Welcome to MUET 3020 "Popular Music in American Culture"
Dr. Thomas Sovík
MUET 3020 is an examination of distinct styles of popular music – and prejudices – found in our society between the years 1827 and 2011. We will address these issues via five content units:
Minstrelsy through Tin Pan Alley
Rural & Electric Blues
Rural & Electric Country
Rhythm & Blues to Rock & Roll
Manipulation & Prejudice
Music and its song-texts both reflect and impact a society; by examining these recorded examples in their historical context, we can come to understand much about our culture that is omitted – for various reasons – from history textbooks.
Using music as the historical vehicle, we will discuss how prejudices are formed and perpetuated by small groups of individuals, religious institutions, the entertainment industry, major corporations, and the United States government – leading us, often in subtle ways, to think "this way" or "that way."
An online textbook provided without cost; students must purchase a workbook at the University Bookstore.
The final grade based on three unit exams.
A course mission & goal statement, as well as our course policy, will available on your Blackboard website; an abbreviated course syllabus is provided below.
MUET 3020 Course Syllabus
All dates are tentative;
check the homepage of your MUET 3020 Blackboard Vista website for actual dates
19 JanuaryThe "GPS" (Goals, Policy, & Syllabus)
21"Who Told You that You Were Naked?"
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31Movie Clip: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Idiocracy1
Movie Clip: Caveman, Dude Where’s My Car?, In & Out
Sample Test must be completed and Cultural Diversity Pre-Test must be received by
5:00 p.m. this date or you will be dropped from the class with the grade of WF on 28 February
02 FebruaryUNIT ONE: Minstrelsy through Tin Pan Alley
04
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07
09Movie Clip: American Dances
11Movie Clip: The Jazz Singer, Singin' in the Rain
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14Movie Clip: Chicago
16Movie Clip: Classic Commercials
18Movie Clip: The Producers, White Christmas
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21
23
25Movie Day: That's Entertainment, That's Black Entertainment
Last day to drop with a W before being dropped with the grade of WF if missing your Sample Test or Cultural-Diversity Pre-Test
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28NASM Visit
02 March
04Movie Day: The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show
TPA Exam Posted 10:00 a.m.
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07UNIT TWO: Rural & Electric Blues
Movie Clip: St. Louis Blues
TPA Exam over 11:59 p.m.
09
11
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14Spring Break (No Class)
16Spring Break (No Class)
18Spring Break (No Class)
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21
23
25
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28Movie Clip: Blues Brothers,Blues Brothers 2000
30
01 AprilBlues Exam Posted 10:00 a.m.
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04UNIT THREE: Rural & Electric Country
"Setting Sail with Captain Morgan"
Blues Exam over 11:59 p.m.
06Movie Clip: A Prairie Home Companion, The Best of Hee-Haw
08Movie Clip: Rio Bravo
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11Movie Clip: Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
13 Movie Clip: Human Stain
15
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18
20
22Country Exam Posted 10:00 a.m.
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25SUPPLEMENTARY UNIT: Rhythm-&-Blues to Rock-&-Roll2
Movie Clip: Cars,Mona Lisa Smile
Country Exam over 11:59 p.m.
27Movie Clip: The Dewey Cox Story, Cyndi Lauper
29Movie Day: Rock & Roll; the Early Days
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02SUPPLEMENTARY UNIT: Manipulation & Prejudice3
Movie Clip: Disney on the Front Lines, Weird Al Yankovic
04
06Reading Day (No Class)
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Log-in to the online Final Exam will be available
10:00 a.m. on Monday, 9 May until 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, 12 May
1not all movies / movie clips will be shown in Spring 2011
2 no exam over this partial unit; no web-text available (lectures available on podcast)
3 no exam over this partial unit; no web-text available (lectures available on podcast)