Hundreds of people gather each quarter to hear the music. Some of them nod along as the opus progresses, while others shift uncomfortably in the hard seats, ready for the symphony of sound to be over.
This is Ohio State’s History of Rock class.
Music 252 is a “historical survey of American popular music, with emphasis on the twentieth century,” according to OSU’s Web site. It is offered every quarter and is increasingly popular among students who need to fulfill their arts analysis general education requirement, said Joe Panzner, a professor at OSU who will teach the course in the spring.
“It’s interesting, important music in its own right — a testament to the diversity and creativity in popular culture — and it deserves smart analysis,” Panzner said.
The course is constructed like an introductory music theory course and students learn to critique the mechanics of each song. Teachers begin with the influences of rock ‘n’ roll, like jazz and blues, and move forward into modern day.
Joel Glasser, a fourth-year in political science, took the class in winter of 2009 and although he already felt he had a strong knowledge of rock music, he was not fully aware of the genre’s influences.
“I learned a lot about the blues, Robert Johnson,” Glasser said. “Most of the British invasion was heavily influenced by Robert Johnson, like the Rolling Stones were.”
In a world where “The Beatles: Rock Band” is a top-selling video game, the study of rock ‘n’ roll in college seems justified and almost necessary, Glasser said.
“Now I hate The Beatles even more,” he said. “They seemed like a pop group to me and the class reinforced it.”
There are people who argue against teaching rock ‘n’ roll because some think it is easy to learn about the genre, said Graeme Boone, a former Harvard professor who came to OSU in 1997.
The subject does not have to be difficult to be worthwhile, but it is not always an easy A, he said.
The study of rock ‘n’ roll is worthwhile because students are not always exposed to a variety of music, especially in the iPod age, said Boone.
“In 2003, I’d ask my students, ‘Do you know this band, this band, this band?’ and students are excited to say, ‘Yes, yes, yes!'” Boone said. “Now you’re not getting any response. This first-flush excitement has given way to more complacency and boredom and students saying, ‘I don’t really want to listen to this music.'”
Boone is teaching the course this quarter and he said he constantly struggles with the time restrictions because there are so many artists to cover.
“One of the issues with rock music is that you have something in academia in music and in culture, this idea of a canon of work, a set of artworks and musical works that are the benchmarks of quality, and in history,” Boone said. “If you’re trying to grasp reality, it is wrong to exclude things.”
Ultimately, someone will be disappointed that their favorite musician is not covered, Boone said.
“There are always the Led Zeppelin fans who come up to you after class and give you the chance to play more Led Zeppelin,” he said. “Those fans are convinced that Led Zeppelin is the center of world music.”
It is important to look at all kinds of music critically, in spite of bias for or against particular artists, Boone said.
Students tend to shy away from music that their younger siblings listen to, like Linkin Park and even the Spice Girls, but although such musicians have a youthful fan base, some of their songs are very well-crafted, Boone said.
Each teacher has a different style, so a student’s experience will vary based on his professor and teaching assistant.
Panzner compiles his information from a variety of textbooks because he was unable to find one he felt suited the course completely, he said.
He starts every quarter timidly, because he is not a born performer, but by the end is relaxed and enjoying himself, Panzner said.
Boone prefers to avoid videos and photographs in his lectures to allow greater focus on the music itself.
The teaching assistants play an important part in the course as well.
“The recitations were more informative than the lectures because all the lectures were fact-based, and when you got to do recitation, you got to get more in depth about things and ask more specific questions,” Glasser said.
Regardless of the teacher, the class is memorable for both students and teachers.
Boone allows students to hear selections more than once during tests, and once during a final exam, three men asked if they could hear the AC/DC song again, he said.
“I played it again and they were pumping their fists in the air and dancing,” Boone said. “That was a great moment because people’s lives are connected with these brief pieces of music.”
While it is unlikely that rock concerts will resemble performances of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra anytime in the future, OSU’s History of Rock class will teach students to study rock ‘n’ roll the way music majors study classical pieces.
“My goal is for students to appreciate music in the traditional sense of music appreciation,” Boone said.
