Assignment One: Creative Destruction, Newcastle Upon Tyne - and the music that reflects it...

How did this...

Become this?

There are three assignments for this course.
This is assignment one

1. This assignment is to help the student understand the economic theory of 'Creative Destruction' on the municipal level. For this assignment we will use music lyrics to examine and understand changes in economics and society of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The Theory of Creative Destruction was established by Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter. Read about it here

In an essay, (specifics below), students will use the song lyrics of musical artists from the Newcastle Upon Tyne area to explore the region, its history, its economy and what effect the changes in society had upon the area. While the student is welcome to use the lyrics of any artists from the Tyneside area, several will be recommended. (Throughout this blog numerous bands are mentioned including the Eurythmics, AC/DC, Duran, Duran, and others. Students are encouraged to frame the assignment question in the opening paragraph of their essay. Some sense of history, with a focus on the shipbuilding and coal mining industries will be necessary.

Here is an excellent historical source which discusses this issue. Student's will also want to examine the lives of the artists in order to understand the context of their music: are they singing in the first person, from personal experience, or are they being reflective? For example, why did these particular artists choose to sing about this issue? How does the artist engage the issue? What value does the listener derive from these songs? Be certain to connect the economic theory of creative destruction and the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

As we will learn on our trip, numerous world-class artist are from the Newcastle area.
Listen to or watch these songs. Find the lyrics online. Be certain to use the lyrics, appropriately, in the context of your essay.


Mark Knopfler, Why Aye Man, (Dire Straits). Watch

Sting, Soul Cages, (The Police). Watch

Lindesfarne, Marshall Riley's Army. Watch

The Animals (including Eric Burdon and Hendrix manager Chas Chandler), We Gotta Get Out of this Place, watch.









Penshaw Monument, County Durham

Student's might also consider Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry awkwardness with his past and the elite image he later develops. "Bryan Ferry grew up in the working-class coal-mining town of Washington in the northeast of England. Although he identifies with the political Right, as explained by music biographer David Buckley, Ferry benefited "from the progressive socialist policies of grant-aided tertiary education." Rather than going into the pits, he studied fine art at Newcastle University. As a young man, he essentially reinvented himself, leaping "from pauper to prince," Buckley writes, "and leaving the burgher well alone." Earlier, Ferry had shed what little regional accent he had. (It would have hampered him reading Shakespeare.) Having been in bands in school, Ferry moved to London, teaching art, amongst other jobs. When he was terminated, he auditioned as vocalist for prog-rockers King Crimson, but was turned down. And that's probably a good thing for music lovers.

Ferry took a DIY approach to writing music, and thus, as much as Roxy Music would be associated with Glam, Ferry's layman's methodology also would be adopted by Punk years hence. Ferry first worked with guitarist Graham Simpson, a fellow student at university at which time they'd formed an R&B outfit, the Gas Board, with John Porter, who would play bass on Roxy's second album. Roxy filled out with Andy Mackay, a reed player who had answered Ferry's ad for a pianist. Well, he did own a synthesizer, and later brought in Brian Eno to play it. Paul Thompson eventually became drummer, and Phil Manzanera guitarist, before they recorded their first album, Roxy Music."
More on Bryan Ferry and art here.

Bryan Ferry: Limbo, watch

NPR interviews Sting about his album, 'The Last Ship.'

BBC History of Shipbuilding in the Northeast, here.

Images of Shipbuilding in Newcastle, here.

BBC - Coal Mining Past & Present, here.

Byker Hill, Cushie Butterfield, and Blaydon Races are popular area folk songs that are still performed today.





And for our younger students, one of the amazing bands coming out the Tyneside area these days includes Smoove & Turrell. Their videos prominently feature scenes from the area as well as a very tasty homage to the area's history and appreciation for a music form known as 'Northern Soul Music.' Their videos include: Hard Work, Slow Down and Beggarman's Disco . The video Beggarman's Disco intimates more current economic hardships of the area. The term Beggarman is a regional term...what's a Beggarman?

Essay Specifics: Your essay should be four, double spaced pages long and include a bibliography of sources used. Be certain that this work is based upon your learning experience and that your essay is in your words. You can quote websites, tour guides, your instructor or other credible academic and historical sources. Use APA citations in your paper including in-line cites. Finally, if you would like to include photographs from your excursion, as an addendum to your submission, you are encouraged to do so. Also, if you have any comments which you would like to share with future participants in this Study Abroad program, please email them to the Bellevue University, Study Abroad coordinator (studyabroad@bellevue.edu) and myself (rick.galusha@bellevue.edu). Please know that your quotes are provided for use in marketing efforts and that in regard to these quotes, provided outside of the assignment process, waive FERPA protection (in other words, we can use them without violating your rights to privacy as a student. Your assignments WILL have FERPA protections but the quotes your choose to share will not.)