Course Description:
Although usually studied as an abstract art, American music often finds itself at the center of controversies involving race, politics, gender, and cultural identity. This course will explore these intersections between American cultural and musical life. Although the body of the course will focus on music between the Civil War and the 1970s, we will investigate the role of music in a wide variety of America's defining moments. These range from the search for an American symphony, to rap and hip-hop culture. We will also examine music's role in such movements as Prohibition, Abolition, and the Harlem Renaissance. Students will be asked to complete readings from a wide variety of scholarly sources and to demonstrate their understanding of the course materials through class discussion, reaction papers, group projects, and exams.  No prior musical background or training is assumed or required. Please note, while popular music plays an important role in this class, it is not a history of popular music. Students will listen not only to hip hop and rock, but also symphonies and operas.

Course Objectives:
We cannot possibly hope to cover all of American music history in one semester, so this course will focus on a series of case studies, each of which highlights a moment in American history where issues of identity intersect with music (both classical and popular). Given that we will be exploring a wide range of musical styles and historical topics, I expect there will be something in the course of interest to everyone. Students are, of course, invited to suggest other topics than those listed on the syllabus, and to relate the topics we discuss in the class to those which affect your daily lives. By the end of the course all successful students should:

1. Be able to describe how American music has taken part in the defining moments of American history.
2. Identify contemporary issues where music does, or might, play a role in issues involving race, politics, and identity.
3. Be able to take part in an intelligent discussion of music, using terms and ideas that are common among musicians, and do so at a sophisticated level.
4. Be able to easily identify a number of specific pieces of American music and musical styles.

Course Materials:
Most course readings are available through Georgetown's electronic reserves. The listening assignments can be found as mp3 files on CDs in the library. Students must do the assignments before the class period to which they pertain, and should expect quizzes confirming that they have done so. As you can see, some weeks have very lengthy assignments. Students are encouraged to look ahead on the syllabus and plan accordingly.  If you are planning on not doing the assignments for this class, or not doing them seriously, please drop the course now.

Tips for Succeeding:
Georgetown assumes that you will complete three hours of class time and six hours of study time per course, per week. I will do my best to assign you four hours of reading and listening per week, this means that you should be able to spend at least two hours a week reviewing and thinking. If you squander this time during the first few weeks of class, you will find the last weeks of the semester busy and painful. If, however, you keep up on the readings and listenings, you should have no problems achieving the aims of the course, breezing through the exams and assignments, and still have a great time.Since much of this course will be discussion based, it is vital that you not only do the assigned readings and listenings before attending class, but also spend some time thinking. Come to class with questions, comments, disagreements, even out-right fights. The more you think, the more successful the entire course will be, and the better grade you will earn. If you are planning on not doing the assignments for this class, or not doing them seriously, please drop the course now.

Grading:
Your grade will be determined by the criteria described below.

Quizzes and Short Assignments: 20%
Several quizzes (unannounced) will be given during the course of the semester. You should expect objective and essay questions on the day's reading and listening assignments. There will also be short reaction papers due from time to time. Students who have done the reading and listening assignments and who spend time thinking about them outside of class should be able to easily earn an A in this section of the course. As part of this grade, you must attend one of Georgetown's Friday Music concerts (failure to do so will result in an F for the course).

Midterm Examination: 20%
You should expect objective questions as well as essays. You should also be able to identify by title, composer, and decade any of the pieces you have been assigned. If you have kept up on the daily coursework, you should be able to earn an A for this portion of the course.

Final Listening Quiz: 15%
A final quiz covering the listening will be given. On it, you will identify the pieces from the semester by composer, title, and decade, and answer brief questions about them.

Projects Quiz: 15%
At the end of the semester we will hear group presentations. This quiz will be of way of confirming that all students have attended the final class periods and listened to the presentations carefully.

Final project: 30%
There will be a final group project. See additional information.

Warnings:

1. Unfortunately there is no textbook for a course of this type. That means that the music itself will be our principal text. Many students who have not had experience with critical listening forget that listening, like critical reading requires your full attention. You should take notes, re-listen, and discuss the music in the same ways you might take notes, reread, and discuss a reading assignment. In other words, do not assume that you can do the listening on your car CD player, or while cooking dinner. Give yourself plenty of time to do, and think about, each assignment. I advise doing each listening assignment at least twice. Listening cannot be rushed!
2. Turning in late assignments makes it difficult for me to grade them and is unfair to the other students. The due dates and exam dates listed on this syllabus are not suggestions, but rather requirements. Please come to class on time, ready to turn in assignments at the start of the class period. Extensions will be given only in cases of real emergencies. (In other words, yes, you need a doctor's note).
3. Please look carefully at the topics listed on the syllabus.  Some students assume that a class of this type will primarily cover popular music of the last half century (1960s anti-Vietnam songs, hip-hop, etc.).  While these traditions will form an important part of this course, they are by no means the only types of music we cover (nor do they even make of the majority of our topics).  Students should be prepared to listen to, learn, and think about, not only popular songs, but also symphonies and operas.  Students interested only in popular music should not take this course.