Key Information
About the content
Explores the factors — musical and cultural — that led to the birth of American rock 'n' roll music in the early 1950s. Covers in detail the genres, styles and people that converged to create this new music.
Syllabus
- Week 1 What is rock 'n' roll? It's a whole lot more than just music. It's a business, an attitude, a cultural phenomenon, a showcase of technology and more.
- Week 2 Before there was rock: Major musical genres, technological advances and players integral to the birth of rock 'n' roll. The genres include jazz, blues, country, western, bluegrass, gospel, popular music and more.
- Week 3 Mississippi Ghosts: W.C. Handy and the Delta Blues of Robert Johnson, Son House, Charley Patton and Lead Belly.
- Week 4 A Tale of Three Cities: New Orleans' jazz and early rock 'n roll, Chicago and its electric blues, and Memphis, Tenn., home of Elvis Presley and Sun Records.
- Week 5 The emergence of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley; the Sun Records "Class of 1955" and "The Day the Music Died."
- Week 6 The major labels finally awaken and start to rock: The search is on for the next big thing, Elvis II.
- Week 7 The five styles of rock 'n' roll as postulated by author Charlie Gillett.
- Week 8 Summation and project review.
Instructors
Professor David Carlson
Executive Director of the Center for Media Innovation + Research and Cox/Palm Beach Post Professor of New Media Journalism
College of Journalism & Communication: Center for Media Innovation
Content Designer
Platform
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