Professor Jose B. Cuellar, Ph.D.

Office: Psychology 422Phone: 415 338-6044	Email: josecuel@sfsu.edu
Open office hours -- MWF: 8-9 am and 1-2 pm

Expanded Course Description

This upper division GE survey course offered by Raza Studies involves the coordinated study of specific problems in Latin American music research. Creative individual and collective class projects explore divergent cultural/aesthetic values in community musical productions, and the development of knowledge, research, creative experience and awareness in community programs.   We examine various aspects of our Raza musical folklore from earliest folk to the most contemporary fusion by seriously studying selected readings, recordings, videos and films to provide us with better understanding of how cultural values help shape music and other aesthetics and attitudes. In addition to attending class and participating in small group discussions and presentations; completing midterm and final assessments, as well as the required written reviews of books, recordings, and performances, learners must submit a written report on either an independent comparative music folklore research project, or a community service learning project report. This course focuses on the folklore (community-based knowledge) associated with musical (rhythmic, melodic and harmonic) expressions and experiences created by and for U.S. Latinos. We critically study a wide range of ethnically diverse Raza musical examples, and learn the distinguishing differences and similarities, as well as defining sources and key correlates, of our more salient genres. We also learn to evaluate the relative significance of factors related to the development and diffusion of Latino musical genres from generation to generation, and pueblo to pueblo (people and place to people and place). Although most learners bring some significant music listening experiences, this course systematically helps further develop active music listening skills. Starting with the simpler styles of the past, we finish with the more complex ones of the present. This helps improve appreciation and comprehension of the broad repertoire of Raza musical expressions and experiences across specific historical periods, ethnic groups, economic classes and/or geographic regions of origin. AERM & GE Units. Completion of this upper division Raza Studies course earns 3 American Ethnic/Racial Minorities Units, and/or 3 "GE Interdisciplinary and Disciplines" units of the "Segment II: Arts and Sciences Core" requirements. This course, as part of the GE Segment III Cluster on Human Expression: Diversity, Contradiction, Unity, also provides a 3 Unit opportunity for learners to encounter and compare a variety of musical art forms from varied cultural and social contexts. The overall stress is upon how the rich diversity of creative expressions --past and post-modern world--contribute imaginative insights into shared values, dreams, responses, struggles, and fundamental engagements with the processes of life. The creative expressions distinguishing various social and ethnic groups will also be examined using comparative methods. ONLY LEARNERS WHO HAVE ACHIEVED JUNIOR STATUS can earn 3 units of GE Segment III: Cluster on Human Expression: Diversity, Contradiction, Unity by completing this course.

Required GE Segment III Statement HUMAN EXPRESSION: Diversity, Contradiction, Unity SFSU Requirements for GE Seg III: SFSU GE requirements state that all undergraduate students must complete a nine credit cluster of courses, on a chosen theme, after the completion of the GE Seg I requirements and at least 60 credits countable toward the degree. Students must complete all requirements for the cluster chosen, at least one cluster course must be outside the student's major, and at least one course must meet the Cluster's Cultural, Ethnic, or Social Diversity (CESD) requirement. Theme Statement: This cluster takes the position that the arts are fundamental to personal and social life. The courses stress critical examination of creative expressions from a variety of global cultures. Differences and commonalities of cultural experience, meaning and philosophy will be addressed in respect to expressions from these cultures, and study will include both historical and current perspectives. Cluster Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes: ... Students will acquire knowledge of the form and content in a variety of works in the arts and humanities. ... Students will acquire knowledge of ways in which differing cultural art forms convey ideas and expressions uniquely compatible with their inherent character. Such art form will be selected from the visual, literary, performing and media arts. ... Students will acquire knowledge of the unique philosophies, values and world perspectives of two or more global cultures, as these are expressed through the arts. ... Students will also acquire knowledge of philosophies, values and worldviews that are common or similar among differing cultures, as these are expressed through the arts. ... Students will gain in their capabilities to integrate knowledge relating varying art forms, and varying works from different cultures. ... Students will further their abilities to critically discuss and assess a variety of works in the arts in terms of their cultural, conceptual and formal qualities, along with the ways that these three qualities are uniquely interdependent in the arts. The development of the students' abilities to critically express such views will be both in oral and written forms, and the capacity to synthesize knowledge will be stressed.

Specific GE & AERM Outcomes

This course earns 3 GE Interdisciplinary and Disciplines units of the Segment II: Arts and Sciences Core (Humanities and Creative Arts) because its general objectives by design include increased understandings:

1. attitudes, and abilities relevant to human values and personal development. of how Raza cultural values shape attitudes and affect social institutions,
2. of the nature of Raza aesthetic perceptions and an awareness of the significance of the creative and aesthetic dimensions of their own experiences.

After completion of this AERM course, students should also be able to apply scholarship to the study of American Ethnic/Racial Minorities and should be able to demonstrate at least two of the following four specific learning outcomes: 1. Identify the ways in which the historical, political and/or cultural/aesthetic experiences of different Raza ethnic/racial minority groups are similar to and different from each other. 2.   Identify their own value systems and/or styles of creative expression and those of other Raza ethnic/racial groups. 3.   Develop the understandings and behavioral competencies necessary for effective interpersonal and interethnic group interactions: a) recognize the diversity of attitudes and values which are projected in verbal and non-verbal behavior; b) recognize the dynamics of interpersonal interactions from others' perspectives; c) identify and recognize the concerns regarding ethnic/racial minority stereotypes; d) recognize the dynamics of racial hierarchies and power relations from others' perspectives.   •  Develop their social-cultural participation skills; decision-making abilities and political awareness in order to be citizens in an ethnically and racially diverse nation General Requirements Learners must satisfactorily complete all assignments, even if late. All missing and late attendance and/or work will be penalized accordingly. All students are required to have a SFSU e-mail account and use it to participate in this course's online Blackboard component by engaging in discussions and using e-research resources. Students may sign up for free computer accounts at the University Computer Center Help Desk, ADM 110, in the West Wing of the Administration Building. No cellular phones and pagers are allowed on silent mode only.

Required Readings: Bellman, Johnathan.   A Short Guide to Writing About Music.   Longman, 2000. Roberts, John Storm. The Latin Tinge: The Impact of Latin American Music on the United States . Original Music, 1979. Wade, Bonnie C., Thinking Musically - Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture.   Oxford University Press, 2004.  

Recommended Readings: The following texts are recommended for your research and comparative book reviews. Aparicio, Frances R. Listening to Salsa: Gender, Latin Popular Music, and Puerto Rican Cultures. Wesleyan University Press, 1997. Austerlitz, Paul, and Robert Farris Thompson. Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996. Barz, G. F. & Cooley, T. J. Shadows in the Field: New Perspectives for Fieldwork in Ethnomusicology. Oxford University Press, 1997. Bogg, Vernon. 1992. Salsiology: Afro-Cuban Music and the Evolution of Salsa in New York. Excelsior, 1992. Bohlman, Philip V. The Study of Folk Music in the Modern World. Indiana University Press, 1988. Broyles-Gonzalez, Yolanda. Lydia Mendoza's Life in Music -- LA Historia De Lydia Mendoza: Norteño Tejano Legacies (American Music spheres). Oxford University Press, Book and CD edition, January, 2003. Burr, Ramiro. The Billboard Guide to Tejano and Regional Mexican Music. New York: Billboard Books, 1999. Campos, Carlos. Salsa & Afro Cuban Montunos for Piano (Book&CD). A.D.G. Productions, 1 edition, October 1996. Campos, Carlos, Gordon Andrew D. (Editor). Salsa, Further Adventures In Afro Cuban Music For Piano. Edition: CD-ROM. A.D.G. Productions, Spiral-Bound Book and CD-ROM edition (May 1998) Carpentier, Alejo & Timothy Brennan (Editor), Alan West-Duran (Translator). Music in Cuba. Univ of Minnesota Press, Reprint edition, December 2002. Daniel, Yvonne. Rumba: Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba. Indiana University Press, 1995. De la Peña, Terri. Latin Satins: A Novel. Seattle: Seal Press, 1994. Diaz Ayala, Cristobal. The Roots of Salsa: The History of Cuban Music William Zinn, November 2, 2002. Dower, Catherine. Puerto Rican Music Following the Spanish American War: 1898, the Aftermath of the Spanish American War and Its Influence on the Musical Culture of Puerto Rico. University Press of America, (October 1983) Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop Popular Culture and Daily Lives -- Puerto Rican Music and Latino Identity. Columbia University Press, 2000. Gerard, Charley, with Marty Sheller. Salsa: The Rhythm of Latin Music. White Cliffs Media, 1989. Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Hanbook for Writers of Research Papers. 4th Edition. New York: The Modern Language Association, 1995. Glasser, Ruth. The Flag is My Music: Puerto Rican Musicians and Their New York Communities, 1917-1940. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. Hagedorn,Katherine J. Divine Utterances: The Performance of Afro-Cuban Santeria. Smithsonian Institution Press; ; Book and CD edition, October 1, 2001. Herrera-Sobek, Maria. The Mexican Corrido: A Feminist Analysis. Bloomington and Indianapolis: University of Indiana Press, 1990. Herrera-Sobek, Marîa. Northward Bound: The Mexican Immigrant Experience in Ballad and Song. Bloomington and Indianapolis: University of Indiana Press, 1993. Leymarie, Isabelle. Cuban Fire: The Story of Salsa and Latin Jazz Continuum Pub Group; ; (October 2002) Limon, José E.   Mexican Ballads, Chicano Poems - History and Influence in Mexican American Society Poetry. University of California Press. 1992. Loza, Steven. Barrio Rhythm - Mexican American Music in Los Angeles. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1999. Loza, Steven. Recordando A Tito Puente --El Rey del Timbal. Random House Español, 2000. Loza, Steven. Tito Puente and the Making of Latin Music. Urbana: U. of Illinois Press, 1999. Malagamba, Amelia. Ed. Encuentros - Los Festivales Internacionles de la Raza. CREA SEP, Mexico. 1988.   Menheim, Beverly. Ritchie Valens: The First Latino Rocker. Tempe: Bilingual Press, 1987. Manuel, Peter. Popular Music of the Non-Western World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Manuel, Peter & Michael. Largey), Kenneth Bilby Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Temple Univ Press; ; (September 9, 1995) Martinez, Ruben. The Other Side --Fault Lines, Guerrilla Saints, and the True Heart of Rock n Roll. Verso Books, New York, 1882. Mauleon, Rebeca. Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble. Ober, Hal, and Carol Ober. How Music Came to the World. Boston: HMCo. 1994. Olsen, Dale A., and Daniel E. Sheeny. The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music. Garland Publishing Inc. 2000. Paredes, Americo. A Texas-Mexican Cancionero. Reprinted by arrangement with University of Illinois Press, 1958. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995. Parsons, Jack, and Jim Sagel. Straight from the Heart - Portraits of Traditional Hispanic Musicians. University of New Mexico Press, 1990. Patoski, J. N. Selena: Como Una Flor. NY: Little. Brown & CO., 1996. Peña, Manuel. The Texas Mexican Conjunto: History of A Working Class Music. U. of Texas Press, 1985. Peña, Manuel. Musica Tejana: The Cutural Economy of Artistic Transformation. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1999. Remstein, Henna. Carlos Santana (Latinos in the Limelight). Chelsea House Pub (Library), November 2001. Roberts, John Storm. Latin Jazz. NY: Schirmer Books, 1999. Santana, Carlos. Dance of the Rainbow Serpent. Warner Brothers Publications; ; Boxed edition (March 1997) In Session with Carlos Santana (Book & CD)Warner Brothers Publications; ; Book and CD edition (July 19, 1999). Santana, Carlos. Supernatural. Mass Market Paperback Warner Brothers Publications; ; (November 15, 1999) Jam Jam Jam With Carlos Santana. Warner Brothers Publications; ; Book and CD edition, July 2000. Shapiro, Marc. Carlos Santana: Back on Top. St. Martin's Press, March 2002. Simonett, Helena. Banda: Mexican Musical Life Across Borders. Wesleyan Univ Press, 2001. Strachwitz, Chris. with Nocolopulos, James. Lydia Mendoza: A Family Autobiography. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1993. Sweeney,Philip, The Rough Guide to Cuban Music. Rough Guides, August 2, 2001. Tejeda, Juan & Valdez, Avelardo, Eds. Puro Conjunto! An Album in Words and Pictures. Austin: Mexican American Studies Center Colección Chicana, U of Texas Press. 2000. Uribe, Ed. The Essence of Afro-Cuban Percussion and Drum Set: Includes the Rhythm Section Parts for Bass, Piano, Guitar Horns & Strings. Warner Brothers Publications; ; Book and CD edition November 25, 1996. Velez, Gilberto. Corridos Mexicanos con acompañamiento para guitarra. Editores Mexicanos Unidos. S.A. 1994. Velez, Maria Teresa. Drumming for the Gods: The Life and Times of Felips Garcia Villamil, Santero, Palero, and Abakua (Studies in Latin American and Caribbean Music). Temple Univ Press, February 20, 2000. Various Authors. Musica en la Frontera Norte - Memorias Del Coloquio de historia de la Musica en la Frontera Norte. Comite Mexicano de Ciencias Historica. 1989. Wald, Elijah. Narcocorrido -- A Journey into the Music of Drugs,Guns, and Guerrillas. Rayo, Harper-Collins, New York, 2001. Waxer, Lise. (Editor) Situating Salsa: Global Markets and Local Meanings in Latin Popular Music. Routledge, 2002. Wingell, Richard L.   Writing About Music: An Introductory Guide.   Prentice-Hall, 1990.  

Required Participation (45 possible points). The presentations and discussions are essential for developing the necessary skills and understandings. Successful completion of this course requires regular class attendance (15 points), participation in small group (10 points) and online discussions (15 points), as well as participation in final class presentations (5 points).

Required Assessments (25 possible points total).   There are two course assessments.   Each includes a mix of multiple choice, true false, and short answer essay responses to questions designed to assess your understanding of the course readings, presentations and discussions.   The midterm assessment (10 possible points) must be submitted no later than Friday April 9 .   The final assessment (15 possible points) is due May 26 at 10:45 .  

Required Writings (30 points possible).   Successful completion of this course requires timely submission of several different kinds of writings.   My autobiography in music ( 10 points).   You are required to submit a five-page (typed, double-spaced) reflexive   essay describing your life in terms of major musical experiences and influences.   Your essay should have the following five sections of more or less one typed (doubled-spaced) page each: I. My Introduction of Issues II. My Approaches and Perspectives, III. My Findings,   IV. My Interpretive Critical Analysis , and V. My Summary and Conclusions. It is due Feb 27 . One comparative recording review (5 possible points each).   You are required to submit a two/three -page review comparing two complete LP album/cassettes/compact disc recordings of Raza music. Your comparative recording review should be organized with the following five sections: I. My Introduction (1/4 page), II. My Methods (1/4 page),, III. My Findings (1 1/4 pages), IV. My Analysis (1/2 page), and V. My Conclusions (1/4 page). This due on March 5. One comparative live performance review (5 possible points each). You are required to submit a two/three-page review comparing two live Raza music performances.   The comparative live performance review should be organized with the following five sections: I. My Introduction (1/4 page), II. My Methods (1/4 page), III. My Findings (1 1/4 pages), IV. My Analysis (1/2 page), and V. My Conclusions (1/4 page). This is due March 19. Your five -page original Raza music folklore research project report (10 possible points) or community service learning project report (15 points possible) should be organized with the following five sections: I My Introduction of Issues (one page), II. My Methods and Models (one page), III. My Findings (four and a half pages), IV. Analysis (two and a half pages) and "V. Summary and Conclusions (one page). It should include a list of references to specific primary (interviews and observations, etc.) and secondary sources of information, including our three required readings plus two recommended readings, to make your point. In order to receive full credit, Each learner must submit a report that substantively reflects at least 20 hours of original research on some Raza music folklore problem or issue of interest; or at least 20 hours of community service learning work with an approved community service agency (be sure to attend the CSL Fair). This community service learning emphasis reflects the commitment of Raza/Ethnic Studies to sharing the resources with the community through working with its agencies. That is why a learner's community service learning report receives an extra 5 points.   Final research or CSL reports are due on May 19. Five Points Extra Credit.  

Learners may submit a three-page book review creatively comparing one of our required texts with one of the recommended texts (see below) or two of the recommended texts. Your comparative book review should be organized with the following five sections: I. My Introduction (1/4 page), II. My Methods (1/4 page), III. My Findings (1 1/4 pages), IV. My Analysis (1/2 page), and V. My Conclusions (1/4 page).   All extra credit work due no later than May 12.

FINAL COURSE GRADE. The final grade is based on the total number of points accumulated as follows:

100 (or more) = A+	89-92 = B+	77-80 = C+	65-68 = D+	56 (or fewer) = F
97-99 = A	85-88 = B	73-76 = C	61-64 = D
93-96 = A-	81-84 = B-	69-72 = C-	57-60 = D-

 

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