The History of Rock and Roll: Parts 1, 6, 8, and 10 Lessons for Middle and High School Music Classes Influences of Technological Advances on Popular Music Overview Lesson 2

VH1 CIC Programming	Lesson Plan Text Format	Lesson Plan PDF Format	Download Acrobat PDF Reader

• Students will discuss the technological advancements in music and broadcast medium over the decades.
  

National Standards 6, 9
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Materials

• VHS VCR Player
• Television
• VH1 Cable in the Classroom programs The History of Rock and Roll: Parts 1, 6, 8, 10
• Web-based lesson materials
• Excerpt from Haydn's Piano Trio in G Major
• Teacher approved excerpts of:
  Buddy Holly - "That'll Be The Day"
  Cream - "I Feel Free"
  Stevie Wonder - "Superstitious"
  

Procedures

1. Start HRR: Part 10 at the beginning with the introduction to 1980's rock and roll and MTV. Stop the video before the Go-Go's segment.

2. Ask students if they know when MTV came into existence (early 1980's), and to name some of the earliest performing artists they have seen on MTV. Have students discuss other performance and broadcast mediums that artists use, other than MTV.

3. Play an excerpt from Haydn's Piano Trio in G Major. While they are listening, ask students to consider where the piece might have been performed (for royalty
in their court, small chamber music performances, concert halls). Using Haydn as
an example, guide students in a discussion about how musicians might have
gained popularity during a time when broadcasting and recording had not yet been
developed. Use the following as needed:

Franz Joseph Haydn was born April 1, 1732, in Rohrau, Austria. Haydn showed musical interest at a young age, and in 1738 was taken by a cousin to Hainburg to study music. It became obvious then that he would become a musician, and in 1740, because of his beautiful voice, was engaged to sing at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. After leaving the choir, he taught, composed, and arranged, his name becoming recognized in the Viennese music circle, until he was hired as a violin-player, and then for his first full-time music job by Count Ferdinand Maximilian von Morzin. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy, who had seen him perform and conduct the Morzin orchestra, to be the assistant Kapellmeister of the orchestra at Esterhazy palace. Haydn spent many years as a court musican, often composing for special events. In the late 1700's and early 1800's, Haydn traveled a great deal, especially in England. Music was flourishing in London at that time, he and his music were very well received, and he gained further popularity with another audience.

4. Explain that artists have used different outlets throughout history to bring their music to the public, and that technological advancements in broadcasting and recording have changed artists' ability to promote and popularize their work. Ask students to name some of the key technological advancements that have had such an affect. Use the following as needed:

In 1877, Thomas Edison made the first recording of the human voice. Through the late 1800's and early 1900's, phonographs and records went through many improvements. Also in the late 1800's came the invention of radio, and in the 1920's, television made it's debut. The 1940's saw the development of cassette tapes, with the 8-track being introduced in the 1960's. The 1980's brought us compact disks and DAT players, and the 1990's introduced mini-disks, MP3's, and online music resources such as Napster.

5. How has the available technology affected the spread of popular music? What type of influence has popular music had on society because of its prominence through broadcasting and recording (ex. social awareness, racial issues, etc.)?

6. Play excerpts from the following videos: HRR: Part 1 - Buddy Holly performing "That'll Be The Day"; HRR Part 6 -Cream performing "I Feel Free" (cut at Joey Ramone commentary); HRR: Part 8 - Stevie Wonder performing "Superstitious", continuing through the end of the segment; review 1980's segment previously played if necessary. Ask students to observe the elements of each performance (ex. instruments used, style, performance technology, etc.)

7. On the board, create a chart such as the following:

8. Ask students to comment on their observations of the video segments. What type of instrumentation was used? What was the style of music (blues, jazz, rock, etc.)? Ask the students to summarize their observations by discussing the technological differences they noticed between the decades, focusing on if these differences affected the musical style and the artists' creativity.