Black Sabbath and The Sex Pistols made Elvis and the Beatles seem quaint; Marilyn Manson and Bad Religion could outsmart Miley and Bieber six ways from Sunday. To what cultural; social; and psychological (or psychotropic) events are the “heaviest” of the musical genres responding? Must social distortion be loud? Has that disruptive vision been diluted? What should a rebellion sound like today? This course combines an exploration of harder-edged music genres with analysis of the psychological underpinnings of their artists and fans. Students will be exposed to a variety of relevant genres and will introduce new artists to the class each week via scheduled presentations. Psychological theorists; such as Jung; Freud; and Adler; will play a prominent role in discussions about the appeal of said genres; the sense of community developed by their devotees; and the alleged role of heavy music in violence and mental illness. Students will also construct a personal music profile; a multimedia work detailing their genre and artist preferences and their personal/psychological origins.
Prerequisites
Be in the Honors Program