Syllabus

JAN 305: The Beatles - A Magical Mystery Tour (Interim 2026)

👨🏻‍🏫 INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Beau M. Christ
Associate Professor
Department of Computer Science

📧 christbm@wofford.edu
📞 (864) 597-4528
💻 www.beauchrist.com
🏛 Olin 111C
⏰ Office hours will be by appointment only. You can always feel free to email me as well!

Dr. Nicole Tobias
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science

📧 tobiasrn@wofford.edu
📞 (864) 597-4524
🏛 Olin 111B
⏰ Office hours will be by appointment only. You can always feel free to email me as well!

🗺 MEETING TIME & LOCATION

We will meet everyday (Monday - Friday) from 9:00AM - 11:25PM in Olin 213, unless otherwise specified.

📖 TEXTBOOK

We will not use a formal textbook for this class. We will be assigning articles and other items to watch/read/listen to, which will be posted on the course website. An optional textbook we will use, however, is Introducing the Beatles: Backgrounds and Resources by Womack and Rapolla.

In addition, you will need to have access to all 13 of the Beatles’ studio albums. You have a few options. You could just outright purchase these (or maybe you already own them). The better (and recommended!) solution is to just purchase a month or two of access to a music service like Apple Music or Spotify. This is recommended, as you get access to even more Beatles material, their solo material, and the music of those that inspired them. Well worth it!

The albums you need access to are: • Please Please Me • With the Beatles • A Hard Day’s Night • Beatles For Sale • Help! • Rubber Soul • Revolver • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band • Magical Mystery Tour • The Beatles (White Album) • Yellow Submarine • Abbey Road • Let It Be

📋 COURSE OVERVIEW

Welcome to The Beatles: A Magical Mystery Tour!

The Beatles were arguably the most influential and innovative musical group in the history of popular music. They were one of the first groups to write and play their own music (ushering in the era of the “self-contained band”), and practically every one of their albums broke new ground. This course will take you on a magical mystery tour of The Beatles starting from their earliest days in Liverpool, moving through the excitement of Beatlemania, the rush of psychedelia, and the maturity of Abbey Road. We will also go beyond their breakup to investigate their solo careers and the lasting impact they left on the world.

Intense listening and analysis of music will comprise much of this course, along with the viewing of Beatles documentaries and the Beatles’ own films. Topics students will investigate include the music, lyrics, recordings, personal and public lives, production techniques, career strategy, social ramifications, and technological impact of The Beatles. By the end of the course, you will fully understand why the names John, Paul, George, and Ringo are permanently engraved in history.

Prerequisites: None!

✅ COURSE OBJECTIVES

By taking this course, my goal is for you to:

  • Gain a deep knowledge and appreciation of The Beatles and their music, as well as the culture of the 1960s.
  • Analyze the Beatles’ songs both musically and lyrically.
  • Understand the social impact that The Beatles had (and still have) on the world.
  • Learn about the musical gear and production techniques utilized by The Beatles.
  • Investigate the careers and lives of The Beatles after the breakup.

You will fulfill these objectives by:

  • Attending class
  • Listening to the albums
  • Reading articles
  • Watching a variety of movies
  • Completing multiple projects
  • Being engaged during in-class discussions and activities

📝 GRADING

This course is pass/fail. To pass, you should attend all class periods, complete the assigned readings from the book, listen to the albums, participate in in-class discussions, and complete the assigned projects.

📜 POLICIES

ATTENDANCE

You are required to attend class. Missing one class period will result in a warning, and missing a second will result in a failing grade.

CLASSROOM

During in-class discussions and while watching movies, the use of devices (notebook, phone, tablet, etc.) will not be allowed. I expect your full attention while in class. Not only are you missing out and inhibiting your learning, but it is often a distraction to others as well.

LATENESS

Please do not be late to class. If you follow a pattern of always being late to class, you will not receiving a passing grade.

COMMUNICATION

We will use email as the main means of communication. Feel free to contact us using any of the ways provided at the top of this syllabus.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Please do your own work!

We have caught students cheating in the past, and take these matters very seriously. Any student we determine is guilty of academic dishonesty will have their case referred to the department and the college to be pursued further (trust us, you do not want that to happen). You may discuss ideas with other students, but all work must be your own.

To make sure you understand what constitutes academic dishonesty, please read the Wofford Honor Code. By enrolling in this course, you are pledging that you agree to the Wofford Honor Code and that all submitted work is your own. Please talk to us if you are unsure what constitutes academic dishonesty.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

If you need accommodations with anything at all, please contact both the Wofford Accessibility Services and myself at the beginning of the semester. We will do our best to assist you as best we can.

USE OF GENERATIVE AI

Any AI-generated works are not permitted and will be treated as plagiarism. Any use of generative AI for any stage of your work in this course is considered a violation of the honor code. Even using it for “being inspired” is negatively affecting your creativity. AI (in my personal opinion) has no place in music.

The only exception is if we specifically give permission on one the assignments to use it.

I would personally write a much stronger letter of recommendation for someone who does their own work and gets a ‘C’ than someone who is using generative AI for their work and gets an ‘A’. Don’t use it.