Rock and Roll: Origins to Present Online

How does a musical genre such as rock become a cultural force bringing about social, sartorial, and political change? How does our sense of identity—race, gender, class, etc.—influence the music we listen to? What roles do technology and commerce play in shaping local and global ideas of popular music? In short, how and why did rock ‘n’ roll transform the world?

This class broadly explores the history of rock music from a wide array of perspectives, covering the period from its early beginnings to rockabilly, soul, metal, punk, and many other subgenres throughout the second half of the 20th century.

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Course Learning Objectives

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

1. Understand the historical development of rock 'n' roll.
2. Evaluate the impact of social, political and cultural contexts on the production and reception of one of the most popular and influential musical genres of the twentieth century.
3. Analyze pre-rock, rock 'n' roll and related recordings/performances, identifying general musical characteristics, genre-specific performance styles, and likely historical period.
4. Assess the relationship between recordings/performances and their broader historical, social, cultural and technological contexts.

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_235_Rock_sp24_90-1.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