Country Music

Catalog description

3 0 This course will explore the country music genre, including its major performers, songwriters, songs and impact on culture from the early times on the radio to the beginning of the twenty-first century. “Offshoots” of country music including cowboy songs, bluegrass and rockabilly, as well as the development of country-pop, and Nashville will also be examined. The materials used throughout the course are drawn from such disciplines as musicology, ethnomusicology, sociology, cultural studies and history. Students will be able to: Identify important people, organizations, events, songs, and concepts in the history of country music and country music in American culture. Compare country songs according to certain musical properties, including instrumentation, melody, rhythm, form, vocal style, and lyrical content. Situate these musical comparisons within their historical contexts that consist of the political, social, and technological developments of the 20th century and continuing to modern times. Engage in critical discussions of country music as a musical genre. Demonstrate the ability to think critically within the interdisciplinary contexts listed: 1) image and identity, 2) the sacred and the profane, 3) race, 4) class, 5) gender, 6) economics, 7) politics, and 8) technology. General Education: Arts and Humanities Grading Option: Letter Grade Only