History of Rock & Roll

Grades 9 – Adult
Teacher: Stephen Sharp
Tuesday, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Room: A707

Tuition: $320 per semester
Tuition with lessons (10% off): $288 per semester
Tuition with lessons and two or more concurrent 17-week classes or ensembles (15% off): $272 per semester
This is a yearlong course divided into two semesters.

This class is a historical survey of the music, artists, composers, and other figures associated with Rock and Roll and its impact on American culture. We will focus on the development of the blues from its roots in slave music, through the days of rural traveling blues singers and the urban blues records, to the incorporation of electric instruments and the beginnings of rock & roll. From there, we will examine the impact of British music, and the fragmentation of rock into its various offshoots including surf, Motown, fusion, progressive rock, heavy metal and its offshoots, protest music, singer-songwriter music, funk & soul music, punk and its offshoots, hip-hop and rap music. This course may include references to mature and/or historical themes, including war, political unrest, racism, sexism, violence, and drug use, as relevant to the course. The first semester will cover the beginnings of the blues through the 1960s (approximately). The second semester will cover the 1970s through the 21st century.


How to Register

New students and students registering after mid-September: ECMS Registration Form 

Continuing ECMS students may re-register online from May until September.

Paper registration forms available upon request: (585) 274-1400

Once registered, students may begin attending classes. The only registration confirmation you will receive is your bill. You may log on to check your registrations at any time. Click here for complete details on registration and policies.