Outline

Overview

How did the music of enslaved and marginalised people eventually become a dominant force in contemporary popular culture? This unit will examine the local reinvention of a wide variety of African American music in communities around the world. From soul and funk in West Africa to ska and reggae in the Caribbean, we will examine how music moves around the world and within local communities to make new forms of meaning.

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 essay Essay	35%	Formal exam period Due date: 14 Jun 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 Jun 2021	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Listening tests Non-written test	10%	Multiple weeks	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Critical interpretation task Written task	25%	Week 03 Due date: 26 Mar 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 09 Apr 2021	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Musical analysis task Written task	20%	Week 10 Due date: 14 May 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 May 2021	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Class participation, attendance and contribution Participation	10%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Critical interpretation task: You are required to produce a critical interpretation of the excerpts from the first episode of the film Jazz provided to you. You will use Arjun Appadurai’s article ‘Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy.’ You will apply the concepts about globalisation and diaspora found in these articles to these film excerpts.
Muscial analysis task: You will produce an analysis of one or two of the songs presented in the first nine weeks of class. You will be asked to account for the choices made by the musicians and the sounds they created by finding out as much as you can about the song you have chosen to analyse and interpreting this information within the framework established by the lectures and the course readings discussed in class.
Listening tasks: There will be two short listening tests in class. You will be asked two questions about music we have listened to and talked about in class. You will only be asked for very short answers.
Final essay: You will be required to write an analytic essay about a specific aspect of the globalisation of African-American and African-derived styles of popular music. You will choose an area of interest and formulate a research topic that your final essay will examine. Then, you will need to support your claim
or argument or thesis by using a range of evidence, including historical background, social contextualisation and musical analysis.

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	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	The emergence of jazz in the cosmopolitan Caribbean	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Singing the gospel in South Africa	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	The portside bars of the colonial black Atlantic	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	The popular music of west African independence	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Fela Kuti and the Pan-Africanist popular aesthetic	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	The maroon and rhythm and blues roots of ska and reggae	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	From ska to rocksteady to rastafari reggae	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Rastafari reggae and the spread of the dub aesthetic	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Jamaican dancehall and the spread of hip hop	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Hip hop and hiplife across the Black Atlantic	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Total world domination	Lecture and tutorial (2 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 READINGS EACH WEEK THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. CHECK THE COURSE OUTLINE AND THE WEEKLY MODULES.*

Appadurai, A. (1990) ‘Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy.’ Public Culture, 2/2: 1–24.

Denning, Michael. (2015) Excerpts from Noise Uprising: The Audiopolitics of a World Music Revolution. New York: Verso.

Erlmann, V. (1988) ‘“A Feeling of Prejudice”: Orpheus M. McAdoo and the Virginia Jubiliee Singers in South Africa, 1890-1898.’ Journal of Southern African Studies, 14/3: 331-350.

Erlmann, V. (1990) ‘“Singing Brings Joy to the Distressed”: The Early Social History of Zulu Migrant Workers’ Choral Music.’ Ethnomusicology, 34/2: 199–220.

Stewart, Gary. (2000) Excerpts from Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. London: Verso.

Collins, John. (1989) ‘The Early History of West African Highlife Music.’ Popular Music, vol. 8, no. 3, 221-230.

Nigeria Freedom Sounds! Popular Music and the Birth of Independent Nigeria, 1960-63. Liner Notes. Soul Jazz Records. SJR CD341.

Olaniyan, Tejumola. (2001) ‘The Cosmopolitan Nativist: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and the Antinomies of Postcolonial Modernity.’ Research in African Literatures, 32/2: 76-89.

Stewart, Alexander. (2013) ‘Make It Funky: Fela Kuti, James Brown and the Invention of Afrobeat.’ American Studies, vol. 52, no. 4, 99-118.

Mento, Not Calypso: The Original Sound of Jamaica. Liner Notes. Fantastic Voyage. FVDD163.

Calypso: Musical Poetry in the Caribbean, 1955-69. Liner Notes. Soul Jazz Records. SJR CD274.

Putnam, Lara. (2013) Excerpts from Radical Moves: Caribbean Migrants and the Politics of Race in the Jazz Age. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press.

Heathcott, J. (2003) ‘Urban Space and Working-Class Expressions across the Black Atlantic: Tracing the Routes of Ska.’ Radical History Review. Issue no. 87, 183–206.

Veal, M. (2007) Excerpts from Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.

Manuel, P., and W. Marshall. (2006) ‘The Riddim Method: Aesthetic, Practice, and Ownership in Jamaican Dancehall.’ Popular Music, 25/3: 447-70.

Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture. Liner Notes. Soul Jazz Records. SJR CD401.

Cooper, Carolyn. (2004) Excerpt from Sound Clash: Jamaican Dancehall Culture at Large. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Niaah, Sonjah. (2010) Excerpts from Dancehall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto. Ottawa: Ottawa University Press.

Herson, Ben. (2011) ‘A Historical Analysis of Hip-Hop’s Influence in Dakar from 1984-2000.’ American Behavioral Scientist, 55/1: 24–35.

Cho, Glorya. (2010) ‘Hiplife, Cultural Agency and the Youth Counter-Public in the Ghanaian Public Sphere.’ Journal of Asian and African Studies, 45/4: 406–23.

Hsu, Hua. (2011) ‘Seeing Jay-Z in Taipei.’ Daedalus, (Winter): 163–7.

Morgan, M., and D. Bennett. (2011) ‘Hip Hop and the Global Imprint of a Black Cultural Form.’ Daedalus, 140(2): 176-96.

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. communicate their interpretations of a given set of ideas from weekly readings
LO2. construct evidence-based, interpretive arguments about music and present them in written form
LO3. construct inventive and grounded interpretations of music through the use of a range of materials across several disciplines

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

MUSC2666: Global Sound: Drum and Bass, Rhythm and Soul

Semester 1, 2021 [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