This essay covers four chapters and includes three films and three critical articles. It’s a lot to think about.
Look up “art” and “entertainment” in an online dictionary. Preface your essay with the definitions you have chosen and (of course) cite the dictionary as a source. These do not count in your word total.
Discuss whether you think rock and roll and rock are art, entertainment, or some combination of the two. Illustrate with at least two songs from each chapter that are in different styles. Use all the assigned films you watched and their accompanying critical articles as well. You may, if applicable, substitute songs from the films for songs assigned in the modules, if and only if the songs are heard complete in the films. If you wish to substitute songs by the same artists as those assigned in the modules, you may do that as well. I encourage you to contact me about such unassigned songs, as some may serve your purposes better than others.
You may draw different conclusions about rock and roll, the transitional music in Chapter 6, and rock, and even about different songs. One issue you need to consider is the degree to which longevity matters in determining the degree of art versus entertainment in a song. It’s often thought that art “stands the test of time,” while entertainment may not. Every song you’ve been assigned in the modules has, to some degree, stood the test of time, some more than others. You will likely feel that a song you knew before you took this class has fared better in this regard, and that is reasonable. Regardless, draw your own conclusions about which songs are art, which are entertainment, and which are both.
Following your preface comprised of quoted definitions of terms, begin by stating your case regarding the music we’ve shared and art versus entertainment. Then proceed to the discussion of the songs that support your case. Examples drawn from careful listening to the music are most important (timings of particular moments are great). Lyrics are also important, of course. When relevant, the visual culture that accompanies the music should also be referenced (as in the assigned films and the assigned video of Chubby Checker lip-syncing “The Twist).
