Whoa, What a Showdown for the 2014 Grunge Class Hummie!

The 2014 Grunge Class Hummie battle of the bands was way epic, dude!

Stiff competition between the bands Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, L7, and (gulp) the sell-out band Nickelback proved riveting. In the end, however, Alice in Chains overcame a tough fight from Pearl Jam to claim the title.

In a video featuring a mash-up like song, "Rooster in the Box," Alice in Chains' slick editing, unique concept, and outstanding visual performances won over the crowd and class.

Here's to a job well done and done well, Alice in Chains!

A link to AIC's winning video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Zb4OrmLmQ

The other videos

Pearl Jam's "Jeremy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNbTQXZLyaE

L7's "Stuck Here Again": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N87cQ1nIh-E

Nickelback's "This is How You Remind Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpLSPust1KU&feature=youtu.be

Marshmallow Challenge Winners

Hard fought. Tedious. Tremendous. Stupendicutakular. These are just some words that can describe the white-knuckled competition to build the largest free-standing spaghetti, duct-tape, string, and marshmallow tower in the Spring 2014 "Grunge" class. L7, everyone's favorite Grunge band won the competition with a little help from a member of the sell-out band. It was an impressive structure to say the least. Good work L7, turns out you cats aren't that square after all.

Writing Project 5

Design and Reflect on a Visual Composition

Writing Project 5 due, Thursday, April 10—Group Project

This writing project is solely a "writing" project in name only. This writing project includes designing a visual composition, along with a write-up to accompany the visual composition. Using the CRAP principles will be an essential component in this visual design process.

Page 1 of this writing project should be the visual composition, and an equally impressive caption that explains the graph, timeline, or map. This caption should also include the sources used in consultation and reference for the production of this visual composition.

Regarding the visual composition: these are a good way to visually represent information to an audience that might otherwise be difficult to explain, and this visual composition should be a graphic that explains something significant about your band. A "family tree," or lineage of how the band developed over time, a timeline that features your band's albums, or a map of the hometowns of each band member are examples of how you might choose to design a visual composition.

Whatever method of visual representation you choose: graph, timeline, map, chart, or family tree, it should be eye-catching, use the CRAP principles, and exhibit an overall well-designed thoughtfulness.

This visual composition is a requirement for final research papers, and you may use this writing project's outcome as the final research paper's visual composition.

Page 2 of this project should be a one-page reflection on the visual composition. Take a paragraph or two to describe the choices you made in composing the visual, and then give some background related to the actual visual composition. Why did you choose to do a horizontal timeline, a pie chart, or map. Connect the visual with the message that you are trying to convey with your design.

Thoughts on the Final Research Paper and Media Project

Final Paper

Core mastery of the course material will be demonstrated in the form of a final research paper submitted by your entire band. The project of the paper will be to write a "social history" of your band. In writing this history, your research-style paper should touch upon the three main aspects of the course--use of simple rhetorical arguments, Seattle's unique geography, history, and economy, and lastly, labor relations.

Each band member should write a ten page paper, and then these individual papers should be merged into one, "final research paper" document. An introduction, segues between the individual papers to create a cohesive document, and a conclusion should be written collaboratively. These final research papers should be double-spaced using 12 point Times-New Roman font and have 1.0" margins. 

Each individual paper should have a header, footer, or name introduction at the beginning of the piece that identifies the individual author of the ten page paper. The introduction, segues, and conclusion do not need this type of identification because they will be written collaboratively. 

There should also be a bibliography or works cited page at the end of this final research paper that includes all the sources consulted or cited in the final research paper.

The paper should be written and formatted as a journal article from a popular press written for a popular audience. This will mean that there should be more than one column on each page, and any images used in the text should be inserted and wrapped in the text as you would see in a magazine or popular journal. Images will also need to have a caption and source. 

An abstract presenting an overview or main point of your band's research paper must begin this final research paper. This abstract should be 4-7 sentences long and be in italics and single-spaced.

In your individual ten-page paper, you will need to cite at least ten different sources. Of these ten sources, at least five sources need to be primary sources, meaning something obtained from an archive, similar repository, or an oral history interview. Also, your individual paper must have at least five different types of sources, an example: you may use a book, vetted web site (.gov, .edu, .org--as a primary source), scholarly journal, oral history, and image. Lastly, your band's final research paper should include the course texts that deal with Seattle and labor law, meaning your band should cite each course text (except the Wiki book on writing) at least once in the final research paper collaborative document.

As this final research paper replaces a "test" final, it is weighted quite heavily in class grading. As such, the paper should demonstrate what we have learned as a class over the duration of the semester:

Be sure to use sound rhetorical principles in the paper, identify your audience; make a strong, but balanced and supported argument, if you write with bias be sure to make that bias transparent; and include the three rhetorical appeals in your writing. Also, be sure to employ the 4 Cs (clear, concise, concrete, current/flow) in the writing, while using some of the techniques we discussed in class to make your writing more readable.

Good luck, be creative, and have fun, but be serious with your work.

Media Project 

Your band's multi-media project, which should be a music video for a song from your band, are due for judging during the Thursday, April 17, class period. In addition to making a music video, your band will be tasked with doing a presentation to introduce, explain, and reflect on your band's video, while also providing a history of your band, Seattle's "Grunge" music scene, and/or the multi-media project in general. 

Then premier your band's music video in class—during presentation of your band's music video all members should be dressed in appropriate period clothing scavenged from the racks of a local thrift store (the group field trip portion of the course). Additionally, as part of this video premier, your band should find a cd, tape, or vinyl from this period, procure it, and then redesign the cover.

There will be two judges evaluating your work on this music video. One, is me, the other is a mystery judge formerly affiliated with the Marquette, Michigan, music scene. As a class, we will view these presentations and multi-media projects in class and then award the "HUMMIE" for best multi-media project...award sponsored by Pepsii (though not affiliated with Pepsi Cola corporation or any of its subsidiaries).

Examples of some very well done previous music videos from this course: 

Sell-out Band Bush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW0nbFD-EWc&feature=youtu.be  

Hard rocking Alice in Chains' thoughtful portrayal of the Grunge classic, "Rooster":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chYsipNT4sM   

Have Fun with This!

The End: An Updated Schedule

Unit 10—Examining a Legend

Tuesday, April 8

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 5-6

            Begin Kurt and Courtney

Writing Project 5 due, Thursday, April 10—Group Project

Visual Rhetoric Composition with New Bandmates

Thursday, April 10

            Finish Kurt and Courtney

            In-class debate for participation credit   

Tuesday, April 15

            What is Grunge?

            In-class writing and redux       

Media Project and Presentations Due, Thursday, April 17

Unit 11—Media Projects

Show and present music videos: April 17

Premier and present your band's music video in class—during presentation of your band's music video all members should be dressed in appropriate period clothing scavenged from the racks of a local thrift store (the group field trip portion of the course). Additionally, as part of this video premier, your band should find a cd, tape, or vinyl from this period, procure it, and then redesign the cover.

Unit 12—Portfolios

Tuesday, April 22

            Work on portfolios in class

Thursday, April 24

            Work on portfolios in class

Finals Week: April 28-May 2

Hand in final research papers, portfolios, and any missing materials

For this final paper, as a band write a well-sourced and cited social and cultural history of your band, including the biographical, environmental, industrial, and labor contexts. Make sure to paraphrase, cite, and source from each of the books on the Grunge Movement read in class. Additional information on “specs” for this final research paper will be given later.

Writing Project 4

Resume or Help Wanted Ad

Writing Project 4 due, Tuesday, April 8

This is a simple and somewhat straightforward writing project that all bands, and college students, have to do at some point in their lives. For Writing Project 3, you will be composing and designing an individual resume, if you are a band member, or a job description if you are a band manager.

After our "Mix-up," on Tuesday, we will have new bands including a "post-grunge" or sellout band. One or two of you may wind up in "rehab," though for what we do not know. This mix-up is a chance to shuffle the grungy deck, and will represent the final bands for our push toward the end of the semester, which includes the final research paper and music video.

Therefore, if you are a band member after Tuesday, you should compose and design a stellar resume. The following site gives a good indication of the elements of a resume: http://careers.erau.edu/land-offer/resumes/.

In composing and designing this resume be sure to think about use of white space on the document, alignment, and audience. Familiarizing yourself with the CRAP design principles will be essential to successfully completing this unit's writing project. What are the CRAP principles you ask? They are essential elements of designing things like documents, web pages, and presentations. Here's a link to a downloadable pdf that helps explain CRAP: http://www.presentationzen.com/chapter6_spread.pdf

Same goes for band managers who are writing job descriptions. This link provides useful tips for composing a job description: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Job-Description-Template

Resumes and job descriptions should be one-page, well-designed, and evocative compositions!
As a note: these resumes and job descriptions should be hybrids documents of actual personal history, and fictional, class role-play elements. So, if you are making a resume for yourself, and you'd like to join Pearl Jam, include some of the experiences you had in high school--perhaps you worked in a local record store; include that factual information. Also, include experiences unique to our class role-play that are fictionalized. If you're leaving Soundgarden, perhaps include that you were a member of the super-group Temple of the Dog, etc.

Combine fact and fiction in these documents to produce a resume or job description that fits the course. However, the point of this writing project is to give you a document that you can use down the road. So, while the information on your resume can be changed, you have the shell or template of a document that you can use for future career fairs and job seeking endeavors.

Writing Project 3

Sign the Band, Man

This writing project is due Thursday, March 27

In General

This writing project is designed to be a companion work alongside the assigned readings for Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer.

Using aspects of the readings, our class role-play, and the whimsy and wackiness of rock n' roll, it is the task of your band to get a written contract together that "signs" the band to a formal, written contract with your manager.

We have discussed some aspects of employment in our previous class, and now the task is to get those particulars negotiated, or agreed upon, by all members of the band. In essence, your band will be writing a technical document that ensures all band members will know their rights and responsibilities in the development of your professional relationship in this role-play and in the execution of future class assignments and projects.

Therefore, there are two essential components to this writing project:

1. Have a good understanding of your rights as a band member (worker) via reading Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer. In contrast, band managers can use Labor Law as a tool to understand some expectations of an employer or administrator, and then craft contract language and negotiations based on an understanding of potential needs and wants of band members.

and

2. This contract should be sure to spell out (literally) the rights and responsibilities of all band members, including the manager. These rights and responsibilities can be for instances specific to our course role-play such as band health insurance, the band's "recreational opportunities," and/or safety issues related to concert events or life on the road, but should also include aspects of work and assignment completion for this course. As an example this might include: who in the band takes the lead in organizing work schedules (does the manager send out emails to get everyone together, or is this the task of everyone in the band) or who might take the lead in giving presentations to the class. The objective here is to write a contract that combines class role-play scenarios with "real-life" tasks from our class.

Help with the Document

An example of an employment contract can be found here: http://www.legaldocs.com/htsgif.d/xemploy.htm.

Writing Project Specifics and Timeline

In written form for Tuesday, March 25, each band member and the band's manager should work through a rough draft of what they would like to see in a labor contract during class. This is a type of pre-writing exercise that could take the form of an outline, mind-map, or simple rough narrative of what you, as a member of the band, would like to see in a contract. Nothing fancy needs to be completed, but you should come to class with some idea of your rights as a worker (member of the band) or manager, expectations of the other party, and particular ideas of what you would like to see in a contract. 

As a part of this negotiation process on Tuesday, I will be available to arbitrate any problems or sticking points that arise from these labor and contract negotiations. Meaning, I will be happy to help facilitate the working toward compromise between band members and manager that might result from an impasse regarding contract details.

Be sure to consult our class text Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer in this process!

Then, for class on Thursday, March 27, managers should have a final draft ready for band members to sign. These final drafts and your band interactions on Thursday should evidence a working knowledge of our course text, Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, and some type of investment in the process of coming together as a group to debate/negotiate the terms of individual and group responsibilities to fellow band members and manager. These final contracts should reflect the agreed upon clauses and specifics from the Tuesday, March 25, contract negotiations. Band members should then give a final read over of these contracts, and then if all is agreeable--sign these contracts on Thursday.

Our course text, Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, should be cited at least one time in your final contract!

Standard writing project particulars are in play: 1" margins, 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spaced, etc. A works cited page for our book Labor Law is also a writing project necessity. 

These contracts, however, may be longer than 2-3 pages if needed to convey the complex interactions between manager and band members. 

Quick, but important note: these contracts are in no way legally binding, but rather a tool to help simulate our class role-play between band and manager, and possible labor relations scenarios. 

Updated Schedule

Unit 7—Sign Your Band: Labor, Labor Law and Contracts

Tuesday, March 18
Reading: Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, first half of book

            Begin Hype

Thursday, March 20
Reading: Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, second half of book

            Finish Hype
            Mini-lecture: Seattle Labor History
            Documentary: 1919 Seattle General Strike     

Unit 7 & 8—Labor Law and When Bad Things Happen to Good Bands

Tuesday, March 25

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 1-2

In-class contract negotiations with reference to Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer

            Managers write one version of a contract

            Band/”workers” write another version, collaboratively
            In-class work: negotiate/edit contract in class

            
Writing Project 3 Due, Thursday, March 27

Thursday, March 27

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 3-4

            Sign band to a contract, man             
            Begin The Gits

Unit 9—The Remix

Tuesday, April 1
Reading: "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

            Finish The Gits

The "Mix Up"

Writing Project 4 due, Thursday, April 3—Individual Project

Job descriptions or resume

Thursday, April 3
            Discuss "Art in the Age"
                 Bring reading notes to class for discussion

            Mock Career Fair
            Meet your new band

            Marshmallow Challenge

Writing Project 2

An Oral History

This writing project is due Tuesday, March 18.

Writing Project 2 is designed to be a fun way to explore music with a family member, friend, or foe for that matter. In this writing project you will be conducting an oral history, and then analyzing your experience doing an oral history.

Oral history is a unique way to "do" history from the bottom-up. Most times we get history from text books made by large corporations that glorify old, rich white men, and forsake most of the population that has made this country great--the working-class, women, and minorities. This practice distracts us from hearing the voices of most Americans. Oral history provides the opportunity to get or do history from a personal, organic source.

Take a look at this link for more information about "doing" oral history: http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html

This page, which has audio and text files of oral history interviews, demonstrates what types of subjects and topics can be covered in oral history interviews. It also features locally important historical actors: http://www.finlandia.edu/finnamericanoralhistories/index.html

For this writing project there are three steps:

1) Identify and interview a family member or friend about their interests in music. Read the dohistory.org page above, follow the steps to do an oral history, and conduct a thorough oral history interview that collects data and information on what types of music your friend or relative was into, significant concerts that they attended, and if they were perhaps in a band.

If at all possible interview someone who was alive and "into" the grunge music scene, but other genres are also welcome for this oral history interview. 

2) Make sure that you capture this oral history on a digital voice recorder, a tape recorder, or take very good notes if you don't have access to some type of voice recording mechanism.

3) Write up your oral history interview in two parts. Firstly, transcribe relevant parts of your oral history interview. Meaning, take segments of your oral history interview and write them out. Perhaps there is a really funny story, a meaningful experience, or groundbreaking concert that was attended by your oral history interviewee...highlight this by writing it out word for word, and include the question or questions you asked in this transcription. This transcription should account for the first page of your writing project.

Secondly, write out an analysis of your oral history experience. Make this a thoughtful reflection on the process: what did you learn, how did you go about doing oral history, and/or was this a meaningful experience? This analysis should cover the second page of your writing project.

Be sure to include citations for sources used (hint: the person you interview is a source), and make sure to include a works cited page for your writing project.

Standard writing project specs apply to this, the final writing project!

Lastly, have fun, get to know the musical interests of your family or friends, and try to end up making this a discussion about something that most people find an essential part of what makes us human: the music of life.

Writing Project 1

Rhetorical Analysis of Antecedent Band Video

In this writing project you are asked to do an individual rhetorical analysis of a music video from an antecedent band that is featured in the book Our Band Could be Your Life.

I am asking that these no shorter than two, but no longer than three page writing projects be created individually.

Begin this writing project with a short, two to three paragraph history of the antecedent band you have chosen to analyze. Write this history by paraphrasing your book, Our Band Could be Your Life, and then provide the proper citation information from the book, and pull in two other sources. One source should come from one of the documentaries we viewed in class on either the Punk Movement or the beginnings of Heavy Metal. The second source can be from the internet, but not a tertiary source such as Wikipedia.

Then choose a video from this band, and do a rhetorical analysis of this video.

What, you may ask, is a rhetorical analysis? Good question. 

I am asking that you identify the argument and audience of your chosen video. Then using the video as your "source," give examples of how the band and/or video used ethos, logos, and pathos appeals in presenting the argument to the intended audience. Remember there are many audiences being addressed by each band in these videos. Thus, the identification of a specific audience will be necessary to successfully complete this writing project.

As with all the WPs, 1" margins, double-spaced, and 12 pt Times New Roman font is the way to go. Also, be sure to use in text citations where you are using the work of others. In all there should be at least 4 in-text citations in this writing project: 3 for the short history (1 from Our Band...course text, 1 from the punk or heavy metal documentary, and 1 other source of your choice), and an in-text citation for the antecedent band's video. Then be sure to create a Works Cited page that lists the book and any and all outside sources you use in the completion of this WP.

Good luck with this writing project and as always I look forward to reading the results.

Schedule

Introduction to the Course

Tuesday, January 14

            Getting to know us, Ken Robinson, “Changing the Paradigm”

Thursday, January 16

            Class outline, syllabus, opening arguments George Carlin    

Link to the Wiki Book Rhetoric and Composition:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric_and_Composition

Unit 1—Argument and Collaboration

Tuesday, January 21

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 3-52

            Schedule, “Argument: An Introduction”

            CREW

            View documentary Metal Evolution: Grunge

Thursday, January 23

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 53-91

            Collaboration/Campus Scavenger Hunt

Quest 1—received by your group after finding last clue

Unit 2—Rhetoric and WaD

Tuesday, January 28

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 93-148

            The Three Rhetoreers: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

            Grunge Music Videos

Thursday, January 30

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 149-190

            Writing across the Disciplines in-class writing assignment

           

Quest 2, Thursday, January 20

Unit 3—Research Methodology

Tuesday, February 4

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 191-250

            JRVP Library Visit, Room 242

Quest 3—received after completion of library instruction

Thursday, February 6—No Class Winter Carnival Break

Unit 4—Citations, Citations, Citations

Tuesday, February 11

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 251-286

            In-class writing project

Thursday, February 13

Reading: Rhetoric and Composition, pgs. 287-302

            Plagiarism, paraphrasing, and quotations

           

Quest 4—done in class during last 25 minutes

Unit 5—Antecedents I & II

Tuesday, February 18

Reading: Our Band Could..., Chaps 1&2

            Watch Punk Documentary

Thursday, February 20

Reading: Our Band Could…, Chaps 3&4

            Watch Metal Documentary

Tuesday, February 25

Reading: Our Band Could…, Chaps 5&6

            Mini-lecture: The Minneapolis Scene

            Short doc: Left of the Dial

            Short videos: Husker Du, Replacements

Thursday, February 27

Reading: Our Band Could…, Chaps 7, 8, & 10

            Rhetoric Redux: Music Videos

Create Grunge Bands

Writing Project 1 Due, Tuesday, March 4—Individual Writing Project

Rhetorical analysis and history of “Antecedent” Band’s Video

Unit 6—Sources: Oral History

Tuesday, March 4

Readings: Our Band Could…, Chap 12

                Grunge is Dead, Chaps 1-5

            Watch Hype

Thursday, March 6

Readings: Grunge is Dead, Chaps 6-11

            Finish Hype

Writing Project 2 due, Tuesday, March 18—Individual Writing Project

Oral History Interview Write-up

Tuesday, March 11—No Class Spring Break

Thursday, March 13—No Class Spring Break

Unit 7—Sign Your Band: Labor Law and Contracts

Tuesday, March 18

Reading: Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, first half of book

            Mini-lecture: Seattle Labor History

            Documentary: 1919 Seattle General Strike

Writing Project 3 Due, Thursday, March 20

Sign band to a contract written with reference to Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer

            Managers write one version of a contract

            Band/”workers” write another version, collaboratively

Thursday, March 20

Reading: Labor Law for the Rank-and-filer, second half of book

            In-class work: negotiate/edit contract in class

Unit 8—When Bad Things Happen to Good Bands

Tuesday, March 25

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 1-2

            Watch Andrew Wood Story

Thursday, March 27

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 3-4

            Finish Andrew Wood Story

            Begin The Gits

Writing Project 4 due, Tuesday, April 1—Individual Project

Job descriptions or resume

Unit 9—The Remix

Tuesday, April 1

            Finish The Gits

Mock Career Fair

Thursday, April 3

            Meet your new band

            Marshmallow Challenge

Writing Project 5 due, Tuesday, April 8—Group Project

Visual Rhetoric Composition with New Bandmates

Unit 10—Examining a Legend

Tuesday, April 8

Reading: Grunge Seattle, Chaps 5-6

            Begin Kurt and Courtney

Thursday, April 10

            Finish Kurt and Courtney

            In-class debate for participation credit          

Media Project and Presentations Due, April 15

Unit 11—Media Projects

Show and present music videos: April 15-17

Premier and present your band's music video in class—during presentation of your band's music video all members should be dressed in appropriate period clothing scavenged from the racks of a local thrift store (the group field trip portion of the course). Additionally, as part of this video premier, your band should find a cd, tape, or vinyl from this period, procure it, and then redesign the cover.

Unit 12—Portfolios

Tuesday, April 22

            Work on portfolios in class

Thursday, April 24

            Work on portfolios in class

Finals Week: April 28-May 2

Hand in final research papers, portfolios, and any missing materials

For this final paper, as a band write a well-sourced and cited social and cultural history of your band, including the biographical, environmental, industrial, and labor contexts. Make sure to paraphrase, cite, and source from each of the books on the Grunge Movement read in class. Additional information on “specs” for this final research paper will be given later.