MUSI 170 Country Music
A survey of the history, fundamental ingredients, and structure comprising the American musical genre nicknamed "country." The course will discuss the influence on American country music by its ancestral styles--incorporating folk music of Britain and Ireland, 18th century rural American folk and religious / secular music, vaudeville, 1930-1940 swing band, popular vocal and instrumental styles of the 1950s--in its formation into an expressive and recognized entertainment vehicle. In addition, the course will emphasize the contributions of diverse ethnic cultures and societies (American, American, and European) in formation of the music, structure, and emotional dimensions of this genre.