class policies
intro
A multimedia exploration of the unique African American
art form known as the blues. Starting with the earliest
African influences and folk elements of the American
South, the first half of this seminar will explore the
lives and recordings of early musicians who helped
create and shape this original musical art form. In the
second half, we will focus primarily on the migration of
African Americans from the rural South to the
industrialized North and the subsequent development of
the electric blues, rhythm and blues, rock, and hip hop.
Within the context of this course, students will learn
various college "survival techniques" and life skills
(e.g., time management, stress management) how to use
the library and locate media, and hopefully, what it
means to be a part of a diverse and engaging academic
community.
This class is being offered as part of a learning
community with
Dr. Lorena Russell's LANG 120-004.
grading/assignments
Musician search
assignment - Contribute to the
East Coast
Piedmont Blues Site by researching and writing
about a blues musician from our region.
|
30% of final
grade |
Research paper
- "Signifying the Blues" done in
conjunction with Dr. Russell's LANG 120. See
Dr.
Russell's syllabus
for details.
|
30% of final grade |
Creative writing
assignment - Compose a Blues
(link to student mp3's)
|
10% of final
grade |
2 written
responses to reading/listening/viewing
|
10% of final grade
(or 5% each) |
2 written
responses to outside
musical/cultural events
|
10% of final grade
(or 5% each) |
Overall creativity, enthusiasm,
and participation
|
10% of final grade |
| 93-100 |
A |
| 85-92 |
B |
| 77-84 |
C |
| 69-76 |
D |
| < 68 |
F |
attendance
Since we will meet only once a week for 2 1/2 hours, you are expected
to attend each class meeting. If you must miss class due to illness,
personal crisis, etc., email your instructor ahead of
time. For each "unexcused absence" you will be
docked a point from your 10-point participation grade.
readings
Assigned readings available through
Ramsey
Library Course Reserves:
Charters, Samuel B. The Poetry of the Blues.
New York: Oak Publications, 1963.
Cone, James H. The Spirituals and the Blues: An
Interpretation. New York: Orbis Books, 1991.
Ferris, William. Blues From the Delta. New
York: Da Capo, 1984.
Jones, LeRoi (Amiri Baraka). Blues People: Negro Music in White
America. New York: Perennial, 2002.
Palmer, Robert. "The Church of the Sonic Guitar."
South Atlantic Quarterly 90 (Fall 1991): 649-73.
Sackheim, Eric, comp. The Blues Line: A Collection
of Blues Lyrics. New York: Schirmer Books, 1975.
listening
See the recommended
listening list
viewing
We're going to watch some great stuff in class...
Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey.
New York: PBS Home Video, 2003. UNCA DVD
Feel Like Going Home. Directed by Martin
Scorsese.
The Soul of a Man. Directed by Wim Wenders.
Warming by the Devil's Fire. Directed by Charles
Burnett.
Red, White & Blues. Directed by Mike Figgis.
Godfathers and Sons. Directed by Marc Levin.
American Folk Blues Festival, Vols. 1, 2, & 3.
(DVD; Sinclair copies)
Piedmont Blues: North Carolina Style. A North Carolina Now
Special. UNC-TV. (Sinclair copy)
Folkways: Piedmont Blues. Hosted by David Holt. A
production of UNC-TV (Sinclair copy)
Sweet Old Song (Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong).
Produced and directed by Leah Mahan. Two Cents
Productions. New York: Filmaker's Library, 2001. UNCA
VIDEO CASS ML419.A757 S9 2001
Blues Up the Country: The Country Blues Guitar Legacy. Vestapol Productions ; Cambridge, MA : Distributed by
Rounder Productions, 1995. (DVD; Sinclair copy).
Performances by Furry Lewis, Josh White, Rev. Gary Davis
and others.
Devil Got My Woman: Blues at Newport 1966. Featuring Skip
James, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Rev. Pearly Brown, Bukka
White. Cambridge, Mass.: Vestapol Productions, 1996.
(DVD; Sinclair copy)
Deep Blues: A musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads.
Robert Mugge; Robert Palmer. New York : Fox Lorber
CentreStage, 1999. (Sinclair copy; DVD)
Out of the Blacks, Into the Blues. Neyrac Film. Newton,
N.J. : Yazoo Video, 1992. UNCA VIDEO CASS ML3521 .O88
1992 pt.1-2
The Search for Robert Johnson. New York: Sony Music
Entertainment, 1992. UNCA DVD ML420.J735 S4 1992
Can't you hear the wind howl?: The life & music of
Robert Johnson. Sweet Home Pictures. A Peter Meyer
film. Los Angeles, CA: Shout! Factory; New York, NY:
Sony Music Entertainment, 1997. UNCA DVD ML420.J735 C36
1997
Muddy Waters: Can't Be Satisfied. Produced and directed by
Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon. New York: Wellspring
Media, 2002. UNCA DVD
Rev. Gary Davis and Sonny Terry: Masters of the Country
Blues. Yazoo Video, 2001. UNCA DVD
Mance Lipsomb and Lightnin' Hopkins: Masters of the
Country Blues. Yazoo Video, 1991. UNCA DVD
Jazz Casual: B.B. King. Rhino Home Video (Sinclair copy;
DVD)
Scratch. Directed and edited by Doug Pray. Produced by
Brad Blondheim and Ernest Meza, New York : Palm
Pictures, 2002. UNCA DVD ML3531 .S373 2002 (2 DVDs)
Doc Watson: Rare Performances, 1963-1981.
Cambridge, MA: Vestapol/Rounder Records, 2003. UNCA DVD
ML 3545 .A317 W38 2002
Wild Women Don't Have the Blues. Calliope
Films, Inc. San Francisco: California Newsreel, 1989.
UNCA VIDEO CASS
The Blues Brothers. John Lee Hooker/Maxwell
Street clip.
links
East Coast Piedmont Blues.
http://facstaff.unca.edu/sinclair/piedmontblues/
Country Blues v. City Blues.
http://facstaff.unca.edu/sinclair/colloquia/countrycity.html
Blues Maps.
http://facstaff.unca.edu/sinclair/colloquia/bluesmaps.html
NPR Story: "Mississippi Delta's Economy, Way of
Life Fading" (w/Delta map).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4675562
The Blues @ PBS.
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/
Michael Taft's
Pre-War Blues Lyrics.
http://www.dylan61.se/taft.htm Music Maker
Relief Foundation.
http://www.musicmaker.org
Stefan Wirz's American Music.
http://www.wirz.de/music/american.htm
Dr. William Ferris's Southern Music Syllabus -
Great additional readings.
http://www.unc.edu/courses/2002fall/hist/100/001/index.html
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Last updated 26 October 2005. Comments to Bryan Sinclair, sinclair@bulldog.unca.edu
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