H85.1201   Lecture   4 Credits

This class introduces students to the history and culture of creative producers and entrepreneurs in recorded music. We look at case studies of four types of entrepreneurs - executives, producers, performers and critics –- and we study how and why the empires that these impressive and sometimes controversial impresarios built have transformed the course of popular music. Some of the individuals we focus on include John Hammond, Sam Phillips, Ahmet Ertegun, Berry Gordy, Phil Spector, George Martin, David Geffen, Clive Davis, Brian Eno, Madonna and Jan Wenner. Along the way, students learn about the history of 20th century recorded music and about various genres and styles in music. We also place the art of record producing and entrepreneurship in historical, political, cultural and social context, looking at approaches to writing research papers and writing poetically about sound.