Luke Conklin, instructor

lmc113@case.edu
Harkness Chapel Classroom
MWF 11:30-12:20
MUGN 212: HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL
I.

OBJECTIVES: MUGN 212 is an introductory course on the history, sounds, and culture
of rock music. Through this course, students will:
understand how rock music is created and why it appeals to a mass audience.
acquire the ability to describe the musical elements of rock, including melody,
rhythm, and form.
explore the interactions of rock with various extra-musical art forms, including
dance, album art, and music videos.
gain knowledge of rock subgenres and will understand the relationship of these
styles to the culture that produced them.
become familiar with important examples of rock and its antecedents and will be
able to describe how these works fit into the genres history.
investigate how rock music illuminates and interacts with constructions of identity
including gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality.

II.

COURSE MATERIALS
Required Text: Covach, John and Andrew Flory. Whats That Sound? An
Introduction to Rock and its History, 4th edition. New York: W.W. Norton and
Company, 2015. Henceforth abbreviated as WTS.
Companion Website: An online study space for WTS, featuring podcasts,
interactive listening guides, and playlist links. Accessible at:
http://wwnorton.com/college/music/whats-that-sound4/
Recommended Text (on reserve in the Kulas Music Library in Haydn Hall):
Cateforis, Theo, ed. The Rock History Reader, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge,
2013. Henceforth abbreviated as RHR. Required readings from RHR will be
available on Blackboard or via the reserve copy in the Kulas Music Library. Any
additional readings will likewise be posted to Blackboard.
Listening: A large part of this class is learning to listen, so practice early and
often. All of the examples that you are to be responsible for will be posted on
Blackboard. If there is a problem with the Blackboard file, it is your responsibility
to inform me before the class for which it was assigned or find alternate ways to
listen to the track such as the supplementary material for WTS.

III.

ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments 1-3: Close readings of a song, 3-5 pages. On the first page, create
a listening guide in the format used in WTS. Be sure to include the songs title,
form, time signature, and instrumentation, followed by a breakdown of the tracks
constituent sections. Each section should be labeled with a formal name
(introduction, verse, chorus, etc.) and should be identified by timings, measure
count, opening lyrics (if applicable), and a brief description of the distinguishing

musical events. Following the listening guide, use the remaining space to discuss,
in prose, the musical aspects of the song, including meter, record production,
melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, instrumentation, form, and anything else that
strikes you about the sound of the track. You should conclude your reading with
some thoughts about how this song fits into the history of Rock and Roll.
Assignment 4: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame report, 5-7 pages. For your final
assignment, you will be required to make a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame. The assignment sheet with complete instructions will be distributed after
Spring Break. As Case Western students, you should receive free admission. It is
accessible via the Red Line. This assignment will be due on the last day of class.
It will entail 6-7 written pages addressing a specific critical question relating to
the history of Rock and Roll as presented at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

IV.

QUIZZES AND EXAMS

Quizzes: There will be four short listening quizzes given over the course of the
semester. These will include identification of song title and artist for repertoire
assigned on the syllabus as well as musical content that has been discussed in
class and in the textbook.
Exams: A midterm and a final exam will be given in the class. These exams will
consist of a listening identification section as well as multiple choice, short
answer, and short essay sections. The listening section will require the correct
identification of musical genres, artists, and song titles, as well as prose
description of the sounds you hear. Any song on the syllabus may be included on
the exam, whether or not it was discussed in class. Be sure to know the whole song,
as you may hear any part of it, including verses and instrumental sections. The
final examination will be given during the scheduled final exam period but will
cover only the material since the midterm: it will be cumulative in terms of
concepts and trajectories, but it will not be cumulative in terms of chapters
covered.

V.

GRADING PROCEDURES
Please note that a great deal of your success in this course depends upon your
willingness to participate in discussion. As music, culture, and even history are all
subjective modes of expression, an active class dialogue is crucial.
Final grades will be determined as follows:
i. 40% Assignments 1-4
ii. 10% Quizzes
iii. 15% Midterm exam
iv. 25% Final exam
v. 10% Attendance and participation

VI.

COURSE POLICIES
Assignment guidelines: Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late
submissions will receive a penalty of one letter grade for each class period they
are late. All assignments must be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman

VII.

font, with one-inch margins. College-level proficiency in grammar and spelling is

expected.
Rewrites: If you wish to rewrite an assignment, you must first write me a threeparagraph petition explaining why you deserve an exception.
Absences and makeup exams: Makeup exams will only be given to students
with a documented excuse approved by the instructor. Acceptable excuses
include documented illness or emergencies. If you know you must miss a test for
another reason, see me ASAP to learn if it will be excused. Students who must
miss an exam because of a religious holiday must see me by the second week of
classes to make arrangements. If a religious holiday falls on an assignment due
date, you must turn it in early not late. Students are responsible for all class
material missed due to absence.
Accommodations: Students with disabilities who have special needs with
regards to assignments and tests must see me to make arrangements ASAP. See
http://students.case.edu/education/disability for information about official policies.
Academic integrity: The work you submit in this course must always be your
own; any sources you use must be properly cited. Students are expected to read
and adhere to the universitys Academic Integrity Policy, which may be found
at http://studentaffairs.case.edu/office/integrity/policy.html. The penalty in this
course for academic dishonesty is a grade of F on the first plagiarized
assignment, which will be calculated as a zero into your final grade, and failure
of the course for subsequent infractions. All cases of plagiarism will be reported
as prescribed by the Academic Integrity Policy.

COURSE CALENDAR: IMPORTANT DATES

Monday, January 11th: First Day of Class
Monday, January 18th : Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, No Class
Friday, January 22nd: Last Day for Add/Drop
March 7th-11th: Spring Break
Monday, April 25th: Last Day of Class
Friday, April 29th, 8:30am-11:30am: Final Exam