Textual Analysis of Rock and Metal Lyrics
BA 3 and Teacher Training
(AN33005BA 15/AN3308OMA)
Instructor: Francesco La Rocca ()
Venue: Room 55
Time: Spring 2017, Monday, 14:00-15:40
Office hours: Monday, 15:45-16:45, room 108/1
This course focuses on the thematic content of English-language lyrics in Rock and Metal music, as well as on its historical context. Rock is admittedly one of the most long-lasting and dynamic music genres emerged in the 20th century, and one of the most successful exports of American culture. Its global appeal is a phenomenon which continues to these days. Thanks to its popularity, millions of people have been exposed, to different degrees, to the lyrics of Rock songs, lyrics which have also dealt with some crucial social and political issue (war, sex, politics etc.). To a certain extent this is also true for Rock’s most extreme offspring, i.e. Metal, whose peculiarities make the study of Rock lyrics even more compelling. Given the emphasis to the lyrical content, every class will be dedicated to a specific topic, which will be fleshed out through the listening of some of the most seminal Rock and Metal songs while at the same time expanding on their historical and social context.
Requirements
Course requirements include (1) active class participation, including reading, (2) an oral presentation of up to 10 minutes, (3) a take-home paper, and (4) an in-class written exam.
The students are expected to keep up with their readings and participate in classroom discussions. The assigned readings will be distributed in electronic format.
Each student is expected to give a short presentation. The topic of the presentation shall be previously agreed upon with the instructor in class. The presentations will be scheduled throughout the term.
The written course assignment will be a 1.000/1.500-word paper, which may follow up on the topic of the oral presentation. In any case, the topic shall be previously agreed upon with the instructor. The essays have to be written in Times New Roman, 12 point. The students may use either Harvard or Chicago reference style, as long as they keep it consistent in the text. The deadline for submission is the 8th of May. Late submission, unless justified, will result in deduction of marks.
Please Note: Wilful plagiarism will result in immediate failure of the paper. The disclaimer “Hereby, I certify that the essay confirms to international copyright and plagiarism rules and regulations” must be added to all the home-written papers.
The in-class written exam taxes place in week 12 (8th of May).
Individual evaluation will take place in the exam period.
Grading Policy
Class participation: 20%.
Oral presentation: 20%.
Take-home paper: 30%.
In-class written exam: 30%.
Grades: 0-50% = 1; 51-62% = 2; 63-74% = 3; 75-86% = 4; 87-100% = 5.
More than three absences will result in a failing grade.
Schedule
Week 1 (20th February) – Introduction to the course. Goals and methodology. An overview on the history of Rock and Metal. Reading: Richard Taruskin, The Oxford History of Western Music, vol. 5 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 307-333.
Week 2 (27th February) – Love, Sex & Gender. Reading: Robynn J. Stilwell, “Music of the Youth Revolution: Rock through the 1960s” in Nicholas Cook and Anthony Pople (eds.), The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 418-452.
Week 3 (6th March) – Peace, War & Politics. Reading: Deena Weinstein, Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture (1991, revised edition New York: Da Capo Press, 2000), 10-33.
Week 4 (13th March) – Religion.
Week 5 (20th March) – Documentary screening and discussion: The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years (1988).
Week 6 (27th March) – The teacher will not be able to be in Debrecen.
Week 7 (3rd April) – Literature in Rock: John Milton’s Paradise Lost, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and others.
Week 8 (10th April) – Consultation week.
Week 9 (17th April) – Easter Monday, no class.
Week 10 (24th April) – Documentary screening and discussion: Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (2005).
Week 11 (1st May) – Labour Day, no class.
Week 12 (8th May) – In-class written exam; paper submission deadline; evaluation.