Jay-Z
TU 11.10/TH 11.12
Listen: DB—Owen Noon and The Marauder music primer
Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 50; eR—“Infographics: Separating the Great from the Mediocre” (The Next Web), “What Makes a Great Infographic?” (DashBurst), “70 Best Infographics on the Web” (Creative Bloq), “You Suck at Infographics” (Wired)
Class: ENGLISH DEPT. ASSESSMENT; Reading discussion; Presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks); Lecture—“Infographics 101”
Due: REFLECTION 7