Role of Music in Pop Culture

Catalog description

This course examines the historical significance of popular music in the United States from the late nineteenth century to the present. No formal musical training is necessary to enroll in the course. We will think about how to analyze musical sound, the cultural, social, political, and economic dimensions (the "context") of genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, country, folk, soul, rock, disco, hip-hop, and classical. Each assignment asks students to develop a clear, compelling, and precise evidence-based argument to explore the 45 relationship between musical sounds and their broader cultural significance. Prerequisites: None.