rhetoric, writing, and technology

Course Description

Thought I'd throw out this quick description of one of my courses next fall. Though it doesn't say so, I'm thinking about having students set up individual blogs. Any thoughts or feedback from anyone out there, especially about readings, is greatly appreciated.

334 Critical Approaches to Popular Music

This course will focus on interpreting popular music from the perspective of literary and cultural theories. The course will emphasize close listening for song structure, tempo, and instrumentation; analyzing how the song addresses its audience rhetorically and emotionally; examining how lyrics rhyme and repeat to produce rhetorical effects; discussing the cultural contexts that have bearing on the music and the social ramifications of the music; and engaging the relationship between technology and fan culture. Students will be expected to do the readings diligently, write weekly in response to readings and to music, do in class presentations, select music for class analysis, and produce a final research and critical analysis paper on a song, album, artist, or genre of their choice.

Posted by: bhawk at 19:07 | link | comments (3)
music

NIN opens things up

Just came across this: Nine Inch Nails Sells Out Of $300 Album While Offering Free Music Online.

After Reznor put out a track in Garage Band so people could remix it in 2005, and then put out a remix CD with one disc of remixes and another disc with all of the songs in Garage Band and other formats so fans could remix them in 2007, I guess putting out an album online is the next step. If nothing else, this should prove interesting. At least it shows that my manifesto that is coming out in Kairos this summer didn't overestimate Reznor's position.  

Posted by: bhawk at 22:05 | link | comments (1)
music, new media

Spring Break

What I'm reading:

• Harman, Tool-Being and Guerilla Metaphysics
• Heidegger, "Building, Dwelling, Thinking" and "The Thing"
• Schurmann, On Being and Acting
• Baudrillard, The Gulf War Did not Take Place

What I'm listing to:

• Black Light Burns, Cruel Melody
• Bjork, Volta (Declare Independence!)

What I'm watching:

• Madness

Posted by: bhawk at 21:42 | link | comments (1)
whatever

Goin' Dancin'

Posted by: bhawk at 22:13 | link | comments
whatever

Small Tech

My blogging has been minimal at best. Just too much going on. But I haven't let it go completely. One of my edited collections finally came out so I thought I'd throw out the cover, which turned out well. Here's the Amazon page.

Posted by: bhawk at 14:26 | link | comments (4)
whatever, announcements