51-2215J Soul, Country, & the U.S.A.

Soul and country are musical genres that are unmistakably and proudly native to the United States. Yet they often appear to be poles apart in terms of their audiences, aesthetics, messages, and most importantly how they communicate the notion of what it is to be an American and how to achieve the ultimate American Dream. This course will examine the musical cultures that are signified by soul and country. Students will study the evolution and aesthetics of these genres and will interrogate how they deal with concepts like identity, class, race, and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; politics and patriotism.

3 Credits
PL HU