GRMUS H682 — American Music: Sources and Cultures

2 credits
Spring
Aaron Flagg

How has America’s musical identity continued to evolve over time? What is the reality of a multi-ethnic population? How do political, technological, and social changes impact the country’s cultural development? This course looks at the aesthetic foundations of American music through a chronological survey of the music itself, and the changing social and political environments in which it was molded. Music for social life and the concert stage, including patriotic songs, spirituals, marches, Appalachian folk music, and the blues, will be referenced. We will explore composers and authors such as Alexis de Tocqueville, Robert Johnson, Amy Beach, W.C. Handy, Aaron Copland, Terry Riley, Albert Murray, Thelonious Monk, and Jennifer Higdon. Through readings, videos, written assignments, and class performances, we will weave together a nuanced understanding of what comprises American music.

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