Jazz In American Music

Catalog description

This course provides an introduction to jazz music, in which the student will learn about the origins and developments of jazz styles through live demonstrations, audio and video presentations, reading, lectures, discussion and direct, critical listening. The central goal of the course is twofold: to learn how to hear jazz critically-how to hear form, texture, style and language-and to understand the values, meanings and sensibilities of jazz as a social practice. After a brief introductory overview of listening skills, the course will follow the progression of jazz history from ragtime up to present day. Representative musical examples from the listening assignments will be discussed and analyzed in lectures. Readings will focus on the stylistic changes and on the social, cultural and political debates that have arisen during the history of jazz. These will be discussed and analyzed in lectures. Every fall.