How African-American Music Influenced the Sounds of Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Today

Description

This class will take a look at the evolution of American musical styles, with an emphasis on understanding the impact that African-American music has made on modern Bluegrass. In order to arrive at a better understanding of this, we will explore the history of the migration of European and African-American music as immigrants and slaves arrived on our shores. We will talk about musical forms and traditions, and also discuss crossover between styles, as it pertains to Old Time music and Jazz. Class will consist of a presentation with musical examples followed by an open discussion amongst class participants.