Course Description
Exploration of analytical methodologies for interpreting and understanding various forms of what one might describe as “popular music.” Readings from music theory guide analyses, student-led discussions, and projects. Students are evaluated on presentations, concert reviews (with an emphasis on Athens music), and a capstone final project/presentation that entails a conference proposal suitable for submission to music theory conferences.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students have more demanding assignments and course requirements than undergraduate students.
Athena Title
Interpreting Popular Music
Prerequisite
MUSI 2100 and MUSI 2110
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will demonstrate a series of tools that they can use to understand and interpret popular music. Those skills involve: (1) the ability to apply a nuanced understanding of harmony and/or formal processes to popular music writ large; (2) the capacity to read music in terms of its genre content, complete with the expectations and presuppositions associated with that genre; and (3) the generalized facility to apply these skills to music that exists outside of the scope of this course.
Topical Outline
Preliminaries: • Reading chord symbols, Nashville numbers, and other forms of notation • Reading charts associated with harmony and form • An overall review/introduction of aesthetics and interpretation A Conceptual Approach: • Readings for the course will be selected and presented by the students • Articles will be clustered according to concepts such as (but not limited to): o Rhythmic devices o Form and ambiguity o Text-based analysis o Harmonic/melodic schemas and formulae • Articles will also be clustered according to genres when applicable, with examples such as (but not limited to): o Classic rock o Hip-hop and rap o Electronic dance music o Video game music o Movie soundtracks o Other forms of modern music (blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass, country, etc.)
Syllabus