Outline

Overview

Music has been dramatically shaped and reshaped by every major change in communications technology in the 20th century from vinyl discs to spotify. In this unit of study we will analyse such issues as the ways in which the early recording industry transformed jazz, the blues and country music, how the presentation of music on radio and television changed the ways the music industry created new musical celebrities, and the challenges the music industry faces as digital technology transforms the creation, distribution and consumption of music.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Charles Fairchild, charles.fairchild@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Project For Final Project description see Canvas.	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 06 Jun 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 20 Jun 2022	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Article summary Written assignment	25%	Week 04 Due date: 14 Mar 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 Mar 2022	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Represent! Analysing Musical Celebrity Written assignment	20%	Week 09 Due date: 02 May 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 16 May 2022	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project Proposal and Source List Proposal for your final project	0%	Week 11 Due date: 09 May 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 23 May 2022	200-250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Class participation Participation	5%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Weekly Q&A–Lecture Multiple Choice Quiz	10%	Weekly	5 multiple choice questions
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Weekly Q&A–Tutorial Multiple Choice Quiz	10%	Weekly	5 multiple choice questions
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Article summary: You will write a 1000 word analysis of Reebee Garofalo’s article ‘From Music Publishing to MP3: Music and Industry in the 20th Century’ from the journal American Music.
Weekly Q&A–Lecture: A weekly multiple choice quiz about the lecture.
Weekly Q&A–Tutorial: A weekly multiple choice quiz about the weekly readings.
Represent! Analysing Musical Celebrity: You will provide a 1000 word analysis of one article written about a contemporary musician.
Project proposal and source list: By week 11, you will need to have decided on the topic for your final project. You need to submit one paragraph explaining what your topic is and include at least three sources you have consulted in making your decision.
Final project: You will have several choices for your final project.
Class Participation: You are required to attend weekly lectures and tutorials. A ‘satisfactory’ record of attendance’ is an absolute pre-requisite for passing this unit of study. ‘Satisfactory’ requires you to attend a minimum of 20 hours of lectures and 10 tutorials.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.
Credit	65 - 74	Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.
Pass	50 - 64	Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and Overview	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Mediated Music and Social Anxiety (1870s-1910s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Sound Recordings and Radio-1920s	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Microphones, Speakers, and Film (1930s-40s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	The Recording Studio (1890s-1960s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	The Musician Becomes ‘Important’ (1950s-60s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	The Musician Becomes an ‘Artist’ (1960s-70s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	MTV Turns Popular Music Into 'Art’ (1980s-90s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Greatness Gets Set In Stone Forever (1990s-2000s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	The Catastrophe of Napster and ‘Free’ Music (1990s-2000s)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	The ‘Old’ Ways ARE the ‘New’ Ways (2000-2010)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Music Dissolves Into Data (2010-present)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

*THERE WILL BE REQUIRED READINGS EACH WEEK. PLEASE SEE CANVAS FOR THE SPECIFIC REFERENCES AND LINKS TO ACCESS FILES.

Garofalo, Reebee. (1999) ‘From Music Publishing to MP3: Music and Industry in the 20th Century.’ American Music, 17/3, 318-354.

Gerler, Peter. (2019) 'When Jazz Moved to Chicago.' Humanities, Spring 2019, 40/2.

Sager, David. (2019) 'Jazz on the Edge of Change.' New York Times, February 18.

Thompson, Emily. (1995) Machines, Music, and the Quest for Fidelity: Marketing the Edison Phonograph in America, 1877-1925. The Musical Quarterly, 79/1, 131-171.

McCracken, Alison. (1999) ‘ “God’s Gift to Us Girls”: Crooning, Gender and the Re-Creation of American Popular Song, 1928-1933, American Music, 17/4, 365-395.

Horning, Susan. (2000) ‘Chasing Sound: The Culture and Technology of Recording Studios in Postwar America.’ Icon, 6, 100-18.

Kidd, Jenny. (2016) 'Introduction' and Chapter 1 from Representation. London: Routledge, pp. 1-39.

Forman, Murray. (2014) Excerpt from One Night on TV Is Worth Weeks at the Paramount: Popular Music on Early Television. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 17–36.

Beattie, Keith. (2005) ‘It’s Not Only Rock and Roll: “Rockumentary,” Direct Cinema, and Performative Display.’ Australasian Journal of American Studies 24/2, 21-41.

Banks, Jack. (1997) 'Video in the Machine: The Incorporation of Music Video into the Recording Industry.' Popular Music, 16/3, 293-309.

“Billboard Salutes 20 Years of MTV.’ (2001) Billboard, 113/20, July 28.

Weir, Kathryn. (2004) ‘Jump Cut: Music Video Aesthetics.’ In Video Hits: Art and Music Video. Brisbane: Queensland Art Gallery.

Jones, Carys. (2016) Excerpts from The Rock Canon: Canonical Values in the Reception of Rock Albums. London: Routledge.

Mann, Charles. (2001) ‘The Heavenly Jukebox.’ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/ 2000/09/the-heavenly-jukebox/305141/

Pelly, Liz. (2017) ‘The Trouble With Muzak.’ The Baffler, no. 37, December. https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-muzak-pelly

Thompson, Derek. (2014) ‘The Shazam Effect.’ The Atlantic, 17 November. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-shazam-effect/382237/

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. use a range of skills such as the ability to analyse and interpret a wide range of media and the ways in which music appears in these.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

NO INFORMATION ENTERED HERE YET

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MUSC1507: Sounds, Screens, Speakers: Music and Media

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect