9i果冻制作厂

By Drakko Harper 鈥�26

From the 12-bar blues that inspired jazz all the way to modern icons like Jay-Z and Beyonce, 9i果冻制作厂is the place where students can learn both the practical theory of music and the complex cultural history behind it with the American Pop Music course (INST 2623/ MUSC 3046) taught by Associate Professor of Music Michael Yonchak, PhD.

This 15-week course is not your typical history lecture. Yonchak inherited this course from a former faculty member but has been spending the last decade reimagining and developing this course into a more dynamic, modern exploration of music as a show of protest and cultural identity. There is something new each day as the course flows from delta blues to the British invasion, Motown, hip-hop, and even disco and punk.

鈥淲e go over the who and why of the voices that were listened to or undiscovered and what that means now.鈥� Yonchak says, 鈥淭here are concepts about identity that you’ll see throughout all four years of Integrative Studies classes … you鈥檙e here to explore kind of who you are as a student and a human being.鈥�

The most surprising thing for students oftentimes is discovering the unseen similarities between music, something Yonchak calls “aha moments.鈥�

鈥淭hey find how wildly similar that musical structure is whether you’re a jazz artist, rock artist, country or any other genre,鈥� he says. 鈥淎ll of a sudden they are listening to an old blues song and are shocked, like 鈥榯hat’s a Led Zeppelin tune,’ you’re seeing these things that are put together in one song but are separated by decades of time and half a world of distance and each student is having a different one of these moments.鈥� 

Students explore artists like Kendrick Lamar, the Red-Hot Chili Peppers, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and many more. Each lecture is packed with tons of audio examples or music videos, letting students of all musical skill levels hear both the roots of American music and the evolutions that birth new genres. However, going beyond just listening to a song that is popular or liked. students are encouraged to dive in deeper by 鈥渕aking sure you understand fully what’s being said, what’s the underlying message, that’s a transferrable skill,鈥� he explains, 鈥渢o think and listen critically and try to understand what their perspective, context, and background is.鈥�

Deepening the experience, the course features projects and guest speakers, like Marie Douglas, an Atlanta native and Los Angeles-based composer, who did a presentation on 鈥淭he Roots of Atlanta Hip-Hop” that featured artists like Outkast, Ludacris, Mojo, and MC Shy D. Students also complete a final presentation by exploring a random album from the and connecting it to material covered in class.

Besides teaching classes like these, Yonchak is also an active part of the Music Department and welcomes not just music majors and minors but also students passionate about music to sign up for the course and get involved with the department.

鈥淲e have tons of ensembles: concert, rock, and jazz bands, and even an a cappella show choir, so there is something for everyone,鈥� Yonchak says. 

Whether you need the credits or are passionate about music and history, students leave this class with more than just a new playlist but a deeper look into history and who they are.