From Jazz to Hip-Hop Overview

From Jazz to Hip-Hop is designed as an exploration of African American musical traditions. Particular attention is paid to the blues and jazz as these were some of the first and most impactful of all forms of popular black music, but also extends to include R&B, rock, soul and hip-hop. The course will focus on the development, evolution and influence of black-associated music making in America, starting with its ephemeral roots in folk music and stage practices in the 1800s. Throughout the semester we will consider the elements of the music that are distinct to African American music-making traditions and address the social and cultural contexts in which these traditions were fostered.

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Course Learning Objectives

By fully participating in this course, you should be able to:

understand the historical development of a wide array of African American popular music making traditions and evaluate the impact of social, political and cultural contexts on the production and reception of these 20th century musical genres.
develop active/critical listening skills in order to classify sound recordings relevant to the course materials by (sub)genre and likely provenance while making inferences as to the work’s social function and cultural significance.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, the student should be able to:

recognize the social, cultural and political conditions under which African American popular music (broadly defined) developed and evaluate how such extra-musical factors contributed to the production and reception of the genre.
analyze jazz, blues, R&B, soul, hip-hop and related recordings, identifying general musical characteristics, genre-specific performance styles, and likely historical period.

Meet the Professor

Dr. Sean Lorre holds a PhD in musicology from McGill University, an MA in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, a BA in music from Syracuse University. His research takes an interdisciplinary perspective on issues of genre formation, identity, representation, and the racial and gender politics of music revival in transatlantic jazz and popular music networks. He has explored these subjects in his recent articles “Rhythm and Bluebeat: ‘Jamaican R&B’ Live and on Record in Early-1960s’ London” (Journal of Popular Music Studies, Sept. 2019) and “‘Mama, He Treats your Daughter Mean’: Reassessing the Narrative of British R&B with Ottilie Patterson” (Popular Music, Dec. 2020).

Sean studied with Lewis Porter, founder of the world's first jazz history grad program and David Brackett, one of the foremost authorities on popular music. As a bassist, Lorre has performed with Grammy-nominated trombonist/arranger Pete McGuinness and, with the group Nebraska in the '90s, opened for rock acts including Gov't Mule, Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jon Fishman. Embedded below is one of Dr. Lorre's favorite recordings that he was a part of (that’s him playing the bass solo melody at the start).

Contact Information

Name: Sean Lorre

Email: sjlorre@mgsa.rutgers.edu (Canvas Inbox communication preferred)

Office hours: Thursdays, 11a-12p and upon request (via Zoom)

Syllabus

Syllabus_234_Jazz to Hip Hop_spring24.pdf

Option 2

New Jersey Option 2 provides students with the opportunity to earn credits in a more personalized and independent manner, rather than the traditional “in-the-seat” course enrollment option. Option 2 offers alternative paths to high school credits that meet or exceed the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and are based on student interest or career goals.

While the final determination of eligibility must be made by the local school district, Rutgers Arts Online will provide documentation demonstrating that our offerings are compliant with the NJ learning standards.

If the course you are interested in is not on this list, use the Contact Us form to request more information.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Mason Gross Arts Online welcomes all NJ residents who are rising Juniors or Seniors in High School to enroll as non-matriculated Option 2 students. Contact your school district to inquire about the application process.

WHY CHOOSE RUTGERS?

100% Online & Asynchronous
Respondus Anti –Cheating Software
Rigorous & Engaging Courses
All course faculty hold PhD, MFA, MusEd, or EdD degrees
One-to-one feedback, Support, and Office Hours in All Courses
College Credits Earned
7 (2 credit) or 14-week (3 credit) courses

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Information for Administrators
Rutgers Arts Online offers several courses that meet New Jersey’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) standards. The syllabi included below may be submitted to a credit or curriculum committee for approval. Additional materials are available upon request

Information for Students and Parents
Approval for Option 2 courses must be obtained through your school district. Please confer with your guidance counselors for the necessary applications and deadlines. Please note that course must be pre-approved by the district if they are to count towards the student’s high school transcript and/or for a high school’s VPA requirement.

DOCUMENTATION FOR APPROVAL

Coming Soon