AI 230 - American Popular Song

Institution:

DePaul University

Subject:

Description:

Words and music - put them together and you have a song. In theory it seems pretty simple. Most anyone can wed lyrics and melody to make a song; the task requires no specialized training. Amateurs and professionals alike have written tens of thousands of songs. But the number of long-lasting musical marriages - songs called "standards" - is a much smaller figure. Those magical songs, the ones that have become part of our national heritage, are what this course is designed around. We are going to spend eleven weeks with the great American popular songs, their creators and the people who interpreted them. The era of the great American songbook begins early in the 20th century and extends past World War II. Those are the glory years for composers like Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers, and Lorenz Hart. Their creations: classics such as "Cheek to "Cheek", "Old Man River", "Night and Day", "Things Are Looking Up", "One For My Baby", and "The Lady is a Tramp". These songs - and many more - will be listened to, studied and most of all, enjoyed. We will also examine the American society that spawned this brilliant body of work, and try to explain the songs' staying power. For great songs do not carry an expiration date. By the end of the quarter, anyone who once said that this is "old peoples' music" will be singing a different tune. Competencies: H2G, A5, A1A, aid, A1E. Faculty: Charles DiCola

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.depaul.edu

Phone Number:

(312) 362-8000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Quarter

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