Jazz: America’s Musical Identity

QLC 250
Online Instruction

Course Description
Ideally, this course will make you think about how complex ideas
regarding Identity are reflected in the history of Jazz.

Jazz: America’s Musical Identity: This course introduces the origins and musical
components of jazz and the contributions of its major artists. Throughout the course,
we will discuss how musicians developed a personal style, how those styles influenced
the jazz idiom and how jazz became one of the first major art forms that was distinctly
American. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate skills in listening to different
jazz styles, understanding the historical importance of key jazz artists and display an appreciation for
the defining role jazz has on American culture

Your Instructor: Molly Brown; M.Mus

Email: brownm5@queens.edu Office Hours: By appointment only
Hi! I’m Professor Molly Brown and I teach adjunct at Queens University. I teach in several learning
communities throughout the school year as well as the Jazz Ensemble and Low Brass lessons. Apart
from my teaching, I am a professional musician and play locally in Charlotte, primarily jazz/rock
styles on my tuba and trombone. I reside with my young daughter, my husband, two sweet dogs and
three bad cats.

Your week will often consist of…

1 2 3 4
ONLINE LECTURES HOMEWORK DISCUSSIONS READINGS
Discussion forums are Readings are selected
used to explore to illustrate abstract
Lectures are designed Homework supports
concepts and concepts of music by
to introduce and the lessons by further
perceptions of race way of an expert of
explain key concepts, examining via readings,
while referencing past autographical
artists and songs. podcasts or videos.
material as evidence. perspective.

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“"My music is the spiritual expression of what I
am — my faith, my knowledge, my being....”-
John Coltrane

Required Text

“Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History” by Robert Walser

In this anthology of 62 widely varied pieces written between 1917 and 1995, musicologist and
educator Robert Walser draws his sights on not so much the history of jazz per se, but the many ways
in which this music has been perceived and regarded in print over the years. Some of the issues
discussed by the various contributors range from the immorality and crudity of jazz as compared
with European classical music, the role of ethnic pride in the music’s origin, race relations and
bigotry, gender prejudice, the longstanding controversy regarding aesthetics versus mass appeal,
jazz’s role as both the voice of the common man and as a democratizing force abroad, the
relationships and conflicts between stylistic genres, the roles played by white musicians and critics in
an African-American art form, structured versus “free” jazz, straight-ahead versus “pop” jazz, the
growing problems of inclusivity in terms of defining the music’s boundaries, jazz as folk art or
“America’s classical music,” the need for a non-European, African-American-based cultural
understanding in the appraisal of jazz traditions and techniques, and the directions in which jazz
may be headed in an age of irreconcilable philosophical positions.

THE CREATIVE ELEMENT ASSIGNMENT

Jazz as a Mirror

How does Jazz History teach us about Identity?

How are those lessons relevant to today?

Our Creative Element will explore those questions as we

create musical identity maps!

Guidelines to Follow!

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 OUR LEARNING COMMUNITY: THE QUEST FOR YOUR IDENTITY
INTEGRATIVE ASSIGNMENT

Who and what defines our identity?

Who and what shapes our identity? What’s the relationship between the self and the social
groups to which we belong? This learning community explores the complex question of human
identity through four different disciplines: biology, music, literature, and religious studies.
Together, we’ll examine the factors that influence us and the choices we make as we claim our
sense of self.

The integrative project asks students to study a complex question about identity from at least two
different perspectives represented in the four learning community courses. Students will work
both individually and in groups to address a common question through a series of scaffolded
artefacts, including a written assignment and a multimedia presentation. Guidelines to follow!

GRADING AND POINT VALUES

Homework 20% of overall grade
Discussions 15% of overall grade
Readings 15% of overall grade
Creative Element 10% of overall grade
Quizzes 20% of overall grade (late quizzes/tests are not accepted)
Integrative Project 20% of overall grade in both QLC courses

Late work: Late work is reduced 10% (one letter grade) for every day late. Late work is not
accepted 7 days past the due date. Documented excuses and extreme situations are considered
on a case by case basis.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Note: This schedule may change- any changes will be discussed in class and posted on our class page online.

Week 1 Lecture: Course Overview

(Aug 24-29) Forum: Introductory Thoughts
Quiz: Syllabus Quiz

Week 2 Forum: How to Listen to Jazz

(Aug 30-Sep 5) Homework: What to Listen to and Watch For in Jazz

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 Week 3 Lecture: The Inevitability of Jazz
(Sep 6-12) Forum: Jazz Heritages
Reading: Keeping Time
Homework: Crossroads Response
Learning Community: Introduce the Integrated Assignment
Week 4 Reading: Keeping Time
(Sep 13-19) Forum: The Blues
Review Quiz #1
Week 5 Lecture: Rise of Individualism and the Jazz Solo
(Sep 20-26) Reading: Keeping Time
Forum: Early New Orleans
Homework: Satchmo Documentary
Learning Community: Initial Thoughts Forum
Week 6 Lecture: Jazz as American Popular Music
(Sep 27-Oct 3) Reading: Keeping Time
Forum: Swing (Big Band Music)
Week 7 Lecture: Harlem Renaissance and Identity
(Oct 4-10) Reading: Keeping Time
Forum: Duke Ellington
Learning Community: Glossary Reflection Due
Week 8 Reading: Keeping Time
(Oct 11-17) Forum: Bebop
Review Quiz #2
Week 9 Lecture: Roots and Identity
(Oct 18-24) Class Discussion: Creative Element Prep
Forum: Cool Jazz
Homework: 1959: The Year the Changed Jazz Documentary
Learning Community: Elevator Speech
Week 10 Lecture: The Innovator
(Oct 25-31) Reading: Keeping Time
Forum: Miles Davis
Week 11 Lecture: Roots and Identity
(Nov 1-7) Creative Element, Part 1
Forum: Gender and Jazz
Homework: "The Girls in the Band" documentary
Review Quiz #3
Week 12 Lecture: Jazz as a tool for Social Justice
(Nov 8-14) Creative Element, Part 2
Forum: Jazz and Civil Rights
Learning Community: Research Paper Due
Week 13 Lecture: Let’s Get Weird
(Nov 15-21) Forum: Free Jazz
Homework: John Coltrane Podcast Response
Learning Community: Group Presentations

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 Week 14 Review Quiz #4
(Nov 22-24) Learning Community: Final Reflection
Class Ends Nov 24th
Thanksgiving Break No Class! :)
(Nov 25-29)
Week 15 Reading Days: Nov 30-Dec 1
(Nov 30-Dec 8) Final Exams: Dec 2-8

Attendance policy: Attendance is mandatory for our class. We are completely online and it is the
student’s responsibility to participate in our course on a weekly basis. Two or more weeks of non-
participation is considered excessive and will be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs as
required by Queens University policy. Allowable excuses are serious illness, a death in the family
or other family emergency, or a school sponsored activity, all of which require documentation.

Class Policy: Your commitment to this class involves regular attendance, outside preparation and
study time to increase familiarity with the content, and participation in online activities.

Assignments/expectations: Many assignments and readings will be posted on the course website at
mycourses.queens.edu. You should get into the habit of checking the course website regularly. All
assignments must be turned in on time on the due date. This class demands that you participate in
class. In order to earn your participation points, you must be present in class. You will not do very
well if all you do is memorize when studying for this course. While there is a lot of factual
information to learn, you must also be able to understand concepts and make connections. Take
notes, practice thinking about the concepts, try explaining them to someone who is not in the course.

Center for Student Success: Please be aware that study skills development, note taking courses and
tutoring services are available at the Center for Student Success located on the first level of the
Knight Crane building.

Disability Accommodations: Queens University of Charlotte is committed to making reasonable

accommodations to assist students with disabilities.  If you have a disability which may impact your
performance, attendance or grades in this course and require accommodations, you must first contact
Cort Schneider schneiderc@queens.edu  Coordinator of Student Accessibility Services.  The steps
for receiving accommodations and must be completed before a letter of accommodation can be
given.  SAS is responsible for coordinating classroom accommodations and other services for
students with disabilities.  Please note that classroom accommodations cannot be provided prior to
your professor receiving a Letter of Accommodation. 

The Honor Code: The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three
fundamental principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the
property of others, and c) are honest in tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic
assignments. Please contact the Instructor if you believe a violation of the Honor Code has occurred.
It is a violation of the Honor Code for a student to be untruthful concerning the reason for a class
absence. See The Honor Code Book for more information on the process in the event of a suspected
violation.
 

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QAlert: QAlert is the emergency notification system that we use to notify the campus community of
an emergency, inclement weather or class cancellations. It sends messages about the status of a given
situation, as well as other details the campus needs to know.  Students, faculty and staff are
automatically registered for QAlert through the university's enterprise resource management
system.  To review and/or update your contact information--including your cell phone number for
text messages--please log on to http://myaccount.queens.edu. Look for the "Update Your Contact
Information” link in the center of the page.
 
University Closings / Cancelled Classes: When Queens’ campus is closed, students, faculty and staff
will be notified via QAlert, Queens’ emergency notification system (sign up at www.queens.edu/
alert). Up-to-date information will also be posted on the Queens website and available on the
university’s Information Hotline (704-337-2567). NOTE: If classes are meeting, but you feel that you
cannot find a safe way to get to class, you should notify me as soon as possible.

Intellectual Property Policy: Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to U.S.
Copyright Law and the Queens Intellectual Property Policy which can be accessed through the
Queens University of Charlotte website at http://www.queens.edu/About-Queens/Policies-and-
Procedures/Copyright-and-Intellectual-Property.html . All written materials provided to the class are
the property of the instructors and may not be distributed to others outside of this class without
permission