Starting this Spring term, the music department has introduced a series of Music History courses featuring jazz, blues, and rock-n-roll. Perhaps the most welcomed amongst them all, the course, “An Exploration of  Rock-N-Roll” received recent praise from the students who took the class; conversations about Rock extended outside the classroom, and students had music from the class added to their playlist as their “daily driver.” 

The course does not require any prerequisites. “As long as you’re interested in rock, you are welcomed to join the appreciation,” said Dr. Bouldin, the teacher of the course. “This course will be more history-centered, instead of music-centered, so interest is definitely welcomed.” This is an important aspect of the course, as it invites students who might not be so familiar with music knowledge to also learn about rock as well; it is obvious that this feature of the course was successful as the course was already full with 14 students.

During a typical class, students examine the history and evolution of rock music through analysis, cultural and historical alignment, and listening to music. However, the most unique aspect of the course is its intention to encourage students to discuss how the music and the musicians impacted society. “We will have a very interesting discussion about how society interacts with rock, and we will also talk about how modern society is impacted by rock,” said Dr. Bouldin. “The engagement is really high as I even hear students talk about them during lunch!” 

Given the strong student response, the music department is considering widening the genre of music discussed in these music history courses. When asked about which genre to include, Dr. Bouldin said,“ Students have come up to suggest that we include country and pop music as a course for example, and we are definitely going to consider that. Be sure to expect more courses to come as we are also really thrilled that students are so hyped about it.”