fys - pop music studies - draft 2.0 · fys – pop music studies course goals objective outcome...

FYS June 2020 DRAFT

Ramapo College First Year Seminar Pop Music Studies

Monday and Thursday 11:20–1:00 Laurel Hall 004

Instructor: Dr. Christopher Reali Phone Number: 201-684-7218 E-mail: [email protected] Office: A-205 Office Hours: Monday, 9:30-10:30; Wednesday, 10-11; Thursday, 9:30-10:30; or by appointment Peer Facilitators: TBA

FYS Course Description

Designed for first-time, full-time, first-year students, First-Year Seminar (FYS) provides a comprehensive introduction to college-level learning. Seminar courses are developed around an academic theme or topic that is based on one of Ramapo College’s academic pillars. First-Year students will have the opportunity to select a seminar that best suits their interests while learning about Ramapo’s academic foundation. The First-Year Seminar course helps students in their transition from high school to college life both in and out of the classroom. The common learning outcomes of FYS are: technological competency, understanding diverse communities, oral communication, and information literacy. FYS classes are small to emphasize open discussion and experiential learning within the context of the theme of the seminar course. Peer facilitators play an essential role in each FYS class ensuring that first-year students have guidance from a more experienced student. FYS is also the home of the Ramapo Summer Reading Program; all first-year students read the same book and discuss and write about it in their seminars. FYS encourages new students to participate in a community of learners, to strengthen their critical thinking skills, and to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Course Description This course will examine popular music by exploring literature and key concepts related to popular music studies. The semester is divided into individual units such as “Music?,” “Music & Race,” and “Behind the Music.” The readings for each unit will offer a historical perspective that provide the basis for in-class discussions and assignments.

2 FYS – Pop Music Studies

Course Goals Objective Outcome Information

Literacy Session

Oral Presenta-

tion

Peer Curricu-

lum

Research Paper or Project

Summer Reading

Paper Develop the skills necessary to locate, evaluate, and employ information effectively.

1. Locate Information Effectively.

X X

Speak effectively in scholarly and creative contexts.

1. Deliver a central message that is easy to identify, vivid, and memorable.

X

2. Use appropriate language for the subject and the audience.

X

3. Deliver oral communications in an engaging manner.

X

Use technology to communicate, manage, or solve problems

1. Use technology to communicate information.

X

2. Use technology to manage information.

X

Understand diverse communities on local, national, and/or global levels

1. Demonstrate understanding of the intersections of issues that affect diverse communities in their local, national, and/or global context.

X X


Participate in an engaged, experiential activity that connects course material to real world settings

1. Critically reflect on the experiential activity and articulate your conclusions

X

Learning Imperatives In this course we’ll imbibe a strong dose of academic writing about music. Since this is likely your first encounter with academic writing about music, you may find it helpful to read with specific questions in mind to help you make sense of the material: why was this essay or chapter written? Who wrote it? Who was the intended audience? How does this information affect the way I think about music? Why did my professor assign it? How does it connect with or contradict other readings we’ve done? Ultimately, I am responsible for creating a classroom environment and course framework that enables and supports your learning; you’re responsible for constructing your own learning in that environment and upon that framework. We’ll work together to ensure that you learn so. much. in this course. Expectations: Mine: 1) I expect you to come to class prepared. That means doing the assigned reading and listening, reviewing notes from previously classes, and answering any reading questions as needed. You should spend at least one hour every day reading, listening, and writing. If you work steadily and write in short chunks (rather than bingeing the night before a quiz or an assignment is due), you’ll go far toward achieving the course goals. 2) I expect you to check your email and Moodle at least once every day. I’ll send out important course info via email that you won’t want to miss! 3) I expect you to extend respect, patience, and civility to your classmates and to your professor. That includes moments when some of us are at our most vulnerable – for instance, singing and performing music in class. 4) I expect you to use technology in class responsibly. Sometimes I’ll ask you to take devices out, and sometimes I’ll ask you to put them away. Remember that with few exceptions, you learn more when you take notes by hand. 5) I expect you to attend class. If you have a legitimate reason to miss or be late to class, contact me in advance. Yours: 1) You can expect a sense of humor, a sincere concern about your interests, needs, and problems, and an irrepressible passion for music. 2) I’ll try my hardest to create assessments that are fair, reasonable in scope, and focused on helping you learn, not on punishing you for what you haven’t learned. 3) You can expect that I’ll be accessible in person and via email. Specifically, you can expect a response to your email within 48 hours except on the weekend; if it’s taking longer than that, send me another email in case I missed the first. A Note on Conduct In the spirit of the university’s commitment to academic freedom, all of our discussions will take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We will be addressing sensitive and divisive issues throughout the semester. I expect students to have differing opinions and I welcome respectful debate. I also welcome challenges to my ideas as part of the class. However, it is my responsibility to keep discussions relevant to the subject of the course and to ensure orderly conduct. I will not tolerate disruptions to the trust and respect that we will build as a group.


Homework/Assignments These are summaries of the required assignments for which guidelines will be distributed and discussed in class. The due dates are in the class schedule below.

1. Participation: Students must come to each class having read the assigned readings and listened to the assigned musical examples. Students will demonstrate their engagement by participating actively and thoughtfully during the in-class discussions.

2. Q&A Forum: Students will post questions or comments about the readings on Canvas. Listed as “Reading & Discussion Questions” on Canvas.

3. Essay on Summer Reading: (1,000 words). Students will write an essay of 1,000 words related to Exit West. Essay topic TBA.

4. Research Paper (1250 – 1500 words). Topic TBA. a. Students will submit an outline and bibliography b. Students will submit a rough draft, approximately 600 words

5. Oral Presentation: The FYS program requires that you give one in-class presentation, for which you will receive a grade. It is strongly advised that you write up a 2-paragraph summary about your Research Project, although this is not required. If you write up approximately what you want to say, your presentation will go much more smoothly. You may or may not read your prompt; but it is expected that you defend your report as an oral presentation, against any questions. The length of each student presentation will be no longer than 5 minutes.

6. Four Short Papers: a. Two Response Papers: Students will write two short responses to prompts about a

topic in a selection of assigned readings and musical examples. The goal is to develop an understanding of music in its historical and cultural contexts, engage with a relevant social issue, and consider your personal values with respect to the topic. See Canvas for details.

b. Your Favorite Song: Students will write a brief description of their favorite song c. Concert Report: Students will attend a music event on the RCNJ campus and write a

brief summary.

Assignment Total Due Date Participation 15% Q&A Forum 15% varies Essay on Exit West 15% Sept 10 Favorite Song 5% Oct 5 Research Paper (outline…) 5% Oct 8 Response #1 5% Oct 19 Midterm Reflection 7.5% Oct 29 Research Paper (draft) 5% Nov 9 Response #2 5% Nov 23 Research Paper (final) 10% Dec 3 Concert Report 5% Dec 10 Final (Oral Presentation) 7.5% TBA

Total 100%


Readings & Texts Required Byrne, David. How Music Works. Revised edition. San Francisco: McSweeny’s, 2012.

ISBN: 9781938073533 (excerpts) Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers with 2016 MLA Update. 8th ed. Bedford/St.

Martin’s, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-319-08349-6. Hamid, Mohsin. Exit West. Riverhead Books, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-735-21220-6. All other required readings are on the Canvas website. Please print and bring texts to class for close readings and activities. See schedule of classes for reading assignments. This Course uses the following Letter Grading: A 100–94 B+ 89–87 C+ 79–77 D+ 69–67 A- 93–90 B 86–84 C 76–74 D 66–60 B- 83–80 C- 73–70 F 59–0

Attendance As per the College, “There is no College-wide attendance policy. Faculty will specify their attendance policy on their syllabi. College policy states that students must notify faculty within the first three weeks of the semester if they anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.” If a student is unable to be present for any tests or unable to complete an assignment due to a documented serious event, reasonable accommodations will be made to make up either the test or assignment.

• Course Policy: Two (2) absences are allowed for any reason and without documentation. Each successive undocumented absence will result in the course deductions outlined below.

2 absences No deduction in the cumulative course grade 3–4 absences 5 percentage points deducted from cumulative course grade 5–6 absences 10 percentage points deducted from cumulative course grade 7–8 absences 30 percentage points deducted from cumulative course grade 9+ absences 50 percentage points deducted from cumulative course grade • Two (2) tardies of 5 or more minutes will result in one (1) absence.

Each instance of behavioral disturbance, sleeping in class, completing outside homework, cell phone usage, texting, or other extracurricular activity will result in one absence. MUSIC EXAMPLES:

Musical examples are available on Canvas as either MP3s or YouTube links. LATE WORK The highest possible grade for work submitted after a deadline is a 65. Be advised that this does not mean that your work will automatically earn a 65. Dr. Reali reserves the right to refuse any work submitted after a deadline. All work assigned before the Midterm must be submitted by October 30. The last day to submit work assigned since the Midterm is December 15.


Peer Facilitators As an added resource for first-year students, each section of First-Year Seminar (FYS) will have one or two peer facilitators. These upper-level students will attend FYS classes and act as student leaders modeling engaged participation in this seminar. They will serve as discussion leaders on issues that pertain to your personal and social development and they will facilitate weekly discussions. Your peer facilitator will be your mentor and will be available to you to provide guidance on navigating the different personal and social hurdles that you may encounter in your first year at Ramapo. First-Year Academic Advising As part of the Ramapo College Academic Advisement Plan, each First-Year Student is assigned an Academic Advisor from the Center for Student Success. During the fall semester, the First-Year Students have a mandatory advisement meeting with their assigned Advisor to select spring 2020 courses and to develop a personalized academic plan. You can see who your academic advisor is through the CONNECT software system. If you have any questions regarding Academic Advisement, please call the Center for Student Success at (201) 684-7441 or via email at [email protected]. General Education Program Course This course fulfills the First-Year Seminar category of the general education curriculum at Ramapo College. Common to all First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses, you will develop critical thinking skills that are basic to college level study, regardless of your area of interest. You will be reading, writing, and participating in thoughtful group discussions with the aim of developing the skills of a scholar. You will learn to support your arguments using a foundation of knowledge and facts rather than simply using personal opinions and experiences. This section of FYS fulfills two General Education Program Course categories: 1. Interdisciplinary studies by examining musical traditions and their cultural contexts, using

concepts of the interdisciplinary field of ethnomusicology, and examining the business and computer-aided production of music.

2. Intercultural understanding by learning approaches to studying musical aesthetics in cross-cultural contexts.


A Few Other Course Policies Technology in the Classroom To be present in class is not just a question of being in the room, but also of being attentive to discussions and listening examples. You cannot be present if you are sending emails, texting, checking social media, or working on assignments for other courses. I will send an email warning the first time I see a student doing any of these during a class meeting. After the first warning, students will be marked absent for any class period in which they continue these habits.

Electronic Forms of Communication In accordance with College policy, I will use your Ramapo College email address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate with you about all course-related matters. Please communicate with me electronically via [email protected].

• When you correspond with Dr. Reali or any professor, keep in mind that you are not sending a text or IM to your BFF.

• Include your name and the phrase “FYS” in the subject of every email. • When corresponding with any professor, address them with the appropriate salutation such as

Dear Dr. Reali, or Hi Prof. Reali. Dr. Reali will not respond to any email that does not include an appropriate salutation.

• Include your name at the conclusion of every email. • Dr. Reali will typically answer your email within 48 hours. Do not expect Dr. Reali to answer

any email sent to him after 7 pm until the following morning. • Emails sent over the weekend (Friday 5pm through Sunday) will not be answered until

Monday. Academic Integrity Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found online in the College Catalog (http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2016-2017/academic-policies/). Members of the Ramapo College community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Students who are suspected of violating this policy will be either required to meet with the faculty member (and in the event of a ‘responsible’ finding, reported to the Office of the Provost), or be referred directly to the Office of the Provost, which will adjudicate the matter.

Accommodations for Disabilities If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a disability that has been documented with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment with me. Incompletes and Withdrawals

• Procedures for requesting Incompletes and Withdrawals are detailed in the College Catalog (Academic Policies section, ‘General Info on Grading Systems/Policies).

• Deadlines are posted in the Academic Calendar. Important Dates:

• September 8: last day to drop classes with 100% refund & audit grade option • September 15: last day to request Pass/Fail option • November 13: last day to Withdraw from class with “W” grade • December 22: last day to request “I” grades


Student Resources @ RCNJ • Center for Reading & Writing: https://www.ramapo.edu/crw/ • George T. Potter Library: https://www.ramapo.edu/library/

Contingency Plan for Remote Learning While the intention is that this class will meet in person throughout the semester, the possibility exists that the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic may necessitate a move to remote learning for a period of time. While this is not expected to occur, in an abundance of caution the following contingency plan for remote learning is in place. If the College moves to remote learning, this class will likely be conducted as synchronous meetings via the WebEx platform. Students will need access to a computer/device with a microphone and camera as well as internet connection at their home. Please contact Dr. Reali if you don’t have access to these technologies. A Note on Sexual Misconduct Ramapo College is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our college policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Sexual misconduct— including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are prohibited. The College encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our college can respond appropriately. If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, please contact the Counseling Center at 210-684-7522 or 201-684-6666 during nights and weekends. If you wish to report sexual misconduct or have questions about policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct, please contact the College’s Director of Title IX at 201-684-7220. The College is legally obligated to investigate reports of sexual misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible. As a faculty member, I am also required by our College to report incidents of sexual misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality, but I will respect your privacy and only share the information with those who have a duty to respond. Should I become aware of an incident involving sexual misconduct, I must provide our Title IX Coordinator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in the incident.


Week Date Class topic Reading assignment

Exam/assignment/paper due date

Week 1 Sept. 1 Opening Convocation

Sept 3 Intro to class, syllabus review; discussion of summer reading, Exit West

Peer time (30 minutes)

Week 2 Sept 7 How to read a book and write an essay. Look through the book Rules for Writers prior to class; and bring your copy to classroom.

Sept 10 Learning to Listen Due: Essay on Exit West


Week 3 Sept 14 Assignment of the Research Paper and discussion Peer Facilitator time: Title IX/Bystander Intervention presentation with Peer Facilitators


Sept 17 Library research workshop (we visit library)

Week 4 Sept 21 Doing Research

Peer session: last 60 minutes of class (15-minute video outlining curriculum and u.Achieve software)

Peer time

Sept 24 Who Decides History? Part I Read: Tony Horwitz, A Voyage Long and Strange, “Prologue: The Lost Century,” Nell Irvin Painter, “Who Decides What Is History?” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#1

Week 5 Sept 28 Who Decides History? Part II Read: George Lipsitz, Footsteps in the Dark, “The Long Fetch of History, or Why Music Matters” (on Canvas)

Listen: “Footsteps in the Dark,” Isley Brothers; “It Was a Good Day,” Ice Cube – (on Canvas)

Course Schedule This schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Students will be notified in advance of any changes.


Due: Q&A#2

Oct 1 What is music? Read: Cook, Music: A Very Short Introduction, “Introduction” (on Canvas); “Music”- Wikipedia

Due: Q&A#3


Week 6 Oct 5 What is pop music? Read: Selected sections of “Popular Music” from Grove Music Online Due: Q&A#4 Due: Favorite Song

Oct 8 Ready, let’s review…

Peer Facilitators to review academic performance tasks: time management, note-taking skills and test-taking strategies

Due: Research Paper outline & sources Peer time (60 minutes)

Week 7 Oct 12 Music & Race, I Read: Jon Stratton, “Introduction” & “Race and Popular Music in the United States,” from “Popular Music, Race and Identity” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#5

Oct 15 Music & Race, II Read: Morris, “Why is Everyone Always Stealing Black Music?” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#6

Week 8 Oct 19 TBA Due: Response #1

Oct 22 Music & Gender, I Read: TBA

Due: Q&A#7


Week 9 Oct 26 Music & Gender, II Read: Mavis Bayton, “How Women Become Musicians” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#8


Oct 29 Ready, let’s review…

Peer Facilitators to provide a follow-up to the academic advisement presentation and course registration strategies

Due: Midterm Reflection


Week 10 Nov 2 Behind the music, I (studio musicians) Read: Reali, “Helping Pave the Road to FAME: Behind the Music of Muscle Shoals” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#9

Nov 5 Behind the music, II (producers) Read: Albin Zak, “Producing” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#10


Week 11 Nov 9 Behind the music, III (engineers) Read: Zak, “Getting Sounds: The Art of Sound Engineering” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#11

Due: Research Paper draft

Nov 12 Behind the music, IV (recording studios) Read: Gibson, “Recording Studios: Relational Spaces of Creativity in the City” (on Canvas) Due: Q&A#12 Peer time (30 minutes)

Week 12 Nov 16 The Business of Music, I Read: Byrne, How Music Works, Chapter 7, “Business and Finances” (on Canvas)

Due: Q&A#13

Nov 19 The Business of Music, II Read: TBA

Due: Q&A#14

Week 13 Nov 23 Ready, let’s review… Due: Response #2

Nov 26 Thanksgiving: no class!!


Week 14 Nov 30 Technology and music Read: Byrne, pp. 133-141, 179-182 (on Canvas). Peer time (30 minutes)

Due: Q&A#15

Dec 3 TBA Due: Research paper (final)


Week 15 Dec 7 Case study: Country music

Dec 10 Case study: K-Pop Due: Concert Report

Week 16 Dec 14 Course Summary

Dec Oral Presentation Due: Oral Presentation

fys - pop music studies - draft 2.0 · fys – pop music studies course goals objective outcome...

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