In "Fandom, Community, and Identity in Popular Music," you will explore the intersections of fandom and popular culture using pop music as a framework. You will apply your skills of self-reflection and close reading/analysis to a few case studies of pop musicians and the ways in which their art inhabits and evolves in pop culture spaces. You will learn about what it means to be a music fan, and therefore to be a fan in general. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to express your creativity as a fan by making something to contribute back into your fandom. This project will ask you to apply your self-reflection and close reading frameworks, and will ground your studies of fandom and pop culture in your lived experience (both physical and virtual). Course-Level Learning Outcomes * Define and describe the dynamics of popular music and its relationship with fandom, popular culture, and digital media * Apply critical self-reflection and close reading frameworks through analytical writing and creative expression * Engage with pop culture and fandom communities by leveraging online platforms to make connections and synthesize learning * Reflect on your personal relationship to popular music, popular art, and how popular culture intersects with memory and nostalgia Course 2 Skills: * Analysis * Evaluation * Critical Thinking * Communication * Creativity * Close Reading