MUS 217 - American Music

1 course unit

The subject of this course is vernacular and cultivated music of the United States from the Colonial period to the present. Students will come to understand how musical life not only reflected contemporary issues and events, but actively shaped them, exerting a powerful influence on American history and culture. Topics may include sacred and secular vocal and instrumental music; the musical traditions of African Americans, Native Americans, Latino Americans, and Anglo-Celtic Americans, among others; the influence of European and African practices in concert music and jazz; and the rise of musical institutions in the context of the developing nation. Students may undertake an archival assignment using Special Collections in Trexler Library and complete a culminating research project on music in the Lehigh Valley.
Meets general academic requirement AR.