Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0205 - American Strings

This course focuses on American southern old-time string band music, bluegrass, and early country song. We will draw on cultural theory to explore the growth of these musics throughout the 20th century as well as the influences of gender, music revivalism, and African-American musical expression. We will consider old time and bluegrass both from an historical perspective and as vital forms in communities today. There will be an off-campus fieldwork, weekly reading and listening assignments, and regular written assignments. This course also has a performance component: students will learn to play old time music by ear and develop a repertoire of dance music. Prior experience with old time and bluegrass is not necessary, but a basic working knowledge of one of the following instruments is required: fiddle (violin), banjo, guitar, upright bass, mandolin, harmonica, and other appropriate instruments. A painless audition in the first week of class will determine eligibility.

Arts, Design, and Media Writing and Research Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course, students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.