Teaching Workshop: Analysing Popular Music Analysing Popular Music
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
The workshop's goal is to provide students with theoretical and practical competences concerning the analysis of popular music's sound artefacts (songs, recorded tracks, albums, music videos). We will have an overview of various analytical methods and techniques and will exercise with practical issues concerning the analysis and the delivery of results via digital tools, e.g. track segmentation, use of sonograms, description/transcription of non-notational events.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the workshop students will have acquired basic notions to analyse the main typologies of artefacts in popular music and will have assimilated the main methodological coordinates to deal with existing theoretical frameworks. Each participant will have personally analysed a case study of their choice agreed upon with the instructor.
Lesson period: Second semester
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Specific information on the delivery modes of the training activities for the academic year 2021/22 will be provided over the coming months, based on the evolution of the public health situation.
Course syllabus
1. Morphology of song
2. Musematic analysis
3. Specificities of the recorded track: functional layers, texture, timbre, sound staging
4. Lyrics
5. Vocal persona
6. Performance
2. Musematic analysis
3. Specificities of the recorded track: functional layers, texture, timbre, sound staging
4. Lyrics
5. Vocal persona
6. Performance
Prerequisites for admission
Reading musical notation, though helpful, is not a prerequisite to access the workshop. It is a prerequisite, however, the knowledge of elements of musical grammar, morphology and theory. Particular cases, situations or queries may be addressed to the instructor before the beginning of the workshop.
Teaching methods
Moments of theoretical explanation will alternate with moments of practical exercise in the classroom or at home, as well as with collective discussions and individual or group presentations. Weekly home assignments may be given.
Teaching Resources
During the workshop we will refer to exemplifying contents, worksheets and texts that will be made accessible through the Ariel platform.
General reference literature (a selection of texts from this list will be assigned as reading material on a weekly basis):
· VINCENZO CAPORALETTI, Swing e groove. Sui fondamenti estetici delle musiche audiotattili, Lucca, LIM, 2014
· WALTER EVERETT, The Foundations of Rock, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
· FRANCO FABBRI, "La canzone". In: Enciclopedia della musica, a cura di Jean-Jacques Nattiez, vol. I, Torino: Einaudi, 2001, pp. 551-576.
· SERGE LACASSE, Listen to My Voice: The Evocative Power of Vocal Staging in Recorded Rock Music and Other Forms of Vocal Expression, Tesi di Dottorato, University of Liverpool, 2000.
· RICHARD MIDDLETON, Studiare la popular music, Milano: Feltrinelli, 1994 [1990]
· ALLAN MOORE, "Come si ascolta la popular music". In: Enciclopedia della musica, a cura di Jean-Jacques Nattiez, vol. I, Torino: Einaudi, 2001, pp. 701-718.
· ALLAN F. MOORE, Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song, Routledge, 2012.
· GIANNI SIBILLA, I linguaggi della musica pop, Milano: Bompiani, 2003.
· PHILIP TAGG, Popular music. Da Kojak al Rave, a cura di Roberto Agostini e Luca Marconi, Bologna: Club, 1994.
· PHILIP TAGG, La tonalità di tutti i giorni, Milano: il Saggiatore, 2009.
· SIMON ZAGORSKY-THOMAS, The Musicology of Record Production, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
General reference literature (a selection of texts from this list will be assigned as reading material on a weekly basis):
· VINCENZO CAPORALETTI, Swing e groove. Sui fondamenti estetici delle musiche audiotattili, Lucca, LIM, 2014
· WALTER EVERETT, The Foundations of Rock, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
· FRANCO FABBRI, "La canzone". In: Enciclopedia della musica, a cura di Jean-Jacques Nattiez, vol. I, Torino: Einaudi, 2001, pp. 551-576.
· SERGE LACASSE, Listen to My Voice: The Evocative Power of Vocal Staging in Recorded Rock Music and Other Forms of Vocal Expression, Tesi di Dottorato, University of Liverpool, 2000.
· RICHARD MIDDLETON, Studiare la popular music, Milano: Feltrinelli, 1994 [1990]
· ALLAN MOORE, "Come si ascolta la popular music". In: Enciclopedia della musica, a cura di Jean-Jacques Nattiez, vol. I, Torino: Einaudi, 2001, pp. 701-718.
· ALLAN F. MOORE, Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song, Routledge, 2012.
· GIANNI SIBILLA, I linguaggi della musica pop, Milano: Bompiani, 2003.
· PHILIP TAGG, Popular music. Da Kojak al Rave, a cura di Roberto Agostini e Luca Marconi, Bologna: Club, 1994.
· PHILIP TAGG, La tonalità di tutti i giorni, Milano: il Saggiatore, 2009.
· SIMON ZAGORSKY-THOMAS, The Musicology of Record Production, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The approval of the workshop is subjected to the delivery of a final assignment, in the form that will be defined during the unfolding of the workshop, which will consist in the analysis of a popular music artefact chosen in agreement with the instructor.
Professor(s)
Reception:
Thursdays, 10:00-13:00, upon appointment. Meetings will either take place in presence or via Microsoft Teams.
Office of the professor, Via Noto 6 (1st floor)