Index
of Syllabi by Dr. Karlton E. Hester:
Courses in History of "Jazz"
For a general overview of Dr. Karlton Hester's teaching, Click Here.
Music 80E: History of "Jazz" - Issues in African-American Music (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Class Size: 70 - 90 students
Class Type: Lecture Class
Level of Study: undergraduate, music majors and non-majors.
Course Description:
Focus: Exploring the relationship
between the evolution of "jazz" and African American music with the
sociopolitical milieu in which it developed in America. The class will circumscribe
the historical context
that contains African American music innovations and the sociocultural world
of the progenitors of
"jazz" and African American music. A balanced process involving listening
(to recordings), critical
viewing of film footage, reading, discussion, music sections, and writing weekly
entries into student
journals.
Syllabi:
Spring Quarter 2001
Winter Quarter 2000
Music/AS&RC* 489: African-American Music Innovators (Cornell University)
Class Size: 10 - 20 students
Class Type: Seminar
Level of Study: undergraduate (upper level), music majors and non-majors.
Course Description:
Purpose: To examine the music, culture and history of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and other African American modern innovators through recordings, videotapes and readings.
Course Work:
(1) Weekly Oral & Written Video and Research Reports assigned films, including the following: "John Coltrane/the Coltrane Legacy", "Miles Davis: Miles in Paris" and "Representation & the Media." Student will give an oral presentation on the highlights of all papers.
(2) Oral & Written Surveys, Interviews and Chapter Reports: Students will find 4 "jazz" university or conservatory educators, in different regions of the country, willing to fill out a short survey form that will be constructed in class. The results will be reported in 3-4 page papers. Each student will also interview an African American innovator (in person or by phone) and transcribe the recording. Written chapter reports are also required as summary of the reading assignments. In addition students will submit one midterm essay (on the evolution of Miles Davis’ style and music) and one final essay (on the evolution of John Coltrane’s style and music).
Syllabi:
AS&RC 100: The Black Experience in Writing: Issues in African-American Music (Cornell University)
Class Size: 15 - 30 students
Class Type: Writing Seminar (J. S. Knight Institute for Writing in the
Disciplines, Cornell University)
Level of study: undergraduate freshmen and qualifying high school seniors,
all majors.
Course Description:
Purpose: To develop young artists who are also trained as young scholars capable of critical and analytical thinking with regards to the Global African music they engage. Students audition and submit essays in hope of being selected to attend summer sessions that focus on enhancing their artistic, research and writing skills in creative ways. Teacher training seminars are also available to broaden the project’s outreach potential. Karlton Hester, for his Issues in African American Music course, developed the course outline below for Cornell University’s Writing Program during the past two years.
Focus: Exploring the relationship between the evolution of African American music and the sociopolitical milieu in which it developed in America, the class will examine the world of the progenitors of African American music through listening (to recordings), reading, discussion, and writing. Students will circumscribe the historical context that contains African American music innovations (through recordings, film and reading), then, through your midterm and final papers, explore ways to create systematic solutions to chronic problems that limited the independence and economic success of African American music in the past.
Syllabi:
Summer Session 2000
Fall Semester 2000
Summer Session 1999
Spring Semester 1999
Music 222: History of "Jazz" - Issues in African-American Music (Cornell University)
Class Size: 80 - 100+
Class Type: Lecture Class
Level of study: undergraduate, music majors and non-majors.
Course Description:
Focus: Exploring the relationship
between the evolution of "jazz" and African American music with the
sociopolitical milieu in which it developed in America. The class will circumscribe
the historical context
that contains African American music innovations and the sociocultural world
of the progenitors of
"jazz" and African American music. A balanced process involving listening
(to recordings), critical
viewing of film footage, reading, discussion, music sections, and writing weekly
entries into student
journals.
Syllabi:
Information to be posted.
*Africana Studies
Living Encyclopedia
of Global African Music
Compiled August 2002
Posted 08/19/2002