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New and Updated Course Descriptions

MUS 120 - Jazz in American Society

3 Credits

A survey course in the evolution of jazz in America. Historical significances are identified and traced from rhythmic work songs and spirituals of the late 1800s through avant-garde jazz of the 1970s. Specific concentration as to personalities and musical styles occurs for the major eras and trends in jazz; e.g., Ragtime, Dixieland, Swing, Bebop, Progressive, Modern, Third Stream, Rock, Jazz.

SUNY General Education: SUNY-H - Humanities (SHUM)

MCC General Education: MCC-AH - Arts and Humanities (MAH)

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Aurally identify the major eras in jazz history: Early New Orleans Jazz > Swing > Bebop > Cool > Hard Bop > Free Jazz > Fusion > Contemporary
2. Focus listening skills to hear and describe the music on multiple levels including meter, instrumentation, texture, and tempo.
3. Differentiate the sounds of two different voices on the same instrument. An example of this would be the two tenor saxophone players Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. By listening to and discussing recordings of these two musicians, the students learn how to hear the differences in their tone, vocabulary and phrasing.
4. Evaluate the correlation between sociological developments in American society and artistic developments in jazz music.
5. Appraise and discuss the three stages (imitation, assimilation, innovation) of mastering any verbal, musical or artistic language.

Course Offered Fall

Use links below to see if this course is offered:
Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2024
Summer Session 2024