Dissertation Index
Author: Rosenberg, Nancy E. Title: From Rock Music to Theory Pedagogy: Rethinking U.S. College Music Theory Education from a Popular Music Perspective Institution: Boston University Begun: September 2005 Completed: January 2010 Abstract: Popular music today permeates American youth culture and society at large to an unprecedented extent, disseminated through information technology and a vibrant concert and club culture. Nevertheless, the subject of popular music remains slow to infiltrate mainstream academic music discourse, especially discussions of music pedagogy. In the case of music theory, there is a discrepancy between popular music discourse on one hand, and pedagogical practice that excludes popular music on the other. In the absence of relevant training and materials, instructors desiring to include popular music in music theory curricula do so in relative isolation, often casually, and/or to a very limited extent. Along with practical concerns, unresolved philosophical questions further impede development of a coherent vision for including popular music in the undergraduate music theory curriculum. This philosophical study explores numerous issues around the intersection of popular music and beginning music theory education. Its three parts progress from the general to the specific. Part One considers current music theory and theory pedagogy through an historical lens, clarifying reasons for the disciplines’ neglect of popular music. Part Two grapples with major issues around popular music’s inclusion in today’s college music theory. Traditional textbooks serve to introduce primary themes relating to music theory content and methodology, as philosophical perspectives on popular music’s role in music education are considered. Turning to current practice, several theory textbooks that include popular music content to varying degrees are examined, along with relevant research on the pedagogical implications of popular music and its learning processes. Finally, Part Three offers original lessons and ideas for approaching core theoretical concepts through popular music. Throughout, areas of convergence and divergence between classical and popular styles are explored with the aim of developing fresh, experientially based approaches to presenting popular music alongside art music repertoire in teaching beginning music theory. While this study focuses primarily on past and current rock-influenced popular music, it will serve as a useful tool for music educators wishing to expand the boundaries of traditional music theory pedagogy to include any and all styles of popular music as a means of imparting core music theory concepts. Keywords: popular music, popular music theory, pop music theory, rock, music theory, music theory pedagogy, music pedagogy, music education, music theory education, college music, teaching music theory TOC: Part One: Historicizing the Status Quo: Where Music Theory Came From, and Why it Neglects Popular Music One Introduction Two Traditional Music Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice in Historical Perspective Three Popular Music Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice in Historical Perspective Part Two: Acknowledging a Popular Music Perspective: Philosophical and Practical Concerns Four Integrating Popular Music into Undergraduate Music Theory Education: Philosophical Foundations Five Breaking Ground: Popular Music in Current Music Theory Textbooks and Classroom Instruction Part Three Where to Begin? Integrating Popular Music into the Undergraduate Music Theory Classroom Six Popular Music in the College Music Theory Class I: Rhythm and Meter, Melody and Scales Seven Popular Music in the College Music Theory Class II: Harmony, Form, Texture and Beyond Conclusion Appendices Notes Bibliography Contact: 26 Hawthorne Avenue Barrington, Rhode Island 02806 nerosenb@gmail.com 401-439-7696 |