Integrative Arts 205: Introducing the Beatles

Penn State Altoona

Summer 2008

Dr. Kenneth Womack                                           

Office and Phone: 102 Elm Building, 949-5750

INART 205: MTWR 6:00-8:20 PM, 102 Elm Building         

Office Hours: MW 2:00-4:00 PM

E-mail: kaw16@psu.edu               

Course Objectives:

In this course, we will explore the Beatles’ musical career in terms of their wide-ranging cultural and artistic influence. Particular attention will be devoted to examining their songs within the context of their composition and in terms of their place (and placement) on the band’s albums. In addition to investigating their biographical lives, we will discuss the Beatles’ overtly literary and textual intentions, especially their various attempts at irony, parody, and satire. 

This course’s chronological design is arranged in order to capture the band’s artistic trajectory from two-track recording and the relatively primitive Please Please Me album through the sonic heights of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. The thrust of this course is interpretive in nature, with the Beatles’ songs and albums receiving considerable scrutiny in terms of their composition, production, and attendant musicianship. Developments in recording and instrument technology are germane to our understanding of the Beatles’ evolving aesthetic, as is the bandmates’ development as songwriters who eventually eschew issues associated with romance in order to address larger and more prescient subjects in their music such as loneliness, oppression, nostalgia, ethics, and redemption.

This course will be conducted through a combination of lectures and discussion. In addition to being a significant factor in the calculation of your semester grade, participation in classroom discussions will be appropriated as a means for determining border-line grades. In an effort to encourage you to complete all of the reading assignments as well as to attend class—both of which will surely enhance the quality of our classroom colloquium—I will give a series of quizzes throughout the semester.

Texts:

Womack, Kenneth. Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles. New York: Continuum, 2007.

Academic Integrity:

Cases of academic dishonesty—cheating, plagiarism, fraud, etc.—will be dealt with harshly. Consequences for such behavior may include receiving a failing grade on an exam, essay, or in the course; in more serious consequences, academic dishonesty may result in permanent expulsion from the University. For additional details, see The Student Guide to University Policies and Rules.

Disclaimer:

Please be advised that we will encounter material in this course that may seem offensive to some students in terms of strong language or subject matter.

Class Cancellation:

In the event of snow or other inclement weather, please visit the following website for information about any delays or closings of the campus: www.altoona.psu.edu/now/cancel.asp.

Attendance Policy:

You will be allowed a total of two unexcused absences during the semester. Any absences beyond this number will result in a penalty of five points per absence.

Note to Students with Disabilities:

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into its educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for modifications or reasonable accommodations in this course, please contact the Health & Wellness Center, Disability Services, located in the Sheetz Family Health Center. For more information, call (814) 949-5540 or visit the Disability Services website at www.altoona.psu.edu/healthwellness. Your instructors should be notified as early in the semester as possible regarding the need for modifications or reasonable accommodations.

Grade Calculation:

Participation (10%)