Popular Music Studies
Code
711021078
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências Musicais
Credits
6
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The course has three main aims:
a) To expose the students to the main music genres, styles and musical phenomena associated to what we usually know as popular music;
b) To provide an overview of the main concepts, methodologies and research topics pertaining to the interdisciplinary field of Popular Music Studies;
c) To promote the development of critical analysis through the reading of scholarly articles and the analysis of contemporary popular culture objects and artifacts.
Prerequisites
None
Subject matter
1. Introduction. Popular Music: issues and definitions;
2. Popular Music Studies today;
3. The music industry;
4. The music business;
5. Covers and copyright;
6. Music, technology and mass media;
7. Form and meaning in popular music;
8. Music and race;
9. Sex, gender and sexuality in Popular Music;
10. Music and politics;
11. Reception and audiences;
12. Authenticity and mediatization;
13. Fame and stardom.
Bibliography
Bennett, A., Shank, B. &
Toynbee, J. (Eds.) (2006). The
Popular
Music
Studies
Reader.
New
York: Routledge.
Frith, S. (2004).
Popular
Music.
Critical
Concepts
in
Media
and
Cultural
Studies. New
York: Routledge.
Hesmondalgh, D. & Negus, K. (eds). (2002). Popular
Music
Studies.
London:
Arnold.
Moore, A. (Ed.) (2003). Analyzing
Popular
Music.
New
York:
Cambridge
University
Press.
Shuker, R. (2001).
Understanding
Popular
Music.
New
York:
Routledge.
Teaching method
The course will include lectures and discussions as well as occasional creative or experimental in-class projects. Students will undertake a semester project and help direct discussion of one or more texts during the course.
Evaluation method
The final grading will be the result of the joint evaluation of all the activities carried out during the course, with the following proportions:
1) Final project: 40%
2) Critical review: 30%
3) Class participation and continuous evaluation: 30%