The course examines the structures of popular music as a social institution. This is done by closely examining the development and organization of the music (including radio and video) business and audiences. Of importance to us is the communication of these structures and the myths that support them.

Goals:

To examine the context and meaning of "popular" :
        as a product of the mass society,
        as low culture,
        as structural-economic,
        in the post-structural society.
To examine the structure of the music business.
To examine the organizing and communicative powers of music in everyday life.
To examine music use in socio-emotional development and social identification.

Texts:

Required Readings:

Attali, J. (1988). Noise: The political economy of music. University of Minnesota Press.
Ennis, P.H. (1994). The seventh stream: The emergence of rocknroll in American popular music. Wesleyan University Press.

Recommended:

Rose, T. (1994). Black noise. Wesleyan University Press.
Various Authors (see schedule)

Assignments:

Presentations of Assigned Readings, 50%
"Institute for the Study of Music in Everyday Life." 50%

The student will establish a research project on the use of music or music technology (tapes, videos) by a particular group of listeners. A thesis must guide the project. Presentations of projects will cover the last week of the course.