History of American Popular Music

Catalog description

This course provides a survey of American Popular Music beginning in the late 19th century and ending in the early 21st century. Students will examine the people and institutions that have produced music as well as the history behind its songs and composers. They will also examine the evolution of technology, its impact on popular music, and how it has transformed the role music plays in contemporary society. Listening to popular music so as to better examine its composition, cultural significance and historical development, will be a significant element of the class