MU 246 - History of Rock and Roll

The focus of this course is on the history of a musical genre, one that crucially informs our understanding of popular music today: rock and roll. In additional to exploring its early twentieth-century origins in the sounds of Tin Pan Alley, as well as jazz, country, and the blues, we will examine rock’s historical trajectory through a century of social upheaval. Consistent in its political and social relevancy, rock provides a unique perspective on many of the most important issues faced during the twentieth century, including nationalism, race, class, gender, and technology. Material fees required for this couse.

Four credits.