Political Expression in Music Through the Decades FLEX

This is a flexible schedule course, meaning that there are no live meetings scheduled and learners will explore the topics together with the instructor and classmates virtually, through analysis, critiques, debates and discussions.  There is a live version of this course should you wish to meet live in an Outschool classroom on a weekly regular schedule.  

This 6 week course aims to engage and involve learners in the big events of the decades (a short introduction of history and political expression in music and then we will begin in the 60's and move forward) through an exploration of the music of the time period, pulling out particular genres, artists and albums of political expression.  

The relationship between music and politics has existed for centuries.  From protest songs to voter campaigns to expressions of anger and fear, artists throughout the ages have expressed their opinions and emotions concerning the big issues of their time through their music.  As a form of communication, music has always been used to express opinions about matters of the day.  This class aims to expose learners to this type of expression, while helping them to understand the historical political climate as well as provide potential for learners own self expression through music.  

Week 1 - The course will begin with a quick overview of music as a form of political expression, looking far back into history and events such as the civil war.  Very quickly though, we will move into the more modern decades of expression beginning with an introduction to Woody Guthrie, a pioneer of the American musical protest movement.  

Week two - This week we will turn to the decades of the 1960s and 70s - the era of civil rights, environmental rights, war and peace.  Musicians such as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and the Sex Pistols will be analyzed.  An understanding of the lyrics in the context of the historical events will be studied by the class.  Further, learners will engage in analytical thinking concerning how the music evolved and its influence on its listeners and the greater world events. 

Week three - We will now turn to look at the 80s and 90s - the Cold War, the AIDS epidemic, the 'War on Drugs' to name a few events.  From Rock the Vote and MTVs involvement in organizing young people around causes to the emergence of hip hop and rap to bands such as the Police who explored the fears of a generation dealing with the silent threat of the Cold War, learners will seek to understand how artists were able to express their fears as well as the fears of a generation through music.  

Week four - This week begins an exploration into the music of the early part of this century.  With the cold war behind us and the era of protest music forgotten, it was the Iraq war which re-sparked musical artists to consider politics in music.  From the Black Eyed Peas's 'Where is the Love' to Green Day's 'American Idiot' - from the Dixie Chicks to Pink, we will explore not only the particular music and the events which preceded the artistic expression, but the cross genre experience and how the various artist's followers influenced their musical expression.  

Week five - Learners will explore how political expression has changed over the years and will consider current day events and how artists have found a voice in the complex political era in which we are living.  Exploring various genres from country to pop to international voices, learners will now listen and try to decipher for themselves whether artists of the day are political in nature and how the expression of their feelings and ideals about the world around them has changed from earlier artists of decades gone by.  

Week six - Finally learners will share their final projects, having the opportunity to explore their own ability to express political fears, hopes and concerns through music.  

In order to explore these topics in an interactive and engaged manner, learners will be asked to complete regular weekly assignments which include lyrical analysis, historical analysis, debates, critiques, op eds and more.  Weekly video posts by the instructor as well as the weekly assignments will be provided at 7am Monday morning each week.  

The FLEX format of this course can provide a more personal learning experience between teacher and learner.  As the learner submits assignments, the teacher and learner may engage in discussion either through posts or through asynchronies video posts.  The value in this format is that it can allow for a more individualized attention and interaction.