MHST 221 - American Music

FC CNDP, DDHU

4 credits
What does it mean to sound “American”? This course will investigate how “American” music has been defined in the United States from the colonial era to the 20th century. With frequent references to literature and criticism, we will trace the growing rift between so-called classical and popular music in the United States and its implications for composers, performers, and audiences. Topics will include New England Psalmody, shape-note singing, minstrelsy, American opera, Broadway, jazz, serialism, and rock ‘n’ roll.

Prerequisites: ESOL 130 (for students in ESOL sequence).