FYE F 100 First-Year Seminar
Rap Music vs. Country Music
Tuesday, 2-3pm
MUS 217 (McGown Room)
1 Credit
Instructor: Vincent Cee
email: [email protected]
Office phone: 907.474.5113
Office hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00am-11:00am
Office 211 MUSIC
Department of Music
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Introduction: Welcome to Rap Music vs. Country Music. I am pleased to work with you
and I created this syllabus as a guide to assist you in understanding the course format. If
at any time you have any questions, please feel free to ask, in person or via email/phone.
It is a privilege and an opportunity to help you succeed in this course.
Required Textbook: No textbook is required at this time. We will use Blackboard to
facilitate course activities. Course listening material will be announced—please be
prepared to spend up to $20.00 on song purchases from itunes or amazon.com.
Course Prerequisites: Musical activity is human activity, which means that it is always
political, near and dear to us, and reaction forming. We will hear some music in this
course that is controversial—yet, at no time is it my intent to offend. While I chose the
music carefully, there are still issues that might arise. An unspoken course prerequisite
for this course is inquiry mixed with a scholarly, open mind.
Course Description: The premise for this course rests on the idea that Rap music and
Country Music share more characteristics than we typically understand and accept.
Though the shared characteristics are not necessarily evident within the material sound,
the origins and the historical development of these two types of musical activity are very
similar. The most remarkable aspect about Rap and Country music is how commercially
successful they are yet these genres are often criticized and scapegoated. We will embark
on a study that explores these complex, yet omnipresent cultural phenomena.
Course Goals:
We will:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Work to understand the genesis and origins of Rap and Country music
Explore a small number of songs in great detail
Examine the evolution of Rap and Country alongside other cultural
phenomena (i.e. Rap and Inner City life or Country and Rural life)
Be able to discern why we like certain music and why we do not
More deeply understand the role of marketing and advertising and the
music industry
Hear musical activity as ritual and explore the joys of such activity
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
• Learn how scholarship is conducted in the music field
• Experience current areas of scholarly pursuit within music studies
• Explore institutional musical offerings and examine potential reasons why
popular music is generally not included
•
Demonstrate understanding of academic planning, program requirements,
and the UAF Student Code of Conduct
http://www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/academics/regs3.html
Instructional Methods: This course depends on all of us. You as the student already
have a very sophisticated means for understanding and participating in musical activity. It
is my goal to acknowledge and encourage your background while asking you to look and
listen in expanded ways. The most important aspect of the course is that we will all work
together in our exploration. Be prepared to work with every student in the class, but also
know that I won’t put you on the spot or do anything to intentionally make you
uncomfortable.
My favorite style of teaching is through lecture, and though I will lecture where it works
best, this course will also use small group discussion, Blackboard discussion and
assignments, out of class work and listening (don’t worry, this will be enjoyable), and we
will ultimately use fieldwork, ethnographic methods, and historical research methods to
examine rap and country music.
Course Components: There are three to five types of activities in addition to the final
exam/project. Each activity will be explained in further detail as the course progresses.
Look forward to greatly questioning musical activity while listening to some familiar and
unfamiliar selections.
Final Project: We will end the course with presentations. More information will follow
and a handout will be posted on Blackboard as we get closer to the end.
Grading: I convert the points you earn in the course to a final grade based on the
following scale:
92+ A
90-91 A88-89 B+
82-87 B
80-81 B78-79 C+
72-77 C
70-71 C68-69 D+
62-67
60-61
59 or lower
D
DF
Attendance: I believe that everybody taking this course is an adult. Because each class is
essentially a week’s worth of study, missing a class without a reasonable emergencybased excuse is not an option. Each student is allowed one unexcused absence. After one,
you will effectively lower your grade by one full letter grade for each absence. If you
plan to miss a class, let me know via email or in writing 24 hours in advance. Otherwise,
consider your absence unexcused.
For example: 1 unexcused absence = A
2 unexcused absences = B
3 unexcused absences = C
4 unexcused absences = D
5 unexcused absences = F
Disabilities Services: The University of Alaska Fairbanks is committed to equal
opportunity for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities are encouraged to
contact the coordinator of Disability Services (Mary Matthews) at the Center for Health
& Counseling (907.474.7043).
Tentative Course Calendar
(This calendar can and will change—I will always give notification of changes at least
one week in advance.)
Session 1
Country Bling: The Elements of Music
Session 2
Genre Demystification: Agreeing to Disagree or rather, “Every music
has its soul” –Ray Charles/also subgenre storyboards
http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/
Session 3
But the rappers do it…Sampling and a History of Plagiarism
Pandora Assignment
Session 4
Venn Diagrams: Johnny Cash
Assignment: Music as a Vehicle for Emotion
In Class Example: Nina Simone vs. Carrie Underwood
The Other Woman & Before He Cheats
Session 5
Composer Audience Performer Triangle
Session 6
The Past 110 Years: Similarities and Differences
Minstrel Song Text vs. Rap Song Text
Assignment: Country Song Text
Session 7
If people don’t like this music, why is it so commercially successful?
Private vs. Corporate: Cave Paintings and Modern Day Marketing
St. Ides & Ice Cube
Assignment for Corporate Country Links
Session 8
Wild Style: Graffiti and Early Rap
Assignment: ________ and Early Country
Session 9
Are we there yet? Eminem & Tiger Woods; The Beastie Boys and ?
Remaining Sessions: Small Group Presentations