Music 203-A: ST: Black Voices in Music and Song

This course explores the music of selected Black singers, composers, arrangers, and recording artists, and their cultural and historical context. Questions considered include: What is the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? How do white supremacy and Western hegemony affect the music we hear and the artists we listen to? What is the interaction between societal events and the culture we consume? In what ways do we still hear Africanisms in music today? How does music differ in the global African diaspora? Styles and Artists studied include African-American Spirituals, non-idiomatic choral music, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, the hits of Motown, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé. This course will focus on the oral tradition in regular class preparation and graded assignments. No prior music experience is necessary. Distribution areas: Fine Arts, Creative Production, Textual Analysis, Studying the Past.