Rock-n-Roll

= = = = = = = Research Questions: = Q:What is Rock 'N' Roll? A:Rock and Roll was a label for a "new sound" that came up in the 1940's. Coming from a mix of blues, country, and gospel genres of music.

Q:How many/What are the genres of music branch from rock and roll? A:Rock N Roll (or for short "rock") was the first of its kind. Then below it was many different genres such as alternative rock, hard rock, and alternative rock, the list is virtually endless.

Q:What influenced Rock 'N' Roll and where did it come from(time period? Nationalities)? A:Rock N Roll was influenced by blues, country, and gospel in the 1940's.

Q:Who were people that are most associated with rock and why? A:In the early days of rock and roll the most famous by far was Elivs Presley but other rock and roll stars/bands including Lenny Kravitz and Bill Haley.

Q:How did African Americans specifically influence Rock N Roll? A:African Americans influenced Rock N Roll by bringing it into popular culture. It didn't hit popular culture for white America till the 1950's but in the 1940's the sounds of rock and roll were playing away in African American clubs and bars.

Q:What instruments are associated with Rock N Roll? A: Instruments that are associated with Rock N Roll include (but are not limited too) the guitar (both acoustic and electric), key board, vocals, drums, and synthesizers.

Q:What qualities does Rock N Roll have? A: The qualities of Rock N Roll mainly consist of the instruments. The main instruments that rock associates with are the guitar and the keyboard and vocals. Although this question is tricky because old rock is different from modern rock. Rock is mostly up beat using the drums for a beat.

Q:Do lyrics affect the classification of Rock N Roll? A:Many of the lyrics repeat, but the idea behind the lyrics or the lyrics themselves have no limits.

Q:Whats the difference between rock and Rock N Roll? A:There is no difference. Rock is simply a shortened name for rock and roll.

Q:How has Rock N Roll evolved over the years and where is it today in popularity? A:Rock N Roll has evolved by branching into other genres. By changing the sound of rock into many difference sounds the population of rock loving people has skyrocketed. But even as though there a lots of different rock sub genres, each can is connected by a few attributes that can be found in other genres, linking them all together.

= Research Design: = =- Page and Research = Our research will be focusing on Rock N Roll, how it came to be, its place in popular culture, and what its made of. To do this we will answer our research questions and research two songs. We have split up our group into parts. Dre, Joe, and Sam will answer the questions each will have three or four questions. To do this we will use our researching skills to look for viable information on the internet and keep track of the links we used so that we can use them as references for later. We will look at different sites, and will look at two sites for the main facts to confirm that they're accurate. Some questions may require alternate ways of research for example the question "do lyrics affect the classification of rock?". This will be researched by looking at the lyrics of different rock/rock and roll songs. Chelsea will research and break down two songs ( Rock n' Roll all night by Kiss and American Idiot by Green Day), both of our songs are two different branches of rock and could have specific qualities of Rock n' Roll. To do this she will look at both of those songs and find multiple similarities and differences. Instruments, lyrics, rhythms, and beat are just a few parts of the songs that she will evaluate. The questions will be due Friday, May 7th and the song will be due May 12th. So in the end we are trying to prove rock n' roll is everywhere, even if its not rock n' roll, parts of it are still incredibly popular and have led to what is thought of as common rock. After the basic assignments are finished as a group we will continue to make the page better by improving the literature (peer editing), researching more sub genres of rock (by adding more songs), and overall making the page more enjoyable to read.

= -Presentation: = For our presentation our group will be talking about Rock N Roll in many different ways. We will have a Keynote and music samples to listen too. We'll start with talking about the history and current status on Rock N Roll. Dre will be talking about the history of current history of it.Joe will be talking about the association of the Rock N Roll with pictures. Finally Chelsea will play samples of song that people consider rock 'n' roll but really isn't. We will show the change of rock 'n' roll over time and how they still are the same.Sam will be helping each person with their work and helping everyone explore their work as a peer editor, also he will be saying the research questions and doing Q & A with the class.

= Thesis/Theses: = Although Rock N Roll is not a popular genre itself, parts of it appear in everyday music and forms of rock.

= What is Rock and Roll? = = -History = Rock N Roll is a genre that was later shortened to just rock. Rock N Roll hit fame in the 1950’s and 1960’s that started in the U.S. Rock itself is not a genre but a title to overcast tons of other genres such as soft rock, hard rock, metal, and alternative. Rock N Roll showed up in U.S. history when there was a lot of racial tension between whites and blacks. Right around this time the civil rights moment was working hard on desegregation. Rock and Roll came up during the time the separate but equal policy was being abolished in 1954. Rock N Roll was influenced by country, blues, and gospel genres of music. It was considered to be Rock and Roll in the 1950’s. However it found its fame in African American culture in 1940’s after World War 2. The music first became popular in small clubs and on the radio widely. Rock was a mix of both black and white styles. Due to the racial prejudice some whites thought that blacks were stealing “white” music. But others thought that Rock and Roll was a desegregation tactic. = = = = = -Current = = = = = = = Now Rock N Roll is more popular among many different races. African Americans however are not a race of people who are really involved in Rock N Roll today even though they greatly contributed to the making of it. Currently Rock n’ Roll consists of many instruments. Such instruments include electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, synthesizer, keyboards, Saxophone, Harmonica, Beat box, and Fiddle or Violin. Repeating lyrics are another attribute of rock that we noticed in multiple rock n' roll songs. These qualities appear in almost every genre of rock and a few of many reasons why Rock is one of the most popular type of music today = = . = -The King = = = Elvis Presley is usually the first person anyone things of when thinking about Rock N Roll artists. Commonly known, as Elvis or “The King, he was the first to really “show off” Rock N Roll. He grew up at the exact time that Rock and Roll was forming and becoming popular. His vocals were perfect for the style as his fame grew is has grown into the title “the King of Rock N Roll”. Some of his most famous songs are "Hound Dog" and "Jail House Rock" both cracking the top 10 top rock and roll songs of their time.

= -Other Associations = Although Elvis is mostly associated with rock and roll many other bands after his time became very famous because of their rock and roll music. Other bands include Lenny Kravitz and Bill Haley.

Lenny Kravitz was one of a few black rock and rollers. He was born May 26, 1964 in New York City. As a kid his parents took him to many concerts, plays and broad way shows this got him into music. He made is music debut as a member of chorus in a performance of Mahler's Third Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. During the time he was in the chorus he taut him self how to play the drums and guitar. While he was in high school he started writing music and over time start liking rock music. When he was in high school one of his friends was slash the guitar player for Gun’s n Rose. After high school he talked his dad into letting him use some of his college money to get some time in the recording studio. His dad agreed and this is how he made his first demo. Shortly after he signed a recording contract with Virgin Records. And his career took off from there

Bill Haley was born July 6th 1925. He is best know for singing “ rock around the clock”(1956). He was born in Parkland Michigan. But for most of his life he lived in an area near Chester, PA called Boothwyn. One of the main ways he got into music is when he was little his dad played the banjo and his mom played the keyboard and when he was 7 his parents bought him his first interment, a guitar. At the age of 13 he got his first professional job playing at an auction for 1$ an hour. After he stared a band, and they were good enough, people started to book them for jobs. When he was 15 he left home to try and make a name for him self. Eventually a he got a job with a popular group known as the Down Homers and the rest is rock and roll history. He later on down the line stared a group called Bill Haley and the comets.

= = = = = = = Samples: = These are a few songs and samples of rock music. All were incredibly famous for their time and are still well known. Each song will have the title, artist/band, year it was made, and explain what is going on and how it relates to our census.

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Rock Around the Clock By Bill Haley Rock N Roll 1954 Synopsis: Rock around the Clock was one of the first successful Rock N Roll songs (but was not the first). Although it didn't start out as that. There was a long road it took to become the musical hit it became in 1955 a year after it was released. This was due to the the fact that Rock/ Rock and Roll was still just a underground movement, mostly listened to by teenagers. It was very important to the evolution of the genre. According to Bill Haley "After ‘Rock Around the Clock.’ The music (Rock) was everywhere.” The genre used hits like this as a foundation so that new songs could be made. Looking at how it was made, influenced other artists to write more songs, some of which turned into hits, which could be used as inspiration for more songs, and thus the process continues.

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Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss Hard Rock 1973 Synopsis: Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss, is one of the top hits of rock and roll songs for its time. This relates to the thesis because it came out about twenty-thirty years after rock originally came out and and has many of the components as the older rock song above (rock around the clock). They both have noticeable drum parts that represents the beat of the song. It has a 4/4 sime signature (meaning four beats beats per measure). The 4/4 time signature is also found in Rock "Around the Clock". This is a perfect example of how one element of rock from before, has reappeared in a song that is almost twenty years later. One difference is that in "Rock around the Clock" there is a small intro with lyrics but in Rock and Roll All Night the intro is has no lyrics. One similarity that connects with the time period is meaning, both songs are about having fun and partying.

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Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers Alternative Rock 1992 Synopsis: Under the Bridge is a song form the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The lyrics were written by Anthoney Kiedis when he was having an emotionally distressed moment in his life and so, his feelings have progressed into the song. This song symbolizes change in the rock genre. Like the first two it has a intro, although this one is much longer and its with the guitar and not the drums. It still contains the 4/4 time signature even thought the rhythm changes from slow to fast.

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American Idiot By Green Day Punk Rock 2004 Synopsis: American Idiot was a song made by the American rock group Green Day. It was one song of many that tell a story of a fictional man named Jesus, of Suburbia. The entire album tries to show the conflict between love and rage. Chose to fallow your ethics or your let your emotions make you destructive. In this song the meaning is talking about a person choosing to giving into all that is wrong with America (an example is becoming a slave to the media and believing everything that you get through a screen. This has a very strong meaning much like "Under the Bridge", but unlike the other songs that are more care free and party songs. That is one difference that has occurred in Rock. However in all of these songs one consistent similarity is the 4/4 beat. It also fallows the change that was made between 1973 and 1992, it starts off with a guitar.

= Analysis: = There are examples of Rock songs, due to modern understanding of music the correct genre of songs changes from each person but these genres are taken from a general understanding of the song. All are excellent examples of expressing the similarities and differences of rock (and rock n' roll) music. One huge connection that fits for all four songs have repeating lyrics. In Rock around the clock they repeat the word "rock" multiple times, in rock and roll all night, Kiss repeats "rock and roll all night" lots of times. Another connection is the use of multiple common instruments such as the drums, and electric guitar and a key board. One specific moment that one can notice a similarity is at the beginning they all have a small guitar intro. More subtle things to notice are a catchy beat and rhyming lyrics. Even though there are lots of similarities there are also differences. In "Rock and Roll All Night" the Lyrics are happier, and more about partying then the others which sort of tell a story. Also "Under the Bridge" has a slower beat then the others which separates it. Even though these are all similar in some ways and different in other, the one thing that binds them all is that they all fall under the "Rock" genre.

= Bibliography: = "African American Rock n' Roll." //Art& Culture//. 2008. Web. .

"Bill Haley Biography." //Rock and Roll Hall of Fame//. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2010. Web. 25 May 2010. . "Elvis Presley Bibliography." //Rock and Roll Hall of Fame// 2010: n. pag. Web. 11 May 2010. .

" Kravitz, Lenny ." //Biography Reference Bank//. 2010. //Biography Reference Bank//. Web. 19 May 2010. Lamb, Annette, and Larry Johnson. "The Topic: Rock n' Roll." //42explore//. N.p., 7/01. Web. 11 May 2010. .

"Rock and Roll Instruments."Daily Press, Daily Press n.d. Web. 11 May 2010. .