As I mentioned in an earlier post, the idea of music as a response to crises has been on my mind, and this fall, I'll be teaching an upper-level undergraduate seminar in the Honors College (to predominately non-majors) on this very topic. I'm working on the syllabus and doing readings now. Here's the provisional game plan:
Topics: I've narrowed down the list of topics considerably. We're going to cover (in this order; basically reverse chronologically):
Readings: I'm trying to avoid "scholarly" readings as much as possible in this class. I'm more interested in students recreating the moment of crisis and sympathizing with those involved. To that end, we're reading:
There will be some scholarly readings as well as contemporaneous newspaper clippings. For 9/11, I toyed with the idea of having them read some of the 9/11 Commission Report, but, in an effort to save them (and me!) time--so that we can dive right into something at the beginning of the semester--I'm having them watch excerpts from the September 11 Television Archive. It's creepy to watch Matt Laurer interviewing someone and then get piecemeal information as things unfold, knowing as we do now the full extent of what happened on that morning.
We're going to look at a wide range of repertoire from popular and classical idioms:
In addition to all of this, the students will have to keep a journal. It can include reflections on class discussion or readings, ways that they use music, or anything else (within reason) that suits their fancy. There will, of course, be the ubiquitous final paper as well.
I'm looking forward to the class, especially studying this material with the students (and I deliberately chose my words there--I have a hard time "teaching" the Honors students because many of them are smarter than I am!). I'll keep you posted as the semester unfolds.
Topics: I've narrowed down the list of topics considerably. We're going to cover (in this order; basically reverse chronologically):
Music and 9/11
Music and AIDS
The rise of hip-hop in the Bronx
Music and the Holocaust
Readings: I'm trying to avoid "scholarly" readings as much as possible in this class. I'm more interested in students recreating the moment of crisis and sympathizing with those involved. To that end, we're reading:
Paul Monette, Borrowed Time: An AIDS memoir
Jonathan Mahler, The Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City (which must have one of the longest post-colon subtitles I know)
Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
There will be some scholarly readings as well as contemporaneous newspaper clippings. For 9/11, I toyed with the idea of having them read some of the 9/11 Commission Report, but, in an effort to save them (and me!) time--so that we can dive right into something at the beginning of the semester--I'm having them watch excerpts from the September 11 Television Archive. It's creepy to watch Matt Laurer interviewing someone and then get piecemeal information as things unfold, knowing as we do now the full extent of what happened on that morning.
We're going to look at a wide range of repertoire from popular and classical idioms:
9/11: Toby Keith's "Angry American," Dixie Chicks "Not ready to make nice," Barber's Adagio (which for me was the soundtrack of that day as I listened to Pacifica Radio), Beastie Boys "An open letter to NYC"
AIDS: Rent, Roger Bourland's Hidden Legacies, some popular songs by Prince, Salt-n-Pepa, as well as "That's what friends are for."
Hip-hop: Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Busy Bee Starski (iTunes has a great collection of some of his parties as well as the complete battle with Kool Moe Dee), and Boogie Down Productions
The Holocaust: Schoenberg, A survivor from Warsaw, Messiaen, Quartet for the end of time; Krasa, Brundibar (which has possibly the most horrifying story to accompany any piece of music--I just found out about this piece yesterday.)
In addition to all of this, the students will have to keep a journal. It can include reflections on class discussion or readings, ways that they use music, or anything else (within reason) that suits their fancy. There will, of course, be the ubiquitous final paper as well.
I'm looking forward to the class, especially studying this material with the students (and I deliberately chose my words there--I have a hard time "teaching" the Honors students because many of them are smarter than I am!). I'll keep you posted as the semester unfolds.