MUSIC 3323

How Music Became “American”

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

This course asks a deceptively simple question: what do we mean by “American music?” This class explores how the idea of American music was constructed, debated, and contested from the nineteenth century to the present. Rather than treating national identity as self-evident, the course asks by what criteria—and by whose authority—music has been claimed as American. Students will study historical and contemporary debates about folk music, art music, popular music, race, indigeneity, and cultural heritage, drawing from scholarly and journalistic sources. Through close reading, discussion, and short writing assignments, participants will learn to analyze nationalist discourse critically, developing tools to recognize how cultural identities are constructed, naturalized, and contested both within music and in broader political life.

Distribution Requirements (HST-AS, SCD-AS)

Exploratory Studies (CU-ITL)

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

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