MUSC 465: MUSIC, TELEVISION AND AMERICAN CULTURE



MUSC 465: MUSIC, TELEVISION AND AMERICAN CULTURE

JON BURLINGAME, ADJUNCT ASST. PROFESSOR burlinga@usc.edu

syllabus, spring 2012

Catalog description: An exploration of the social and cultural impact of music written for, popularized by, or exploited by American television from the 1950s through today. (Two 2-hour classes per week; four unit course.)

Required course reader consisting of journal articles and book chapters to be assigned throughout the semester. Available from University Readers, , (800) 200-3908.

Grade breakdown:

a. Midterm exam (week 9). One-third of final grade.

b. One 2,000-word term paper (due week 12, specifics to be discussed): One-third of final grade. (Grade reduced for every day papers are late.)

c. Final exam: One-third of final grade.

Office hours: By appointment only, my office (LPB 125), usually Tues./ Thurs. 3-4 p.m.

Disability:

Any student requesting academic accomodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accomodations can be obtained from DSP. DSP is located in STU 301; (213) 740-0776.

Week 1:

Course overview; historical context for music presentations on television.

Classical music on TV: Toscanini conducts NBC Symphony in 1948; Amahl and the Night Visitors first TV opera in 1951. Omnibus, outstanding cultural program, introduces Leonard Bernstein to TV; he hosts series of Young People’s Concerts, explaining classical music to children, starting in 1957. Later, Live From Lincoln Center, Evening at Pops frequently present classical and opera performers.

Week 2:

Walt Disney’s widespread cultural impact begins with Disneyland in 1954, including Davy Crockett craze; marketing of Annette Funicello in the late 1950s and launch of Richard and Robert Sherman as popular songwriters. Mickey Mouse Club later revived, introducing Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake.

Fifties TV as destination for popular music: flashy pianist Liberace becomes TV star in 1952, bandleader Lawrence Welk in 1955. Racism issues with Nat King Cole in 1956; Frank Sinatra tries TV; others.

Week 3:

Role of The Ed Sullivan Show in presenting popular music: Elvis Presley in 1956-57, The Beatles in 1964-65. Sullivan as showcase for other 1960s rock artists: The Rolling Stones, Janis Jopln, Simon & Garfunkel, Beach Boys, Motown artists, etc. Censorship of rock lyrics and subjects (Bob Dylan, The Doors, Rolling Stones).

Week 4:

Broadway on TV: Sullivan showcases now-classic Broadway musicals. Original musicals for TV include Cinderella (Rodgers & Hammerstein), Aladdin (Cole Porter), Evening Primrose (Sondheim). Classics later restaged for TV (Annie, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, etc.). Tony Awards shows offer more contemporary Broadway casts on TV.

Rock ‘n’ roll on TV: American Bandstand begins in Philadelphia 1952, Dick Clark joins in 1956, goes network in 1957.

Week 5:

Hullabaloo, Shindig, Where the Action Is, other TV showcases for pop and rock; syndicated series hosted by Lloyd Thaxton and others.

Variety shows of the ‘60s and their role in keeping MOR radio alive: Judy Garland, Andy Williams, Perry Como, etc. More significant: ‘60s music specials featuring Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand.

Week 6:

The Monkees (1966-68) adapts Beatles concept and film imagery to small screen; later The Partridge Family follows model of TV-created rock ‘n’ roll group; both turn into real rock careers for the Monkees and David Cassidy. Saturday-morning cartoon shows feature rock ‘n’ roll.

Rock artists use television to reach new audiences: Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special, Harry Nilsson’s animated The Point in 1971. Rock on TV in the ‘70s: Midnight Special, In Concert, Saturday Night Live, etc.

Week 7:

Jazz makes infrequent appearances on TV; noteworthy programs include Ray Anthony Show in 1956, Duke Ellington’s A Drum Is a Woman in 1957, Seven Lively Arts in 1957, Miles Davis in 1959.

Week 8:

Henry Mancini’s groundbreaking jazz score for Peter Gunn (1958) influences crime/detective shows and movies. Earle Hagen writes memorable themes (Andy Griffith Show, Dick Van Dyke Show), creates business model for composers in TV that is still the industry standard. TV themes become cultural touchstones that resonate decades later in other contexts (Dragnet, Twilight Zone, etc.). Eventually Mike Post updates the sound of TV underscore (Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues, LA Law).

Week 9:

Sesame Street, Mister Rogers and Schoolhouse Rock: Musical influences on children in the 1960s and 1970s.

Midterm exam.

Week 10:

Soul and R&B on TV: Motown on Sullivan, Soul on public TV, Soul Train in syndication in the ’70s and ’80s. Motown 25 special showcases Michael Jackson, Diana Ross.

Folk and country music on TV, from Tex Ritter in the ’50s to Johnny Cash in the ‘60s, Hee Haw in the ‘70s and Garth Brooks in the ‘90s: presentations evolve from cornpone jokes to big-budget specials, acknowledging much wider popularity for country than previously believed.

Week 11:

Launch of MTV in 1981 alters American pop culture: how young people perceive and acquire music, music industry (marketing artists and music), even the movie business (Flashdance, Top Gun, other Bruckheimer-Simpson films). Eventual decline of MTV as rock-video destination in favor of non-video programming.

Live Aid in 1985: the ultimate collaboration of rock and television for a good cause? Live 8, the 2005 followup and its disastrous airing on MTV.

Week 12:

Miami Vice (1984): “MTV Cops” concept incorporates video-style editing, interpolates contemporary songs, commissions trendy synthesizer score. Other TV series follow model.

Music in TV commercials evolves from traditional (Magnificent Seven to sell Marlboros) to surprising rock-group sellouts (Rolling Stones for Microsoft, Led Zeppelin for Cadillac) and even TV themes (Star Trek for Hummer, etc.)

Week 13:

Late ‘80s-early ‘90s broadcast TV expands musical horizons with greater song licensing, especially on breakthrough shows like The Wonder Years, thirtysomething, Ally McBeal.

Growth of cable offers artists new video venues, greater artistic freedom than broadcast TV (Bette Midler, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Simon & Garfunkel reunion, Britney Spears, Usher, etc.).

Week 14:

TV in the ’90s and beyond: Indie bands and alt-rock go mainstream as songs licensed for themes and dramatic punctuation. The O.C., Grey’s Anatomy: Television as vehicle for breaking new bands. Music supervision as aesthetic choice or marketing bonanza? HBO’s The Sopranos eschews traditional soundtrack in favor of pop and rock songs.

Week 15:

Reincarnated favorites: American Idol as Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour for modern audiences. Dancing With the Stars another high-rated throwback to old TV traditions.

The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy as cultural Mobius strip: References to pop music and culture take on fresh meanings as animated shows become their own cultural phenomena.

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