Forensic Musicology
In this 10-week course, students will learn about Forensic Musicology and Copyright Infringement prior to working through a mock case involving the concepts we cover.
Thomas Jones
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(1,220)
What's included
10 live meetings
9 hrs 10 mins in-class hoursHomework
I will provide optional question sets for the sets of songs we will be comparing, so that students can provide written responses if they would like to receive a grade.Assessment
includedClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Beginner Level
Forensic Musicology will cover a variety of topics in the fascinating field that ties music, law, and forensic investigations together. We will begin by exploring the major concepts of forensic musicology and then move into cases involving many well-known artists and bands. We will examine questions such as: How similar is too similar when comparing music or lyrics? Is it possible to claim infringement in the use of non-traditional sound elements? How should we handle sampling in music? Does it matter if the artist or song that may have been copied is well-known versus obscure? Can you sue an artist for copying an idea for a song? Can an artist who copies the work of another in turn sue a third artist who copied their work? We will examine tons of real cases that involve songs that many students will recognize. We will discuss our thoughts on whether one artist went too far in sounding like the other. After we get through all of our case studies, we will work through a short mock scene involving a man who started a music production company, and who is trying to prove that a piece of music of two individuals from earlier generations of his family was copied, leading to a financially successful song for a specific band.
Learning Goals
Students will develop a better understanding of the core concepts of forensic musicology.Students will improve their abilities to differentiate between innocuous similarities and intentional copying two pieces of music.
Syllabus
10 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Intro to Forensic Musicology
In this session, we will cover basic concepts of intellectual property, copyright infringement, fair use, and coincidental versus substantial duplication. We will explore several hypothetical examples involving lyrics and then consider similarities in short strings of musical notes. Our first “case” involves Muse’s three-song Exogenesis “symphony” from the album Resistance. Here, the claim is not musical or lyrical copying, but duplication of a concept pitched to the band. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Musicology Cases 1
In this session, we will examine intriguing similarities between well-known music from a hugely successful science fiction franchise and Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” We will then look at more recent classical music that is often included with performances of Holst’s compositions, but which were composed after the science fiction scores were widely recognized. We will then compare Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” from 1958 and the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ U.S.A.” from 1963. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Sampling in Music Production
In this session, we will consider the character of “sampling” in modern music. We will begin with striking similarity between “Under Pressure” and “Ice Ice Baby.” Here, we will consider the argument by the creator of the latter song concerning the uniqueness of his creation. The question will be “how much does something need to differ from an original to be seen as influenced by the original rather that as a copy of it?” From there, we will look at the landmark case involving Biz Markee. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Lyrics and Unique Sound Elements
In this session, we will consider Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” in relation to Flame's “Joyful Noise.” Next we will consider Avril Levigne’s “Girlfriend” and the Rubinoos 1979 song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Finally, we will examine Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” in relation to the 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play” by 3LW. The next songs to compare will be Sleigh Bells’ “Infinity Guitars” and Demi Lovato's "Stars." 55 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
There is nothing scary or graphic in this course.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2017
4.9
1220reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Juris Doctor from University of Michigan
I have 11 years experience as a lawyer and 20 years in forensic science. I have taught extensively on issues related to intellectual property, and I have a deep interest in forensic musicology.Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly1x per week, 10 weeks
55 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-16 learners per class
