MUSC 2010 - American Popular Music

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This course provides a cultural, historical, and aesthetic overview of twentieth century American popular music and its nineteenth century beginnings. Using a ostly chronological presentation, students will analyze such music as pop, blues, ragtime, jazz, country, rock’n’roll, and musical theater for their roots, their
syntheses into new styles, their underlying aesthetic and cultural meanings and values, and other connections to American Life. In short: we will be examining America through the lens of its popular music. (3 hrs lec)