Humanities (HUMN) 420

Overview

Anglo-American Popular Music Traditions examines the genesis and development of various folk and other popular music traditions in Britain and North America before World War I. Among the topics studied are English and Scottish ballads and folk lyrics, broadside ballads, industrial song, music hall, the transformation of Anglo-Celtic folk music when transplanted to North America, indigenous American folk music, Afro-American musical forms, spirituals, early blues, minstrel shows, and ragtime.

This course is designed for students in the last year of their degree program. It should normally be attempted only by students who have already completed six credits in the history of popular music (such as HUMN 285 and HUMN 286 or their equivalent at another university). It does not require more than a basic knowledge of music theory and terminology, but it is not an introductory course and it does demand a high level of reading and writing skills. Students are expected to make extensive use of library materials to complete the reading and written assignments.

Outline

Anglo-American Popular Music Traditions is divided into the following twelve units:

Unit 1: Old High Cultures? The Origins and Styles of Traditional Music

Unit 2: British Folk Music Traditions I: Ceremonial Songs and Narrative Ballads

Unit 3: British Folk Music Traditions II: Lyrical Songs and Later Ballads

Unit 4: North America and the Debt to Africa

Unit 5: Forms of Popular Music in America, 1620-1880

Unit 6: Parlour Music

Unit 7: Concert Music and the Music-Hall in Victorian England

Unit 8: Community Music in Victorian England

Unit 9: Politics, Patriotism, Social Comment, and Industrial Song

Unit 10: Africa and the Origins of the Blues

Unit 11: The Influence of the Blues in Popular Music

Unit 12: Ragtime

Evaluation

To receive credit for HUMN 420, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the examination. A supplemental final exam is available. Weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Essay 1	Essay 2	Final Exam	Total
30%	35%	35%	100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the HUMN 420 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the entire challenge examination.

Part I: Exam	Part II: Exam	Total
50%	50%	100%

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form