Popular Music Project
Imagine that one of the composers that we have studied so far this year has been transported to the modern day. What would Mozart make of Motown? Would Haydn be into Hip Hop? And how would Bach react to Brit Pop?
Your task is to write a guidebook describing in detail some of the musical styles that have emerged in the last century. Remember, these composers have missed out on several hundred years of musical history so you will have to explain:
- The origins of your chosen style.
- The culture around the style: did it inspire a particular fashion in clothing, dance, behaviour etc?
- Elements of the music (see your eight-point analysis list from first term).
- Representative artists, songs and albums and their contribution to the style.
Please choose five styles from the following lists. At least one of the five must be a South-African style.
Popular Music
- R ‘n B – Motown
- Hip Hop
- Folk/Protest Music
- Punk
- Reggae
- Art/Progressive Rock
- Rock ‘n Roll
- Brit Pop (The Beatles)
- Hard Rock
- Country
- Disco
- Funk
South African Styles
- Cross-over
- Kwaito
- South African Protest Music (Masekala/Gwangwa/Makeba)
- Afrikaans Protest Music of the 1980s and 1990s(Anti-establishment)
- Luisterlied – 1980s and 1990s
- South African Rock – 2000s to today
Your project can be laid out in the format of your choice, although you should use full sentences rather than bullet point lists. Powerpoint presentations should be accompanied by a short essay or other written document providing further details on the topic. You may choose to do each topic in a different presentational style or they may all be the same, it is up to you. Recordings may be provided on an audio CD, or on a flashstick in mp3 format. A track list should be submitted with all recordings.
You have the internet as a resource as well as a number of useful textbooks in the DSG and SAC libraries. All quotes must be correctly referenced and you must include a bibliography, discography and list of websites used at the end of your project.
You have six lessons and two prep sessions to complete the project after half term. You may also choose to begin working on it over the holidays if you wish. You should spend around one lesson on writing per topic, and use the remaining time for research and presentation.