Popular Music & Power Notes

Course Overview

  • Course Title: Popular Music & Power

  • Instructor: Dr. Thornton Miller

  • Email: ftmille2@illinois.edu

  • Office Location: Music Building 4046

  • Office Hours:

    • Monday: 1:00-2:00 PM

    • Tuesday: 2:45-3:45 PM

Class Information

  • Sections:

    • AL1

    • BLI

  • Semester: Spring 2026

  • Classroom: Music Building 1030

  • Class Times:

    • AL1: 2:30-3:20 PM, Monday & Wednesday

    • BLI: 4:00-4:50 PM, Monday & Wednesday

  • I-Clicker Links:

    • ALI I-Clicker: https://join.iclicker.com/TSIS

    • BLI I-Clicker: https://join.iclicker.com/GEVQ

Course Structure and Attendance Policy

  • Examinations and Quizzes:

    • Three exams

    • Two quizzes before each exam

    • Final exam is not cumulative but solely focuses on the third exam.

  • Attendance:

    • Taken using the iClicker app.

    • Students can use their phones, which are free of charge.

    • Important to check in at the beginning of class - being 20 minutes late is considered absent.

    • Enable location tracking is mandatory.

  • Assignments and Participation:

    • Attendance is crucial, with deductions of 2% for each unexcused absence following the third absence (both lecture and discussion count).

    • Group project at the semester's end on a topic of choice.

    • Students must contact the instructor or Teaching Assistant (TA) to determine if absences can be excused.

Deadlines and Grade Breakdown

  • Week 3B (Feb 4): Quiz 1 - 3%

  • Week 5B (Feb 18): Quiz 2 - 3%

  • Week 6A (Feb 23): Exam I - 16%

  • Week 8B (Mar 11): Quiz 3 - 3%

  • Week 9A (Mar 23): Group Presentation Proposal - 2%

  • Week 10B (Apr 1): Quiz 4 - 3%

  • Week 11A (Apr 6): Exam II - 16%

  • Week 12A (Apr 13): Presentation Slides - 2%

  • Week 13B (Apr 22): Quiz 5 - 3%

  • Week 15B (May 6, Finals Week): Presentation - 10%, Quiz 6 - 3%, Exam III - 16%, Attendance & Participation - 20%

Grading Scale

  • A+ : 97.5 and above

  • A : 92.5 - 97.49

  • A- : 89.5 - 92.49

  • B+ : 87.5 - 89.49

  • B : 82.5 - 87.49

  • B- : 79.5 - 82.49

  • C+ : 77.5 - 79.49

  • C : 72.5 - 77.49

  • C- : 69.5 - 72.49

  • D+ : 67.5 - 69.49

  • D : 62.5 - 67.49

  • D- : 59.5 - 62.49

  • F : 59.49 and below

Key Concepts in Politics & Power

Definitions of Politics

  • Narrow Definition: Limited to governance and resistance.

  • Open Definitions: More inclusive, including public life of group individuals, business, cultural, and social institutions, and everyday life.

Definitions of Power

  • Nature of Power Relations:

    • Permeates society in various relationships: state and citizens, corporations and consumers, educators and students, musicians and audiences, etc.

    • Exists between individuals and may be hierarchical, where access varies among different people.

    • Each exercise of power encounters some form of resistance.

  • Power's Societal Influence:

    • Shapes perceptions of normality or naturalness, effectively controlling aspects of personal lives, such as sexuality and bodily autonomy.

    • Relates to political, economic, cultural, and social aspects.

Music and the State

Concepts Covered:

  1. Propaganda

  2. Ritual

  3. Acclamation

Case Study: Die heilige Allianz (The Holy Alliance), 1815

  • Artist: Heinrich Olivier

  • Depiction: Three monarchs in elaborate armor within a Gothic cathedral (Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, Alexander I of Russia, Franz II of Austria)

  • Questions raised:

    • Message regarding governance, military, religion, and nationalism.

    • Opposed secularism and liberalism.

Fascist Art

  • Characteristics:

    • Prioritizes emotional engagement and collective action over intellectual engagement.

    • Uses arts primarily as propaganda.

  • Example: Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), 1935

    • Explores diegetic versus non-diegetic music, descent from clouds, orchestra variations on the Horst Wessel Lied, and references Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Definition and Purpose of Propaganda

  • Adolf Hitler's View (from Mein Kampf):

    • Propaganda aims to engage public emotions rather than provide academic instruction.

    • Its effectiveness lies in appealing to feelings, awakening imagination, and establishing conviction about certain societal facts and actions.

Ritual and the State

  • Elements of Ritual:

    • Utilizes symbolism, pomp, and circumstance to infuse ordinary actions with meaning.

    • Examples include mass, graduations, and marriage ceremonies.

  • Significance of Ritual:

    • The ritual can serve to separate and reincorporate participants into a larger societal context.

  • Case Study:

    • The coronation of Charles III acts as a public recognition and ceremonial creation of monarchy, influenced heavily by architecture, actions, music, and language employed during the event.

Acclamation

  • Definition:

    • Involves the staging of mass public assent with no dissent or debate, often leading to unanimous collective participation.

  • Context in North Korea:

    • Highly coordinated and theatrical events that emphasize perfection in performance (example: civilian parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 2016).

  • Relation to Leadership:

    • Leaders being portrayed as figures who are beyond reproach (e.g., Joseph Stalin, Kim Jong Un).

Lyrics from North Korean Anthem

  • Themes:

    • Celebrates the leader, Kim Jong Un, emphasizing loyalty and trust.

Modern Artistic Examples

Kid Rock, “American Badass” Lyrics Analysis

  • Themes:

    • American individualism, rebellion, and popularity in mainstream culture.

    • References to personal identity and the music culture landscape.

  • 2024 Republican National Convention Adaptation:

    • Adaptation of lyrics to align with current political themes, replacing and updating cultural references to maintain engagement within contemporary discussions.