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Week 2 To-Do List
Week 2 To-Do List
Week 2 Lesson:
Watch the video introduction below (it's expected that you watch the videos; sometimes there is important information there...)
Explore the lesson below (Part 1 & Part 2)
Explore my mini lesson
Refer to the "Quickstart Guide" to choose how you'll earn points this week.
Monday: Check for an announcement when Week 2 Checkpoint and weekly group bonus activity are available
Week 1 Grades:
It will take time to grade all the Week 1 submissions. If you don't see your points updated by Friday evening or if there is an error, send me an email. Please read any feedback I left for you.
Video Introduction
Video Introduction
Please watch both videos.
Video 1: Introduction to Week 2's content
I made this video in 2023, but it still applies. Please excuse the not-great sound quality for the music clips in this video. I had to figure out a way for YouTube to not flag the music samples as copyright infringement; playing them through an external speaker as I recorded my video was the only thing that worked. Using music for educational purposes is legal, but YouTube doesn't always realize when a video is being used educationally, so it was muting the sound in my video when I added the clips directly.
One note: Around 3:00 I mention Slack. Ignore that; everything for you is on the Blackboard Discussion Board and we are not using Slack. It wasn't worth remaking the video just to change that one tiny part.
Video 2: A current [very brief] video! Just made it yesterday 😄
In this video I review some of your insights from Week 1, and add something for Week 2.
The Lesson
The Lesson
Week 2's theme is "International influence on music in the US." With the exception of traditional Indigenous music (in the US, from Native American people), the creation of all "American" music was influenced by music practices from other world regions, especially West African countries.
It's impossible to cover all relevant topics, so we're only exploring a few. Part 1 focuses on elements of music (rhythms, chord progressions, etc.) from other cultures. This section has some very basic music theory in it, since we're referring to rhythmic and tonal patterns. Then, Part 2 focuses more on the sociological and anthropological sides of music, as we move into how music from other countries affects pieces of American society.
Each section should independently take roughly 1-1.5 hours to explore, for a total of 2-3 hours of material to explore.
Part 1: Music Elements
Part 1: Music Elements
To explore this section, start by watching all four videos below. Each video focuses on a rhythm or tonal motive common in music today that originated far earlier on another continent. The videos will take 26 minutes to watch total.
Why so many videos? So you can hear each motive, which you can't do just by reading something.
After you've explored the videos, choose two of the remaining sources in this section to explore in-depth (#s 5, 6 or 7).
Part 1 topics:
African music motives
Scotch snaps rhythm in hip-hop
Igor Stravinsky meets Bruno Mars
Gregorian chant in film
....then choose 2 of the following:
Pop music chord progression
Stravinsky sample
Cuban clave rhythm
Part 1: Music Elements
Part 1: Music Elements
- Call & response, The Blue Note, & Polyrhythms (3-min)
The following three YouTube shorts introduce some of the rhythmic and tonal music motives from African countries that made their way into many styles of music we listen to today. If the music theory in these videos doesn't make sense to you, no worries; there is no expectation to understand music theory in this course. I'm sharing these videos so you get a basic sense of these concepts and can listen to how they are used in different songs, since this presenter added clips into the videos. Feel free to explore these further for a mini lesson. For instance, you could research a motive further and find examples of songs from different styles of music that it is found in.
Call & response
Call & response
Somebody sings or plays something, another person sings or plays the same thing or a response. A musical question & answer.
Blue Notes
Blue Notes
This gets into a bit of music theory. If the theory goes over your head, don't worry. Think of this concept like bending a sound in a way that doesn't fit with music tonality from European traditions.
Polyrhythms
Polyrhythms
Very simply: Two overlapping rhythmic patterns happening simultaneously. Another element of music that did not migrate from Europe.
2. Scottish Snaps (8-min. Video)
2. Scottish Snaps (8-min. Video)
The "Scottish Snaps" rhythm common in hip hop music is a perfect example of an aspect of music that migrates, evolves, and influences "American" music. There is also some great content in this video regarding language patterns and related rhythmic patterns in music from countries with certain styles of language (definitely something you could explore further for a mini lesson).
There are many other examples of a rhythm migrating to the US from elsewhere, such as the clave rhythm* you can explore for your in-depth topic below or the Spanish rap rhythmic pattern mentioned in passing in this video.
If you're planning to do a mini lesson this week, you might consider tracing a specific rhythm's pattern as it migrates, as this video does with Scottish Snaps, or even how language influences musical rhythms.
*West African bell and drum patterns, migrated to Cuba through the transatlantic slave trade, evolved into many different clave patterns - son, rumba, etc. - and continued its migration into other countries and styles of music. A very influential rhythmic pattern indeed!
3. Stravinsky, Bruno Mars, & the "Orchestra Hit" (9-min video)
3. Stravinsky, Bruno Mars, & the "Orchestra Hit" (9-min video)
There is a sound we hear over and over in popular music today. We don't even really think about it, but this is a sound that originated in 1910 with the Paris debut of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.
Watch the Vox video to learn how this sound accidentally migrated from an orchestral performance in 1910 Paris, to computer synthesizer music in 1975 Australia, to Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock album in 1982, to the N.W.A., to Bruno Mars, and on and on.
4. Dies Irae & Film (6-min video)
4. Dies Irae & Film (6-min video)
A lot of melodic elements of music that is popular in the US can be tied to centuries-old music from Europe. The Dies Irae theme heard in many movies is an example. This 13th century Gregorian chant has seeped into pop culture all over the place. Why? Click the video below to find out. If you access this video on YouTube directly, the video description will provide you with a list of films that use this theme.
5. "Progression Obsession" (30-min podcast)
5. "Progression Obsession" (30-min podcast)
Have you ever noticed that a lot of pop songs sound the same? That's partially because of the chord progressions - the musical roadmaps of songs. One of the most common chord progressions in American pop music today is actually thought to have originated in Europe in the 1700s. Learn more on this episode of the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz.
This is one of my favorite podcasts. Some great episodes to check out on your own, unrelated to class:
Video(less) Games (blindness and video games)
Sul Sul (origins of the language used in The Sims)
Ta-Dum! It's Netflix (development of the Netflix sound)
Pirate Radio (semi-relevant to class - 1960s British radio pirates)
6. The Story of ORCH5, or, the Classical Ghost in the Hip-Hop Machine (article)
6. The Story of ORCH5, or, the Classical Ghost in the Hip-Hop Machine (article)
This article by musicologist Robert Fink was published in the music research journal Popular Music. It covers the same topic as the video above it: The excerpt of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite sampled in so many popular songs in the decades since. If that video was intriguing, you might consider this article as one of your in-depth choices to explore this week. You can access it by logging into JSTOR (an amazing resource for finding music research articles for your mini lessons) with your CUNY credentials.
Click here to find it: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3877522?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
7. Cuba's Clave (E-reader)
7. Cuba's Clave (E-reader)
The E-Reader details Cuban history and music evolution. As you'll read in the introduction, Cuban music was gaining popularity in the US in the 1940s, and interactions between Cuban and American jazz musicians in New York led to the creation of a new kind of music - Latin jazz (aka Afro-Caribbean jazz).
The E-Reader breaks down how we got there. Pay particular attention to the section called "Structure and Texture in Son Montuno," which introduces the Cuban clave rhythm. As the text states: "the importance of independent layers in the son's texture [acts] as a gateway to funk and other popular dance music styles. 'This sense of instruments having independent functions within a rhythmic key [clave], which did not exist in any highly developed way in the U.S. at the time, would pervade popular music worldwide.'"
***Note that the original clave rhythm developed in West Africa. The E-Reader describes briefly how it migrated to Cuba through the slave trade, where it evolved into the clave rhythm that permeated music styles worldwide.***
Part 2: Music & Society
Part 2: Music & Society
Part 1 of this week's lesson content focused on musical motives from other countries. Part 2 focuses on the relation between music from other countries and societal trends, events, etc. in the US. Choose at least two topics to explore in depth and two to skim. If you can't decide, roll dice. Here is an online D6.
West Africa/Caribbean: The banjo's origin and transformation
South Africa & India: Copyright
Japan: Video game music
Britain: Good Humor's ice cream truck song
Arabic Music in the US
Eastern Europe: Klezmer music
If you don't know Rhiannon Giddens yet, you will now. This podcast is incredible. I listened to it twice in a row. If this were an in-person class we would spend a whole class listening to this in small chunks and pausing to discuss it. We would also definitely listen to her song "At The Purchaser's Option" in full. You might consider listening to it as your new music discovery this week.
This is included in this "music and society" portion of the lesson because Rhiannon discusses not only the banjo's origins, but its role in culture, and its transformation into use in "white people music." The banjo has an incredibly rich and deep history. As Rhiannon states, "European music is very much based on chords, where you stack two or three or four notes and then you move. The motion is very top to bottom rather than left to right. And so the banjo doesn’t really fit in that chordal system. It’s very much connected to those other styles in [the] Middle East and West Africa, because it’s connected to this vast line of instruments that goes all the way back to China through the Middle East, through Africa."
*To listen to this podcast, you might need to click one of the options listed in the "Listen On" list. If for some reason none of those works, type the episode name into Google or your favorite podcast listening app to find it.
2. South Africa & INdia: Copyright (slides)
2. South Africa & INdia: Copyright (slides)
Last week we learned about cultural appropriation and appreciation. These slides build on those concepts with copyright cases where artists are accused of "borrowing" or stealing from others to create music. This is still common, for better or worse.
These slides cover one specific copyright case ("Mbube/Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight"). After that, the slides present two disputes over the use of Bollywood samples borrowed or stolen by American artists:
In Case #1, Dr. Dre is accused of "cultural imperialism." In Case #2, will.i.am and Cody Wise avoid plagiarism for a song inspired by a Tamil song originally made for a Bollywood film by co-writing their version with the original composer, A.R. Rahman.Two different situations, both common in the music industry.
Can you think of other examples where US artists borrow or steal from music of other world regions?
3. Japan: Diggin' IN The Carts (30-min video)
3. Japan: Diggin' IN The Carts (30-min video)
The Japanese video game music industry has greatly influenced American culture. This is an amazing series (from Red Bull, surprisingly) on video game music history in Japan. Feel free to watch any episodes to learn more. While you're watching, note how many women were involved in early video game production in Japan. This is so impressive to me; women in the US were so limited in what they could do in the computer industry in that era.
If you choose this for your in-depth topic, please watch at least two episodes (~15 min. each).
4. Britain: Ice Cream Music (Article)
4. Britain: Ice Cream Music (Article)
Have you ever heard an ice cream truck playing the "Turkey In The Straw" melody? In the US, this tune was associated with ice cream as the truck approached. The song dates to the 19th century but can be traced to an older British song, "The (Old) Rose Tree," brought to America's colonies by Scottish and Irish immigrants. Read about its history from the NPR program, Code Switch.
Here is an update on Good Humor's replacement jingle, by music producer/founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA: https://www.goodhumor.com/us/en/jingle.html
5. Arabic Music in the US (E-reader)
5. Arabic Music in the US (E-reader)
Arab musicians have brought their identities with them to the US through music. Over the years their music has shifted to form new genres in the US, such as Arab-jazz fusions, Arab-rock fusions, etc. Ensembles like NYC's very own New York Arabic Orchestra provide further opportunities for Arab artists to express their cultural and/or ethnic identities through music. Learn about these and other topics in our e-reader.
6. Klezmer (E-Reader)
6. Klezmer (E-Reader)
"Old World" klezmer music originated with Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. The Yiddish word klezmer (plural klezmorim) means "musical instrument," from its Hebrew origins: klei (tool/instrument) and zemer (melody). This was a derogatory term for klezmer musicians in Europe.
The E-Reader traces "Old World" and "New World" klezmer. Despite their low status in Europe, klezmer musicians were a symbol of heritage and memory for Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in the US, and their music attracted public interest (ie: Fiddler on the Roof). This led to a debate: Could people who were not culturally or spiritually Jewish play klezmer respectfully? Was "New World" and "Old World" klezmer music the same? Should "New World" klezmer be classified as "Jewish" music? Could secular music even be Jewish, or only sacred music?
The E-Reader doesn't answer these questions, but ethnomusicology - the study of music and culture - does. If you're interested in learning more, check out the works of Mark Slobin, one of the foremost scholars of Jewish music studies. His books Fiddler on the Move: Exploring the Klezmer World and Tenement Songs: Popular Music of the Jewish Immigrants address these questions very effectively, IMO.
***If you're using this as your "skim" topic, here is a slideshow I made a few years ago when I taught this class in-person. It gives a brief history of klezmer with links for further exploration. --->
A Mini lesson from Prof. S
A Mini lesson from Prof. S
Jamaican Dub
Jamaican Dub
Since this week's lesson is on the influence of other countries' music in the US, I made a mini lesson on Jamaican dub. Arguably, American rap & hip-hop - as well as dubstep - would not exist without Jamaican dub. Click the video link to listen to Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock’s 1974 album, Dub From the Roots. Keep it playing while you explore the mini lesson.
As you know, mini lessons are opportunities to learn about something related to the lesson and share it with others. I posted mine here as a Google Doc (and I know, I didn't cover all the requirements that you have, mine is shorter). I hope you'll do something more aesthetically interesting than just posting a wall of text on Blackboard. Slide presentations are fun, or make a StoryMap like we saw on the Tin Pan Alley section of last week's lesson. Make a StoryMap here. Even a Google Doc is a little more engaging, since you can add images.
When you make your mini lessons, always answer the question: Why are we learning this and why should we care? You chose your topic for a reason..what's so interesting about it?
Each week, complete a quest related to a professional development topic. Submit the Google Form below by Wednesday, 11:59 PM to earn 5 points.
Each week, complete a quest related to a professional development topic. Submit the Google Form below by Wednesday, 11:59 PM to earn 5 points.
Quest 2: Prioritization
Quest 2: Prioritization
In Quest 1, when asked what self-help topics you'd like to focus on in future quests, many of you requested strategies for organizing your time more effectively. Quest 2 focuses on prioritization strategies.
Instructions:
Step 1: Write a list of your daily tasks. Order doesn't matter, just write everything you want to accomplish.
Step 2: Read the five prioritization strategies below and choose one to implement.
Step 3: Re-write your task list in priority order (whatever you'll tackle first goes at the top of the list).
Step 4: After using this method for at least a full day, report on the experience on the Google Form below.
Eat The Frog
"If it's your job to eat the frog, do it first thing in the morning." - Mark Twain
Tackle the biggest/most complex tasks before less important/time-sensitive items. Ignore the tiny things, like answering emails, and focus only on the large task for an extended period of time.Eisenhower Decision Matrix
Organize tasks into four quadrants: Important, urgent, important and urgent, neither. Start with the important & urgent tasks, then urgent tasks, then important tasks, then neither important nor urgent tasks.ABCDE
Give grades to your tasks, A = high priority, E = low. You can give the same grade to multiple items. Then tackle the list in grade order.Length of Time
Organize your tasks based on how long you think they will take. Then tackle them in time order, either shortest to longest, longest to shortest, or alternating between something that takes a long time and a short time. Make sure to include tiny tasks for yourself on your list, such as "60-second stretch break."
5. Carolyn's Chaos Squares
Once upon a time in grad school, Prof. S was working two jobs, writing 30-page papers for each class, reading long, dry academic texts for HW, performing music gigs, and attempting to keep in mental and physical shape and have a social life, plus the mundane parts of life like chores and finding health insurance. At the lowest point, burnout was high and checklists with 30-50 items were overwhelming. So...she invented chaos squares.
This method requires re-structuring a list three times. It sounds tedious but when you have 50 things to do, it works so much better than a checklist (at least for me). If you only have 10 things to do, a checklist works fine. I hope you never need chaos squares, but in case you do, click the drop-down arrow to learn more.
At the start of the week, make a chaotic scribble of Every Single Thing You Need To Accomplish For The Week. Don't make a list - make chaos all over a page. Attempt to organize the chaos by themes but don't overthink it, just write until you run out of ideas. Don't even stay in the lines, just write. Include tasks for your wellbeing, like eating food and stretching. I recommend doing this on Sunday so you can get right to work on Monday morning.
When you are satisfied with your chaos, review what you wrote and make themed boxes (ie: HW, jobs, social life, wellness, etc.). Re-write each item inside a relevant box. If you want to do something multiple times, write it multiple times (ie: stretch breaks). Save room at the bottom of each square in case you have to add more things.
Review the tasks in each square and decide how to prioritize. Re-write items in each square in priority order. I recommend putting some easy things at the top, like "Eat breakfast." That way, you'll start with the satisfaction of checking something off quickly. Because these are squares rather than one giant list, you can put multiple items at the top of each box, if they have equal priority.
Inside each square, write important times next to items (ie: What time you leave for work or when HW is due). You might break some categories into two squares, like "Monday School Tasks" and "Later School Tasks." Save room in the later squares in case you need to move things over.
Choose a square to tackle and begin working. When you need a break from a task, start something from another box. Check off items as you go, and cross off each square as you complete it. It is oh-so-satisfying to cross out an entire square.
At the end of the day, review your squares. You won't have completed everything, but you can now reassess your squares and re-organize for the following day. Your goal is to cross off every square by the end of the week, then make new chaos squares on Sunday for the week ahead.
You might also find it helpful to keep a running list of accomplishments. Then when you feel like you have a million things left to do, you can review the "done" list and feel good about what you've accomplished.
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