ETHNMUS M50B
Jazz in American Culture: 1940s to Present
Description: (Same as Global Jazz Studies M50B.) Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Course M50A is not requisite to M50B. Survey of development of jazz in American culture. Discussion of different compositional/performance techniques and approaches that distinguish different sub-styles of jazz from one another, as well as key historical figures that shaped development of jazz from its early years through modern jazz. Important historical social issues (segregation, Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movement) that intersect with history of U.S. and jazz music. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
1 of 1
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2025 - As someone who is very into jazz and writing, I really enjoyed this class! The lectures covered jazz history from early jazz to bebop to cool jazz to jazz fusion to modern jazz and more, and we learned the characteristics of each subgenre. The professor studies Mardi Gras Indian culture and music, so we spent a good chunk of the class covering this as well, especially since Mardi Gras occurs in Winter quarter. The final project is choose-your-own topic, and if you do a creative project you only need to write 1-3 pages (I did a creative project and ended up with 7 pages written simply out of genuine interest in my topic lol). The midterm and final are both very easy as long as you are able to identify and describe the 8-12 jazz songs that he has on a list. In general, I felt I learned a lot about jazz history and was given ample opportunity to nerd out about whatever jazz related topic I wanted through the final project and the written concert observation. The professor is really cool and funny, and he cares a lot about jazz. I honestly wish I could've taken his other jazz course, M50A, for GE credits as well!
Winter 2025 - As someone who is very into jazz and writing, I really enjoyed this class! The lectures covered jazz history from early jazz to bebop to cool jazz to jazz fusion to modern jazz and more, and we learned the characteristics of each subgenre. The professor studies Mardi Gras Indian culture and music, so we spent a good chunk of the class covering this as well, especially since Mardi Gras occurs in Winter quarter. The final project is choose-your-own topic, and if you do a creative project you only need to write 1-3 pages (I did a creative project and ended up with 7 pages written simply out of genuine interest in my topic lol). The midterm and final are both very easy as long as you are able to identify and describe the 8-12 jazz songs that he has on a list. In general, I felt I learned a lot about jazz history and was given ample opportunity to nerd out about whatever jazz related topic I wanted through the final project and the written concert observation. The professor is really cool and funny, and he cares a lot about jazz. I honestly wish I could've taken his other jazz course, M50A, for GE credits as well!
AD
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - If you have any interest in jazz music, I'd recommend taking this class. I took it as a GE, and I discovered some really great music. The 2 hour lectures in the morning can be draining, but usually there's not too much in the way of notetaking. A good chunk of each lecture is taken up by the professor playing a song or a portion from a documentary. The lectures aren't podcasted and the slides aren't posted online though. In terms of workload, it's pretty light. There's a paper due towards the end of the course that was graded pretty generously. You do have to keep track of the songs the professors posts though, as they make up the majority of the exams. In the end, the amount of songs amounted to a little over 80, so it is quite a bit, even though most of them are really enjoyable. I'd suggest making a Spotify/Apple Music playlist for easy studying and listening. Overall, I'd really recommend this class as an easy GE, especially if you have an interest in jazz music.
Winter 2020 - If you have any interest in jazz music, I'd recommend taking this class. I took it as a GE, and I discovered some really great music. The 2 hour lectures in the morning can be draining, but usually there's not too much in the way of notetaking. A good chunk of each lecture is taken up by the professor playing a song or a portion from a documentary. The lectures aren't podcasted and the slides aren't posted online though. In terms of workload, it's pretty light. There's a paper due towards the end of the course that was graded pretty generously. You do have to keep track of the songs the professors posts though, as they make up the majority of the exams. In the end, the amount of songs amounted to a little over 80, so it is quite a bit, even though most of them are really enjoyable. I'd suggest making a Spotify/Apple Music playlist for easy studying and listening. Overall, I'd really recommend this class as an easy GE, especially if you have an interest in jazz music.
AD
1 of 1
