Towards the Acceptance of a Bachelor of Music Degree in Popular Music Studies

Author(s): Garth Alper

Source: College Music Symposium, Vol. 47 (2007), pp. 156-166
Published by: College Music Society
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 Towards the Acceptance of a Bachelor of
Music Degree in Popular Music Studies
Garth Alper

the enormous impact popular music has had on our culture since the 1950s
there is not one NASM1 accredited institution of higher learning in the United
States that has a bachelors degree program in popular music studies2. In this paper,
will examine this phenomenon of curricular conservatism by looking at the difficult
jazz studies programs encountered trying to gain acceptance into academia and com
paring it to the resistance that is presently facing popular music. In addition, I wil
discuss the problems faced by jazz studies programs now that they have gained som
acceptance into academia and examine how these issues might affect programs in
popular music studies in the future. Interviews with faculty and students at the Univer-
sity of Louisiana, Lafayette will help bring these issues into a sharper focus. As a result
of this discussion and an interview with a Berklee College of Music3 dean I will off
suggestions for the development of a degree program in popular music studies.

Higher education was extremely slow in recognizing jazz studies as a worthy fiel
of scholarship. Jazz began its tenure as a popular art form in the 1920s. Yet despite t
high level of artistic achievement reached by the practitioners of the art and extraordi-
nary impact this music has had on American culture, the first accredited college jaz
studies programs did not appear in American universities until the early 1960s.4
When jazz studies degree programs began, they were grafted onto a curricular
model that was designed to teach Western classical music. Many jazz studies program
still use this framework, a framework that creates poorly conceptualized jazz curricu
While offering some jazz instruction, most of these universities require jazz studi
students to take three or four semesters of Western harmony, two or three semesters of
music history, etc. The in-depth study of figured bass makes sense for a student study-
ing classical music, but a jazz studies student would be best served by classes that del
more deeply into aural learning, rhythmic feels, jazz transcription, jazz theory, and jazz

'The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is the accrediting agency for college and univer-
sity music programs.
2None of the degrees currently offered in the music industry, music business, or music media are popula
music studies degrees.
3Berklee is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
4Murphy, "Jazz Studies" 37. It is unclear as to which programs Murphy is referring. Indiana University, the
University of Miami, and the Berklee School of Music were among the institutions that played prominent ro
in the creation of jazz studies degrees in the 1960s. In 1947, North Texas State Teachers College (now t
University of North Texas) began a degree program in dance band that was a strong influence on later j
studies degrees. Morris Martin, a librarian at the University of North Texas Music Library told me that th
dance band degree was so named because a degree with the word "jazz" in it would not have been approved i
1947.

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 BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES 157

history. Limited time and classes in universities do not allow for the in-dept
both genres for all students.
Even in dedicated jazz classes, instruction in jazz performance often does
into account how jazz has traditionally been learned. This has helped to squ
creativity of college students in jazz studies programs. Recent scholarship b
Prouty discusses this problem:

In demonstrating that the language of jazz is a complex structural entity

educators] have . . . shown jazz musicians historically as possessing a great
of sophistication and skill with regards to the techniques of performanc
musical creation, rather than being regarded as musical "noble savages,"
sessing raw talent, but little in the way of musical intellect. Yet in debun
such stereotypes of jazz improvisers, educators may inadvertently send a
sage that playing jazz is mostly about technique, and that individual abili
creativity does not factor into the equation. I do not believe that this is i
tional, nor even that it is desired by those who do it. Institutional press
however, often force educators to make instructional choices that favor
concepts over what are, in curricular terms at least, less definable concep

Prouty also quotes jazz historian, James Lincoln Collier:

With students all over the United States being taught more or less the
harmonic principles, it is hardly surprising that their solos tend to sound much
same. It is important for us to understand that many of the most influential
players developed their own personal harmonic schemes, very frequently
cause they had little training in theory and were forced to find it their own w

Nick Stephan, an undergraduate jazz saxophone student at the University of

Lafayette, who gigs professionally, lends credence to both Prouty and Collier
through his own college experiences: "It's all about the performance - how i
players are. Is everyone playing as one or is everybody just reading a sheet
[The latter is] what seems to happen in college groups. There's no real clas
teach the creative side, playing together, building your voice, and making sense o
you're playing."
Another commonly seen problem in jazz studies programs is the over-emp
big band performance at the expense of teaching the artistry of improvisation an
intra-action. By no means do I mean to imply that the big band experience is not
cally valid. Indeed, some of the most important jazz artistry has occurred, and st
occur in this medium. It is my contention, however, that too many universit
other equally important components of jazz to teach big band music - big b
that does not often reflect the highest artistic accomplishments of the genre. M

5Prouty, "Canons in Harmony," 11.

6Ibid., 4.

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 158 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

and late styles of jazz, including Dixieland, free ja

mance concepts, are excluded from curricula.
Too many students who study jazz at universitie
what the music sounds like. Too often, they are no
scriptions and are not required to do enough critical
tasks are essential in gaining a feel rooted in the idio
creative and forward-looking jazz artists devoted a
tice time to these tasks.
University jazz studies programs have achieved some successes as well - suc-
cesses that may translate to degree programs in popular music. For example, the inclu-
sion of jazz studies programs into university curricula gives aspiring jazz musicians a
sheltered environment in which to learn their craft. Anecdotal evidence indicates that
the prevalence of jazz jam sessions where players would gather for the sake of learning
tunes seems to have greatly diminished since the 1950s. Offering jazz combos and
private lessons gives students a place in which to learn the crafts of improvisation and
small group intra-action. Classes in jazz history, jazz theory, and jazz arranging offer
specialized instruction in important topics and skills. To be fair, jazz studies programs in
the country do sometimes turn out students who are of a high professional caliber and
make important contributions to the art form. Moreover, students with less than profes-
sional potential have the opportunity to perform jazz and are afforded a chance to learn
improvisation and other complex musical tasks. Despite the fact that these students
may lack the skills and/or artistic vision to achieve a high level of professional success,
they can gain abilities that are often enriching and transferable to other life experiences.
The problems and successes discussed above occur in varying degrees at all seventy-
nine universities that have accredited jazz studies programs. Some professors who teach
private lessons, direct combos, and teach in other areas of jazz studies programs have
found ways of working within these institutional constraints to offer instruction that
addresses the problems mentioned.

Jazz began to seep into university curricula well before the establishment of the first
jazz studies degree programs. "During the 1930s and '40s . . . and after WWII, jazz
studies established a foothold in higher education. [Numerous universities] began to
offer college credit for ... ensembles, and specialized courses such as improvisation
and arranging became more prevalent."7 In a manner reminiscent of these precursors
to jazz degree programs, the study of popular music has begun to work its way into
academia. For example:

• Some university music and communications departments offer degree pro-

grams in the music business, the music industry, and music media.

7Murphy, "Jazz Studies," 35.

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 BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES 159

• A large number of music departments offer lecture classes (sometim

non-majors) on rock, rap, and other forms of popular music.
• Numerous humanities departments in universities throughout the c
teach classes on the social and cultural aspects of popular music.
• The Berklee College of Music has well-conceptualized and well-at
bachelor concentrations in contemporary music. A few other, smaller i
tions around the country have tried emulating this model with mixed s
Beyond these notable exceptions, however, schools of music in college
universities seem unwilling to open their doors to popular music.

Perhaps these courses and programs will act as a precursor to popular m

ies degrees similar to the way in which early jazz courses helped pave the
degree programs. These popular music classes, and music business, indus
programs have proven to be enormously popular. It is possible that this po
act as a catalyst for the creation of the first popular music studies degrees. Ka
Dean of the Professional Writing Division at Berklee notes, "This year, we
able to accept 27% of all freshman applicants. People are going to vote with
While these factors would seem to be moving universities toward the creation
music programs, resistance remains. In his article, "Better Late Than Nev
on the Music Curriculum in the Late 20th Century," Roger Johnson writes,

Few people outside the field realize just how narrow and myopic the majori
most faculties and curricula still are. They have been remarkably resis
change, despite the fact that it would give their graduates - even the
musicians - a much better chance of success. Philosophically and aesthe
or perhaps just out of ignorance and fear, these faculties cling to the idea o
music - classical music - against all the rest, refusing to give up their sense
privileged position even at the risk of damaging the very thing they imagi
are defending.8

My dealings in academia have led me to generally support Johnson's

when looked at through a broader lens, this type of resistance is not a new ph
The teaching of music that challenges the conventions of the day will alw
for acceptance in higher education, even though it is the music having the
on the lives of the students who wish to study it. In fact, there is a fairl
record of resistance to music innovation throughout the history of music
surprising that there is currently such strong resistance to contemporary mus
academy when we consider the radical changes seen in music during the last fi
But just because there is resistance to the teaching of popular music does n
the resistance should be tolerated. Instead, it is the responsibility of faculty to
of reforming university curricula so that all worthy forms of art are taught.
My interviews with faculty members offer hope (and yet more problems w
to cope) for the inclusion of popular music into university curricula. Susa
8Johnson, "Better Late Than Never," 3.

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160 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

coordinator of the keyboard division at the Univer

"Popular music offers students different ways of l
things can be valuable and can be utilized by any co

Elitism on the part of the conventionally schooled f

as well. Jazz faced a lot of that prejudice. Jazz w
and I think popular music is having similar prob
people say that popular music is just three chords, b
chords, too. But no one says that about Mozart.
music. There's a whole history of bias against cer
same can be said of popular music.

Much of the bias against popular music found in highe

that popular music lacks complexity and intellectua
cause of some of the resistance that jazz faced - an
journey into academia. In fact, there is an enormou
music including: the rhythmic complexity of the beats
such as The Roots; the harmonic and melodic comple
Dan and Stevie Wonder; and the timbral complexity of
cal Brothers. And while I have chosen just a few artist
in fact, innumerable examples of artists with whic
many faculty in mainstream schools of music have
classical music. And much of the complexity in pop
plained using the conventions with which they are
and melodies heard in many popular music vocal styles
cated through standard notation. Many blues-influe
behind, and around, the beat in ways that make the
The rhythmic feel of James Brown's group and the tim
music or Jimi Hendrix's guitar are also impossible
Pistols who most likely had few fans in academia, were
nation of biting lyrics and innovatively harsh sonic
academia are unaware of the aesthetic values on wh
are based, they lack the knowledge to make inform
At first glance, there appear to be fundamental issu
teaching of popular music and institutions of higher le
cologist at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
artists do unconventional things and it's probably b
can't do those things. Formal teaching might get in th
Garcia makes another point about incompatibility:

I'm not sure if popular music can be taught in a le

lesson, anti-higher education about most popular
belong together. It seems like an inherent contradict
music works is the self-taught aspect of it, and the

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 BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES 161

a band operates. The hierarchical relationship of the private lesson seem

at odds with the spirit of it.

Indeed, one of the goals of popular music is to create an individual gr

instrumental sound or singing style. This would seem to be in opposition t
most university music professors who try to get students to emulate establish
mance styles. Conventional teaching may very well get in the way of innovativ
I do believe, however, that if there were faculty dedicated to the teaching
music, new teaching strategies could be found to overcome these problem
jazz faculty who have found ways of dodging the constraints found in aca
teachers of popular music could similarly find strategies that allow for the cre
their students.
Just as educators need to continue reforming jazz education to deal with th
patibilities found between the institution and the teaching of jazz, we must als
the incorporation of popular music into universities and deal with the arg
incompatibility issues that Kulp and Garcia discuss. Danny Devillier, a gra
Master of Music Jazz Composition and the Bachelor of Music, Music Med
at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, now teaches drum set lessons.
strategy for teaching private lessons that addresses some of these problem

The only way to learn the feel of jazz and popular music is to listen and to
observe. You have to get it at its source, and the history of its source. You
to go back and dig. To teach a particular style, you explain the importa
ments of each groove - the balance of each part, the touch. Books can c
handy here. It's good for students to practice [exercises from a book]
doesn't do any good for me to listen to them do sixty exercises in a ro
some of my students who have studied at [the University of] North Te
other large colleges would have to play sixty of these exercises in a less
all I could say is, 'why?' I think a student's time could be so much bette
if we just talk in a lesson - a story about real life; or 'try this on a s
Students love it and they'll ask me questions and get feedback. I'll go t
gigs and they'll come to my gigs.

Devillier's comments echo those made by Ed Thigpen, a veteran, master jaz

Jo [Jones] was my mentor. I didn't take formal lessons from him. The way
learned from Jo Jones was by listening to him. And I learned from him ab
and how to take care of yourself as a man. We didn't talk that much
drums per se; we talked about music and life. But after I'd talk with him I'd
better that night, because you play life . . . 9

Nick Stephan makes some equally important points apropos to the teachin

9Thigpen, "Opening Chorus," 44.

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 162 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

popular music:

Teachers need to get students into the meaning of a piece, get students to listen
to some original performances of the piece and get students into what the
performers meant when they recorded them. Sometimes they didn't mean any-
thing at all but you can't judge that if you're just handed the lead sheet without
having heard it. You have to stay aware of the feelings and the implications of
the music and not just get caught up in making the changes. It goes way beyond
that most of the time. Sometimes you don't even have to figure something out
to have it influence your playing. Just by listening to certain types of music will
steer your playing in a certain direction.

While I have leveled criticism at universities for their conservatism in the area of
popular music, there are institutions that have made important contributions in popular
music education. One such establishment, the Berklee College of Music, offers majors
in contemporary music such as the Professional Music degree, which has a strong
emphasis on contemporary popular music.
Just as the better jazz schools have curricula that largely focus on jazz, Berklee's
concentrations that center on popular music have numerous classes devoted to popular
music. (Berklee is also one of the schools whose jazz curriculum has an abundance of
dedicated jazz classes.) Kari Juusela, Dean of the Professional Writing Division at
Berklee describes the four-semester contemporary harmony sequence:

Berklee has developed its own method of analysis, which is based on the Ro-
man numeral system but is geared towards contemporary music starting with
Tin Pan Alley and moves through jazz and modern music. The concepts of
traditional voice leading, parallel fifths, [etc.] are not necessarily part of that.
The students learn chord scales and modes that go along with different chords
so they're able to arrange, improvise, or understand what is being played over
chord progressions that are not part of the traditional harmonic canon. The
main focus of these classes is contemporary music that is harmonic in nature,
which might include jazz standards, John Mayer tunes, or whatever might be
the newest stuff out on the radio, although we do delve into hip hop and other
beat oriented music.
[The students] also get the two semesters of the traditional harmony through
the Kostka/Payne book as well as two semesters of traditional Western music
history and counterpoint.. .Since we are a college and not a trade school, that
historical component is important. The part to argue about is how much of the
historical component to teach. With all the music that's currently being pro-
duced including world music, we try to make the best decision possible.

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 BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES 163

As a result of these interviews, my examination of the problems found in

cation, and discussion of programs such as Berklee's, I am offering the fo
gestions for the construction and implementation of a popular music10 studies
Administrators should be made aware of the need for degrees in po
studies. A case needs to be made for incorporating important new art for
curricula that are greatly impacting our society and our students. An explanati
complexity found in popular music may have to be made. Many administra
of music are often unaware of the resistance faced by new forms of art withi
institutions. The comparison to the resistance faced by jazz studies could
the popularity of music industry, business, and media degrees could be brough
discussion. The success of the Berklee College of Music's programs could
strong argument. For traditional schools of music, the addition of a popular m
degree may work for some and not others. If a school is well funded, and
expand its offerings, perhaps the introduction of such a degree might be c
another scenario, a music school with a concentration that is not gradua
students to retain its accreditation might want to replace that concentration w
popular music.
Curricula must be created that meets the needs of students studying
music. Classes need to be developed, which support the popular music curr
classes should be developed that cover the concepts of harmony and mel
found in the many sub-genres of popular music. Classes need to examine
grooves, and the timbral palate made possible through electronic instrume
sequencing. History classes need to address the roots and many sub-genre
music. Ensembles could be offered in rock, R&B, rap, heavy metal, folk-rock,
a number of other styles. Composition should be required of all ensemble
develop the communal aspect of songwriting.
Faculty should be sought that has both ureal world" popular mus
ence and university credentials. Three of twenty faculty members in th
Music at UL Lafayette have, by happenstance, experience in popular mus
mance and also hold doctorates, evidence that faculty searches devoted to
instruction could be successful. When asked if there are difficulties findi
teachers in contemporary music that also have the necessary degrees to
college level, Kari Juusela pointed out, "While we might get a hundred app
position, only a few of them will be suitable and be able to combine all these s
of them may have started out being more jazz or rock oriented and then g
Masters degree in jazz or contemporary classical music. To me, those wh
rience on both sides of the fence are the ideal people to hire."
Searches must actively seek applicants who are open to the develo
unconventional performance practices on the part of the student. Diffe
dents will need varying amounts of conventional instruction on their instrume

10 Here, I am using the term "popular music" to mostly describe practices from the last fifty y
theory classes, and ensembles would largely be dealing with popular music of this time period. Howe
class devoted to popular music should discuss the development of the genres from the nineteenth
as the European, African, and Latin American influences on the genre(s).

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164 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

most teaching, the students' learning style should be

style. Since students will, as part of their lessons,
innovative artistic visions, teachers must be found
frameworks.
Classes are needed in lyric writing and setting lyrics to music. Perhaps the lyric
writing component could be tied in with creative writing classes found in many English
departments.
Classes in MIDI, Digital Audio, and recording techniques will be needed. In
addition to covering technical knowledge, MIDI classes should also teach the composi-
tional skills found in techno, rap, and other MIDI-intensive pop styles. A portion of
MIDI classes in a popular music study degree should be devoted to the listening and
analyses of important artists whose work utilizes MIDI sequencing.
All students should be required to have at least minimal skills on guitar, key-
boards, and drums. Different instruments lend themselves to the composition of dif-
ferent pop styles. Basic skills classes are needed to give all students at least a beginning
ability on instruments commonly used in popular music.
Musicians, still active in their field are needed to give guest lectures, master
classes, and act as artists-in-residence. Some jazz studies programs bring in guest
artists to discuss issues in performance that are often difficult to address in classes.
Popular music studies programs should borrow from this model.

It is my hope that this article will spur on discussion and lead to a Bachelor of Music
degree in popular studies. To help with acceptance of this degree, it would be helpful if
NASM would consider adding a concentration in popular music to the Bachelor of
Music degree. Just as some adjustments were required to create the jazz concentration
in the BM, some flexibility in thinking will be needed by NASM in the creation of a
popular music concentration. As a starting point in this discussion, I am suggesting the
following music courses be included in such a concentration.

Course Name Comments

Private Lessons (8 sem.) Private lessons on elect

keyboards, or popular vocal styles. O
may be considered.

Ensemble (8 sem.) Students would be require

groups representing a variety of pop

Theory of Popular Music Analysis of the harmoni

(4 sem.) concepts found in popular music of the last fifty years.

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 BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES 165

Aural Skills (4 sem.) Emphasis on popular music styles. Includes

tions of popular songs

Keyboard Skills (1 sem.) Basic keyboard skills for the popular mus

Guitar Skills (1 sem.) Basic guitar skills for the popular musicia

Drum Skills (1 sem.) Basic drum skills for the popular musician

Arranging ( 1 sem.) Arranging skills for the popular musician

Improvisation ( 1 sem.) Improvisation skills for the popular musician

Theory of Western Traditional music theory

Classical Music (2 sem.)

Counterpoint Traditional counterpoint

(1 sem.)

MIDI Seqencing (1 sem.) Sequencing on MIDI software that emphasizes the

technology's use as a composition medium

Recording Skills (2 sem.) Recording techniques on both analog and digital equip-
ment

The Music Industry (1 sem.) Knowledge of the contemporary music industry

History of Popular Music Study of the development of American popular music

(1 sem.) from the nineteenth century to the present

History of Western Traditional music history

Classical Music (1 sem.)

Composition (1 sem.) A study of composition from various sub-genres of

popular music including the interaction between lyrics
and music. Students would compose music in different
popular music styles

Lyric Writing (1 sem.) A study of lyrics from various sub-genres of popular

music including the interaction between lyrics and mu-
sic. Students would compose lyrics in different popular
music styles

Senior Recital Additional study for senior recital preparation

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166 COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

It would be easy to argue that universities are not

of popular music studies. Institutions are, by natu
goals of the artist - in this case, the popular musician
art form outward. Universities, on the other hand
historical trends in art retrospectively and teachi
genre once it has been codified.11 Yet, I believe th
music is to continually push against these tendencies
important changes in how art is defined. In fact, o
articles in mainstream academic journals have discusse
popular music in schools and universities.
My criticisms notwithstanding, the inclusion of
important step forward for universities. It demonstra
capable of incorporating newer genres of music into
Western art music is superior to popular music has, t
over the last four decades. Now is the time to deal wi
to teach popular music studies in higher education

List of References

Johnson, Robert. "Better Late Than Never: Though

Late 20th Century." The Journal of Popular Mu
Murphy, Dan. "Jazz Studies in American Schools a
Educators Journal 26/3 (March 1994): 34-38.
Prouty, Kenneth E. "Canons in Harmony, or Canon
on the Curriculum and Pedagogy of Jazz Impr
Music Education, http://www.stthomas.edu/rimeon
(September 2004).
Thigpen, Ed. "Opening Chorus: Before & After." J

"Some of the way classical music is taught represents less tha

example, the figured bass of the baroque period was often used as
few classical pianists are taught this skill in college.

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