Course Syllabus

U2 performing with Bruce Springsteen at the 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

We all enjoy music, but what makes music really great? How do we decide? In this Virtual Falcon course, we will explore the history of popular music, including the mainstream themes of evaluation that help us decide what music is “great” today. Specifically, we will learn about the official evaluation and induction process from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and students will have the opportunity to research and write about a band/artist of their choosing, culminating in a project representing their imagined induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This course aims to help students develop the following skills:

• Basic knowledge of popular music history and the trends that influence our perception of popular music
• Understanding of the language and criteria used to evaluate and judge popular music
• Evaluation and analysis skills (especially pertaining to the analysis of popular music)
• Skills in research and synthesis (reading multiple texts purposefully and critically)
• Advanced writing skills, especially skills in multigenre, audience-focused, and purposeful writing
• Creativity in designing and producing a museum-style exhibit featuring various artifacts, both written and multimedia

This class, after one week of readings and discussion, will be project-based, with students working mostly on their own to complete writing assignments in line with the standards developed for assessment. All assignments will be developed in preparation for the final project and presentation, which will be the formal museum exhibit. Please see below for our schedule of assignments, including readings for class and writing assignments for the month of July.