Popular Music Studies - 1st semester

Objectives

The aims of the course “Popular Music Studies” are two-fold:
1. To expose the students to the main music genres, styles and musical phenomena associated to what we usually know as “popular music”.
2. To provide an overview of the main concepts, methodologies and research topics pertaining to the interdisciplinary field of Popular Music Studies.
By the term “popular music” we refer to those commercially produced and market-oriented music genres within the Western world.

General characterization

Code

711021078

Credits

6

Responsible teacher

Pedro Alexandre Amendoeira Mendes, Ricardo Miguel Bernardes Andrade

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

None

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%

Subject matter

Week 1: Introduction. Popular Music: Definitions and Research Issues. Week 2: Popular Muysic Histor(ies)y. Week 3: Form and Meaning in Popular Music. Week 4: The Music Industry. Week 5: The Business of Music. Week 6: Covers and Sampling. Week 7: Music & Copyright. Week 8: Music, Technology and the Mass Media. Week 9: Music and Identity (1): Performing Gender, Sexuality and Race. Week 10: The Politics of Popular Music. Week 11: Music and Identity (2): Performing Gender, Sexuality and Race. Week 12: Music Scenes, Reception and Audiences. Week 13: Mediation(s) and Authenticity. Week 14: Fame and Stardom. Weeks 15 e 16: Discussion of student´s research papers.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: