MUS 122 African-American Music (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)*
This course will survey the history of African-American music in the United
States from its African origins through the mid-twentieth century. Focus on the
following themes: the survival of Africanisms in African-American music, the
relationship of African-American music in the U.S. to the music of Africa and
the African diaspora, the process of acculturation, African and African-American aesthetics in music, and the impact of social conditions on African-American music in the U.S.
No prior musical experience required, but students without musical backgrounds must learn a vocabulary of terms for describing musical sound. There
will be an emphasis on listening.