MUS 1304 - Political Music

Credits: 3 hrs.

This course will examine the musical and political movements that have impacted each other from the time of Beethoven through the emergence of Hip-hop. Topics and time periods that will be covered include: Beethoven and his influence on his contemporary political environment, the Second Reich, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi party and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bob Marley and Rastafarianism, Richard Wagner and political manifesto music, Musical Nationalism, Industrialization and labor music, Protest music from the Vietnam War through Northern Ireland and Chile and Hip-hop and class warfare. Exposure to the music and the impact of performers and composers on the political sphere will be closely examined. Students will participate in creating their own political song based upon their own political beliefs, as well as analyze a political song of their choosing. General Education Course that Satisfies SLO: Critical Thinking; AK: Fine Arts