Volume 44, Issue 9. Today is
History class taps foot to a new beat
Rock and roll, like all musical genres, has as many definitions to its name as well as artists, whether they are well known or aspiring. Generally any music that is heard from the fifties or sixties may very well be categorized as rock and roll.
Timeless bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, “The King” Elvis Presley and Dobie Gray with rock and roll hit ‘Drift Away’ are who shaped the rock and roll legacy to what it still is today.
“The history (of rock and roll) is so embedded in the culture of America.” Sue Anne Lucius, chair of the music department at Mesa Community College said.
“With all of the advances in music (over time) and the affect it had on certain people, is what I believe had a huge part in helping (rock and roll) become a valid subject in the 60’s and 70’s. It had such a profound effect on America and what people think and how they feel. It had become an economic boom,” Lucius said.
Rock Music: The Culture is a suggested general studies course for audio production technologies and/or music business at MCC.
The class also takes care of students humanities and historical awareness credits.Lucius said that the course has been around for approximately fifteen years and the study of how rock music was started and how it transpired is why this particular course became an important one to teach.
“The instructor of this class must have a master’s degree in music. They can be an expert in choir or instrumentals as well. They must also, of course, have a love for rock and roll,” Lucius said.
Young adults, who were born during the baby boom era, grew up listening to whatever their parents had playing on the record player.
Remembering hits like Anarchy in the U.S. by the Sex Pistols, Touch and Go; The Cars and more classic rock hits like Hotel California by The Eagles and Bob Dylan’s Blowin in the Wind were a staple in households across America.
“The majority of students listen to rock music or are very aware of this type of music because of what their parents listened to as they were growing up.” Lucius said.
“History, culture, moral, and values are only a few of the concepts we get out of rock and roll. We get what is current in today’s society,” she said.
It is easy for people to relate music to what is happening in their lives at any given moment.
Whether their significant other just broke things off with them, their dog died or they are having thoughts about killing their spouses, “music is the soundtrack to life,” Matthew Thomas, MCC student said.
“Rock and roll music is like life. It can be violent, beautiful, and it stays with you through the good times and the bad.” Thomas said.
Other students believe that the concept of rock and roll music is another life lesson learned.
“I strongly believe that the education of the history of rock and roll in colleges is a profound idea. It will teach you the same life lesson as a philosophy course would, but of course in a different way.” Sara Franco, MCC student said.
“There is just so much that can be learned from rock and roll. I believe that it has a huge impact on how our society is shaped as a whole. I grew up listening to Van Morrison, Johnny Cash, Guns and Roses, and David Bowie,” Franco said.
“I can actually think of a song when it was a hit and remember where I was and what I was going through at that point in my life. It’s a form of reflecting on the past,” Franco said.Students who decide to take Rock Music: The Culture course must walk into the classroom with an open mind and the readiness to expand their musical horizon.
“There is a certain level of comfort for students walking into that classroom,” Lucius said.
“They already know what to expect because they have heard it before, so they know what they are in for. This class entails how music was constructed, who did it and how it has been used as enjoyment or entertainment. It’s accessible. Students will leave at the end of the semester with a greater appreciation of how music is created.” Lucius said.