[BLANK_AUDIO] Hello and welcome to Music's Big Bang. That fabulous building behind me is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cleveland, Ohio. It stands on the banks of Lake Erie, just a few hundred feet from where the Cleveland Browns play football. You can see them, that stadium, right over my other shoulder. Well, you see me in Cleveland, but thanks to the power of technology I'm actually standing in a video studio, at the University of Florida in Gainsville, 900 miles south of Cleveland. How great is that? Well, I took the pictures you are seeing, and I will transport you to plenty of other cool places, as our class progresses. I suppose you have figured out by now that I am David Carlson, of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication. Your guide for Music's Big Bang. I can't tell you how excited I am to get started with our class. Please notice I said "our class", because that's what it is. It's not mine, it's not the University of Florida's class, it's not Coursera's class: it's ours. What will make this class great, is you. Your participation will make it special. Rock and roll was and is much more than a type of music. It was and is a cultural phenomenon. Rock and roll changed America. It fed, and fed on, teenage angst. On unrest and dissatisfaction with the status quo. It was loaded with sexual innuendo. It fanned the flames of the civil rights movement. It promoted recreational drug use. It nurtured opposition to the Vietnam war. In short, it frightened the hell out of mainstream America. Rock and roll changed the world, but the world changed rock and roll as well. How all this happened? That's what our class is about. But before we discuss the roots of rock and roll, let me say a couple of things up front. First, I don't claim to be the oracle of rock and roll; I don't know everything. No one possibly could know everything about this music, this cultural force. There are so many artists, so many genres, so many producers, promoters and albums, no one could know it all, let alone remember it! My suspicion, and hope, is that a course like this has attracted a lot of people who already know quite a bit about rock and roll. That's great. Welcome! I hope those of you who know more will spend time in the forums helping answer questions from those who know less. That's what the forums are all about. Let us all learn together. Your participation can help. Let me also say that what you will experience in this class is very much a group effort. I'm the guy on camera, but there are more brains than mine behind this operation. The original version of the course was envisioned and developed as a face to face class, by my friend and former colleague at the University of Florida, Dr William McKeen. Many of the graphics you will see originated with him. Two graduate students, Glenn Rickard and Ji Hoon Lee, pushed the class further before I began teaching it. The University of Florida chose to invest a lot of resources to make this MOOC, and I am grateful for that. Special thanks go to instructional designer, Billy Wildberger, video editor Brian Schilling, the incredible support of the University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications, UF's Distance and Continuing Education Department, and its Center for Instructional Technology and Training. Let's talk about how Music's Big Bang works. This class is made up of modules, and each module contains a series of video lectures. I strongly suggest you watch them in order. Most of the videos are 10 minutes or less in length, to keep it as convenient as possible for your busy life. There also is a quiz at the end of each of the modules, but you can move through this material at any speed you like. Take your time, or rush right through; it's up to you. If you want an even deeper educational experience, there is a lot more material like this in my class at the University of Florida. And you can take that class for college credit, or to earn a certificate in Rock and Roll Studies. I'll tell you more about that as we go along. You also can receive a certificate of completion from Coursera. If you score 85% or better on the quizzes you will receive a certificate of completion with distinction. And if you want that certificate verified by the University of Florida, and signed by yours truly, it's $39. We have an active set of forums to accompany Music's Big Bang. So there will be plenty of opportunity for you to discuss the class material, and rock and roll in general, with classmates from around the world. I encourage you to participate in discussions. Our course will explore the genesis of rock and roll in America. Our journey will begin around 1900, and end with the arrival of Elvis Presley, in 1956. Please be aware that our class includes mature themes, and even some profanity. Rock and roll was built from music that was filled with adult content and profane lyrics. That's just the way it was, so please don't be shocked. Be forewarned also that rock and roll was an American phenomenon in the beginning. I will relate this story from an American's perspective. But I'm anxious to hear other views from around the world. This is not a music class; we will spend very little time discussing music theory, structure, meter or tempo. We are here to discuss how the music evolved and the cultural effects it had. Along the way, we will meet a lot of people, and hear a lot of clips. If you're on Twitter, follow me @gigabit1; I'll have something to say about rock and roll history most days. About those clips. You may have noticed that others on Coursera have not played clips of copyrighted material. That's because of a peculiar feature of US copyright law. This is a simplification, but, essentially, credited non-profit educational institutions are exempt, or mostly exempt, from copyright law, as long as the material is being used for educational purposes. There's no question that what we are doing here is that. I mean, my university is non-profit, and this is an educational function. Coursera, however, is a for-profit corporation, and that's the rub. I think somebody needs to break this ground for the greater good of all, and convinced everyone involved that it's the right thing to do. So here we go, music clips and all! One last thing before we get started. I wanna ask that you leave your musical prejudices at the virtual classroom door. Enter with an open mind about what's good and what's not, what sucks and what doesn't. One of my favorite music stores has a sign posted that says this: "Music appreciation is a chemical reaction that takes place in the brain. All sorts of people like all sorts of music. There's no right music or wrong music; taste is relative". That's a true statement; I think you are what you listen to. So, let's get started with Music's Big Bang. Enjoy! [BLANK_AUDIO]
