This week, you will be listening to music from the early Rock and Roll genre.
This week, Rock and Roll was a term first coined by DJ Alan Freed in
the 1950s. Rock music was often synonymous with R&B in the early years. However,
Rock and Roll, with the exception of Little Richard and Chuck Berry, began with white
artists “covering” hits that would have at one time be considered R&B.
In addition to your etextbook, you should expect to complete some research online to
respond to these questions. Be sure to use vetted resources—if you aren’t sure what a
reliable source is, remember, you can use the CRAP test to determine if your source is
reliable!
Resources that might help you:
• 53d. America Rocks and Rolls. (2019). UShistory.org.
• Will, G. (2017, May 14). Today’s left would have called Elvis’s music ‘cultural
appropriation’. National Review.
Campbell, M. (2019). Popular music in America. 5th ed. Cengage Learning.This reading will discuss the emergence of Rock and Roll as both a musical style and as a subculture in American teenage society.
- Chapter 11: Rock and Roll (pgs. 171-196)
Instructions:
• On the internet or your phone, listen to TWO of the following early Rock and Roll
songs from the list below:
o Bill Haley, “Rock Around the Clock”
o Elvis Presley, “That’s All Right”
o Elvis Presley, “Mystery Train/”I Forgot to Remember to Forget”
o Elvis Presley, “Jailhouse Rock”
o Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”
o Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode”
o Chuck Berry, “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man” U
o Buddy Holly, “That’ll Be the Day”
o Buddy Holly, “Bo Diddley”
After listening to your TWO selections, answer the following questions in a word document: o Define the musical term: Rock and Roll. o Share a brief biography of each of the two bands/artists you chose. o Name the members of each of these bands. o Who were the songwriters of the songs that you chose? Was there any controversy surrounding the song if the performing artist was not the original song writer? o Examine the lyrics and share the lines of each song which are your favorite and/or made an impression on you. o What are the ideas being addressed in each of these songs? o What is the date that the original music was written? What is the date that this original recording was made/released? o Has anyone else recorded the two songs you have chosen? If so, find one YouTube recording of “covers” of each the two songs you have chosen if they are available. If nothing is available, please indicate that as well. o List the instruments you hear in these recordings. Are each of these songs the same or different instrumentation? o What was your favorite thing about the performances/recordings? o What emotions did the performances/recordings make you feel when you heard it?
Requirements:
• Three to four pages in length, excluding the Reference page. • APA format, including an in-text citation for referenced works. • At least four resources
CULTURAL ARTIFACT 1
Music as a Cultural Artifact: Early Rock and Roll
Write your introduction here. Your introduction should definite the term Rock and Roll.
When you do this, be sure to write the definition in your own words. The sources you cite should
be from our class. Avoid sources like Wikipedia or “CourseHero.”
Song 1: Name the Singer and the Song
In this section, name the singer and the song for the first song. Write a brief biography in
your own words about the song. Use sources from our course to support your biographical
information.
Songwriters and Lyrics
In this section describe who the songwriters were of the song that you chose. Discuss any
controversy surrounding the song if the performing artist was not the original song writer. Then,
examine the lyrics and share the lines of each song which are your favorite and/or made an
impression on you. Be sure to tell me:
• What are the ideas being addressed in each of these songs?
• What is the date that the original music was written? What is the date the original
song was made or released.
Covers of {name the song}
In this section tell me about covers of this song. Who else has recorded this song. Include
a link to a YouTube video of the cover. If nothing is available, please indicate that as well (hint:
this is unlikely, so be sure to look carefully!) Then, list the instruments you hear in your original
recording and list the instruments you hear in the “cover” of the song’s recording. Are each of
these songs the same or different instrumentation?
CULTURAL ARTIFACT 2
Summary: My Preferences It’s OK to use first person in this section. Describe your favorite thing about the performance/recordings. Describe the emotions that the performance/recordings made you feel. Song 2: Name the Singer and the Song In this section, name the singer and the song for the first song. Write a brief biography in your own words about the song. Use sources from our course to support your biographical information. Songwriters and Lyrics In this section describe who the songwriters were of the song that you chose. Discuss any controversy surrounding the song if the performing artist was not the original song writer. Then, examine the lyrics and share the lines of each song which are your favorite and/or made an impression on you. Be sure to tell me: • What are the ideas being addressed in each of these songs? • What is the date that the original music was written? What is the date the original song was made or released. Covers of {name the song} In this section tell me about covers of this song. Who else has recorded this song. Include a link to a YouTube video of the cover. If nothing is available, please indicate that as well (hint: this is unlikely, so be sure to look carefully!) Then, list the instruments you hear in your original recording and list the instruments you hear in the “cover” of the song’s recording. Are each of these songs the same or different instrumentation?
