MUS1014: American Musical Cultures

Abstract

Is there an America? Can this question be answered, or can we at least find clues, by learning about and understanding its music? American Musical Cultures will examine the relationship between a culture, or in many cases a subculture, and its music. What makes something American? What makes music American? Does understanding the music of a society provide insights into its culture? Through readings, video, assigned listening, and class discussion, we will explore American diversity. We will find that music demonstrates both inclusion and individuality, stressing teamwork, but never at the expense of self-identity. The “American diversity” we will explore covers ethnicity and religion. But American diversity is also regional, generational, and inevitably viewed in values and modes of thought and behavior. Similarly, the word culture can be used to explain the attitudes and activities of people not only belonging to specific regions and ethnicities, but to eras. Such a breakdown is discernible where a community produces a plurality of musical approaches. The course will enable students: * to understand the diverse nature of American culture(s). * to analyze the meaning and components of culture. * to create and defend arguments synthesizing elements across cultural groups. In order to have any ability to approach the question, What is American music? or What is American culture?, it will be necessary to consider cultures and music from beyond the Americas. Thus, in the broadest picture, we consider what aspects of music are universal. When this is established, we can think about what makes American music American. From there we consider the categories that reveal diversity: generation, race, region, and ultimately the spectrum of thought process that makes us human.