Week 11: Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder, "For Once in My Life" (US #2, 1968)

Week 11: Stevie Wonder

Mon 10.29/Wed 10.31*

*No class—Halloween

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:

Week 12: Kendrick Lamar
Mon 11.5/Wed 11.7
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Close Reads: A How-To"
Due: EXPOSITORY (ANNOTATED)

Expository Essay: This is Your Brain on Music

Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker has argued that music is simply a byproduct of language, no more than an evolutionary “spandrel.” And he has dismissed music as “auditory cheesecake,” which “just happens to tickle several important parts of the brain in a highly pleasurable way, as cheesecake tickles the palate.” In fact, he claims that, “as far as biological cause and effect are concerned, music is useless.” Daniel J. Levitan takes the opposite view of music and, in This is Your Brain on Music, he attempts to refute Pinker’s theory by citing some of the latest cognitive science. In a concise essay, briefly outline three of Levitan’s key rebuttals of Pinker’s argument about music. Cite specific evidence from This is Your Brain on Music to support your thesis.

Note: Levitan's official website includes an extensive playlist of songs mentioned in the book, along with an explanation of the musical concept illustrated in each. Find the list here.

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• 500-750 words
• Include a works cited page

Due: Wed 11.7

 

Music News: 10.23

• Folk singer Tracy Chapman sues Nicki Minaj for copyright infringement | Rolling Stone
• Taylor Swift fan, whose mother is in a coma. receives major donation | Time
• Drake texts his high school teacher after breaking a Billboard welcome | Billboard
• Paula Abdul falls off stage during Mississippi concert | People 
• A sneak peek at Disney's Mary Poppins Returns | Dark Horizons
• Number one in the US five years ago this week: Lorde's "Royals" | YouTube 

Week 10: Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin, "Whole Lotta Love" (US #1, 1969)

Week 10: Led Zeppelin

Mon 10.22/Wed 10.24

Read: BRAIN—“What makes a Musician a Musician?” – “The Music Instinct”

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Guest speakers—TBA

Due: REFLECTION 6

Upcoming:

Week 11: Stevie Wonder

Mon 10.29/Wed 10.31*

*No class—Halloween

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Due:    EXPOSITORY (ANNOTATED)—DUE MON 10.29

Music News: 10.17

• Cardi B and T.I. rule the 2018 BET Hip-Hop Awards 
• See the teaser trailer for Disney's live-action remake of Aldaddin | MTV News
• Russia claims a Soviet poet invented rapping | Newsweek
• Adele and Drake: The lovefest |Bustle 
• For only $973/night, you can stay in Madonna and Guy Ritchie's former London home | People
• Number one this week in 1968: The Beatle's "Hey Jude"

 

Reflection 6: Sing, Sing a Song—Why Don't Americans Sing Anymore?

There was a time in this country when Americans sang openly and freely in public. Singing wasn't just limited to elementary schools or churches, or during the holidays, it was a part of everyday American life. When pianos were commonplace in people's homes and families learned the latest songs through sheet music, singing enjoyed a place everywhere from trains to dinner parties. But over time, singing in public waned in America. In fact, today singing is largely a spectator sport, left for the pros or, at least, those with a halfway decent voice—try leading a group of people in song at a mall and see how far you get. These days, there are fewer and fewer public spaces left for singing. And when we do sing, alcohol, the so-called "liquid confidence," is often required to induce us. Can public singing in America come back? What are those public spaces where at least some public singing remains, such as the traditional "Auld Lang Syne" at New Years or the perennial "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at ballpark? Finally, how often, if ever, do you sing in public? If you do sing, why and where? And if you don't, what holds you back?

Include at least three of the following in your discussion:

• "How Communal Singing Disappeared from American Life" | Atlantic
• "How to Sing in Public and Survive" | Chicago Tribune
• "Why Don’t You Want to Sing and Dance in Public?" | Scientific American
• "Raising Your Voice in Public at Community Sings" | Star Tribune
• "Accidentally Singing in Public: Embarrassing or Endearing?" | Entertainment Weekly
• "Shared Song, Communal Memory" | New York Times

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in bed
• Must include a works cited page

Due: Wed 10.24

Week 9: Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, "Smooth Criminal" (US #7, 1988)

Week 9: Michael Jackson

Mon 10.15/Wed 10.17

Read: BRAIN—“Anticipation” – “After Dessert, Crick was Still Four Seats Away”

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 5

Upcoming:

Week 10: Led Zeppelin

Mon 10.22/Wed 10.24

Read: BRAIN—“What makes a Musician a Musician?” – “The Music Instinct”

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Guest speakers—TBA

Due: REFLECTION 6

Music News: 10.10

• Shake It Off: Taylor Swift endorses Tennessee Democratic candidates and conservatives have  a meltdown | Salon
• Also ... Young voter registration spikes after Swift's announcement | Vox
• Iconic hip hop producer Suge Knight sentenced to 28 in hit-and-run death | CNN
• Kanye West deletes Twitter and Instagram accounts after pro-Trump rants | USA Today
• Also ... West's MAGA support sparks ugly Lana Del Rey/Azealia Banks feud | CNN
• Barbra Streisand releases anti-Trump anthem, "Don't Lie to Me" | Billboard

 

Week 8: Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You" (US #1, 1974)

Week 8: Dolly Parton
Mon 10.8/Wed 10.10
Read: BRAIN—“I Love Music and I Love Science—Why Would I Want to Mix the Two?” – “Behind the Curtain”
Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:

Week 9: Michael Jackson

Mon 10.15/Wed 10.17

Read: BRAIN—“Anticipation” – “After Dessert, Crick was Still Four Seats Away”

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 5

 

Reflection 5: All By Myself—Anatomy of a Heartbreak Song

Love, we can’t get enough of it. 

But when things go south, we often turn to the old standby, the heartbreak song. Paradoxically, it is often not cheerful, uplifting music that gets us through our darkest moments, but sad songs. In fact, there’s a heartbreak song for just about every occasion—getting dumped, despair, unrequited love, regret, anger, infidelity, and unrelenting heartache.

For this reflection, analyze three of the following classic heartbreak songs. For example, how have these songs become stand-in therapy for millions? Why do they speak to people?

1. Toni Braxton, "Un-Break My Heart"
2. Bonnie Raitt, "I Can't Make You Love Me" 
3. Bill Withers, "Ain't No Sunshine"
4. ABBA, "The Winner Takes it All" 
5. Olivia Newton-John, "Hopelessly Devoted to You" [from Grease]
6. Roxette, "It Must Have Been Love"
7. Jewel, "You Were Meant for Me"
8. Candace Glover, "I Who Have Nothing" [Tom Jones cover] 
9. Beyoncé , “Irreplaceable”
10. Jim Croce, "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)"
11. Patsy Cline, "She's Got You" 
12. Elvis Presley, "You Were Always on My Mind"
13. Roy Orbison, "Crying" 
14. Eric Carmen, "All By Myself" 
15. Alicia Keys, "If I Ain't Got You"
16. Sam Smith, "I Know I'm Not the Only One"
17. Macy Gray, "I Try"
18. Sinéad O'Connor, "Nothing Compares 2 U" [Prince cover]
19. Adele, "make You Feel My Love" [Bob Dylan cover]
20. Lea Michele, 'What I Did For Love" [from A Chorus Line] 
21. Elton John, "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word"
22. Bee Gees, "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart" 
23. Boyz II Men, "End of the Road"
24. Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”
25. Carole King, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" 
26. Adele, "Hello"
27. Des'ree, "I'm Kissing You"
28. Dusty Springfield, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
29. The Beatles, "Yesterday"  
30. Alanis Morissette. "You Oughta Know"
31. Barbra Streisand, "The Way We Were"
32. Mariah Carey, "I'll Be There" [Jackson Five cover]
33. Brenda Lee, "I'm Sorry"
34. Samantha Banks, "On My Own [from Les Miserables]
35. George Michael, "Careless Whisper" 

Required:

• MLA Style
• Short answer responses
• One page in length

Due: Wed 10.17

Music News: 10.2

• Kanye West booed during pro-Trump rant on SNL | Indiewire
• Also: Chris Evans slams Kanye West: "There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue" | Buzzfeed
• Oddly satisfying: A video of a deer paired with Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" | Mashable
• A class action lawsuit brought against Ticketmaster over alleged scalping scheme | Slate
• Charles Aznavour, French musical legend, dies at 95 | BBC News 
• Number one 25 years ago this week: Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover" | YouTube