TeachRock

Overview

For a brief time, Rock and Roll seemed almost to be building its own utopia. In late sixties Rock and Roll culture in particular, the walls erected in the wider world – between the races, between men and women, between nations – seemed to collapse. The record collections of the young Rock and Roll audience often included R&B, Hard Rock, Blues, Pop, Jazz, Country, and more. Free Form FM radio mirrored this eclectic but inclusive approach to music by creating inventive playlists unbound by genre. And, then, as the “Fragmentation” crept in, the old walls seemed to reassert themselves. Fan communities, radio formats, and, indeed, even personal record collections came to be defined by genre. Hard lines were drawn. Punks defined themselves in opposition to the fans of arena rock groups like Led Zeppelin. Grunge borrowed from Heavy Metal but, more adamantly still, refused the theater of Heavy Metal. Radio was again split down racial lines. If Rock and Roll culture, in the broad sense, had been connected with youth culture as a whole, and this brought different genres and traditions into dialogue with one another, now Rock and Roll culture grew increasingly fragmented. It wouldn’t mean the end of the music. But some of the promise of late sixties Rock and Roll was, for the moment, compromised.

Note

It is recommended that teachers introduce the Capstone Project: Hometown Documentaries at the beginning of Unit Four.

The Hometown Documentaries project offers teachers and students the opportunity to embark upon a research project that explores the musical history of, and breathes life into their hometown.  The Hometown Documentaries Capstone Project offers a dynamic, hands-on way for students to explore local history through music. Completed films shine in students’ portfolios, demonstrating their ability to work in groups, organize and finish a major project, and apply scholarly concepts to real-world tasks.

1. The Roots of Heavy Metal
2. Mainstream Metal, Parental Advisories, and Censorship
3. Introducing Glam Rock
4. Glam: The Return of the Teenager
5. The Roots of Progressive Rock
6. The New York City Underground
7. Funk Asserts Itself
8. The Rise of Disco
9. Punk as Reaction
10. Introducing New Wave
11. Reagan and the Cold War: A Document-Based Question
12. The Emergence of Grunge
13. The Roots of Hip Hop
14. Divergent Paths in the 1990s: Gangsta Rap and Conscious Hip Hop
15. Chicana Punk and the Chicano Movement
16. Considering the Future of Rock and Roll

Teachers are encouraged to allow students to select which of these assessments they would like to complete to demonstrate their understanding of Fragmentation

1. Create an illustrated timeline which depicts the key events and people that you have learned about in this unit.
2. Select one artist or group highlighted in this unit and create an infographic which describes their impact and trajectory.
3. Write an essay which reflects on the emergence of new musical genres such as Grunge, Heavy Metal, and Hip Hop. How do these genres of music reflect the times in which they rose to popularity?
4. Create four concert posters that reflect the importance and influence of each of the following genres:

• 1. Grunge
  2. Heavy Metal
  3. Rap
  4. Hip-Hop