Course Description
A survey of musical styles created and/or developed by African Americans in North America from c. 17th century to the 21st century. Includes socio-cultural approach drawing from the African heritage to other continental appropriations. Key personalities in the development of the African American music culture and their contributions will also be examined.
Athena Title
African American Music
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in MUSI 2080E, AFST 2080E, AFAM 2080E
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Upon completion, the successful student will be able to: * identify and analyze the ideological and aesthetic qualities of African American music in order to assess stylistic trends and challenge stereotypical myths and prejudices; * describe and assess the origins, retention, and development of African American music styles from European, African, and intra-American encounters; * explore and analyze historical and socio-cultural trends that influence the development of form, musical features, concepts, and performance practices; * using traditional library data as well as appropriate internet resources, discuss and evaluate the contributions and achievements of key innovators and/or performers in local, national, and global arenas and markets; * using appropriate audio/visual resources, and presentation software, describe and interpret orally and in writing historical, social, and musical characteristics and features of a person, genre, style, or event rooted or situated in African American ideology, structure, and aesthetics. * For various audiences, appropriately apply the written and oral conventions of the discipline in presenting research findings.
Topical Outline
Topics will include: * multicultural roots, development and dispersion of African American music; * African religious, ritual, cultural, and other social heritage; * European religious, social and cultural heritage; the place and impact of the church and secular society; * evolution, development, and dispersion of the spiritual, gospel, and other religious music; * production, progress, and dissemination of slave functional and other secular folk music--blues, jazz, and popular musics such as R&B, Funk, Rap; * appropriation and involvement in musical theater and European art music; * role and impact of the media in the national and global development and diffusion of African American music; * terminology, research methods and writing style/standards appropriate for the discipline.
General Education Core
CORE IV: Humanities and the ArtsSyllabus