Pick a Musician and a song(s) or album that we have covered in class, there is a list below.

-You may pick different songs from the ones listed below to discuss, but you must pick a musician or topic from the list.

-(30%)-Do some research on this musician and provide some background. What are they significant for doing? Are they a technological pioneer or a genre innovator? Are they both? Are there political or cultural issues attached to their life or work?

-(30%)-Listen to 2 of the selections by the musician and use concepts and techniques we’ve learned about in class to analyze the music. For example if you write about Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles, you can discuss tape loops, or the Doppler effect on the vocals, or the Indian influenced drone that holds the piece together. You can talk about the inspiration for the song. In general tell us what is significant about this song and why come people regard it as important.

-(40%)-Paper must be a minimum of 4-5 pages and use MLA format for any works cited. The remaining points are will be awarded based on demonstration of critical listening skills and the ability to explain the subject matter in terms of the concepts we’ve learned in class.

Students may also choose to discuss an inventor and their body of work or the music that was made with their invention (such as Raymond Scott or Leon Theremin or Bob Moog) or a genre innovator (such as Miles Davis or Steve Reich) and the musical innovations they created, these and other alternatives are listed below.

Possible Topics for Final Paper

-Les Paul

Lover

How High the Moon

-Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys a good approach would be to talk about the albums Pet Sounds and Smile.

-The Beatles

Tomorrow Never Knows

Rain

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

Blue Jay Way

-Steve Reich

Come Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0WVh1D0N50

Piano Phase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KxnY8ESBXE

Music for 18 Musicians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrIZBnUda_Q

-Terry Riley

In C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbBkdYCViLs

A Rainbow in Curved Air

-Oregon this would make for a good discussion of jazz and world music fusion

Music of Another Present Era https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkNlQXGTncw

-Miles Davis you may talk about Davis’s history as an innovator and specifically his pioneering work with jazz-fusion, then talk about the music on one of these albums.

In a Silent Way

Bitches Brew

On the Corner

-Soft Machine you could discuss the history of this group as jazz-rock pioneers and make an analysis (using concepts and techniques we’ve learned about in class) of one of the pieces on Soft Machine Third

Facelift

Slightly all the Time

Moon in June

Out Bloody Rageous

-Peter Gabriel talk about Gabriel’s background and innovations in the late 70s and early 80’s, then pick 2 songs from his album Security make an analysis (using concepts and techniques we’ve learned about in class).

-Leon Theremin and Clara Rockmore Discuss Theremin’s invention, its history and influence on music after; you should listen to performance by Clara Rockmore and find another song that uses a Theremin

The Swan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSzTPGlNa5U

-Karlheinz Stockhausen talk about the background of Stockhausen and of this piece, discuss its influence on electronic music that followed. Examine the effect that the sounds in the piece have on you.

Gesang der Junlinge (Songs of Youth)

(0:00 to 13:20 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Psx24n3rM

-Raymond Scott talk about Scott’s background and his work creating electronic musical instruments. Listen to 2 of his song and make an analysis (using concepts and techniques we’ve learned about in class). Try and discuss his relevance to today’s music.

-There is so much Raymond Scott on youtube you’ll have no trouble finding something-

-Kraftwerk

Autobahn

Trans-Europe Express

We are the Robots

-Parilament-Funkadelic and Africa Bambaataa talk about the development of synth driven funk music, try and find another funk artist who uses synthesizer from the late 70’s or early 80’s. Give some background on Africa Bambaataa and discuss his influences (Kraftwerk, etc.) and the development of electro music.

Flash Light

Planet Rock