Hopkins at Home Mini-Course: American Music Before 1900: the Native, the European, and the African

Description

Indigenous North Americans were surprised to discover Spanish, French, and British explorers on their shores in the 1500s — and from the outset some were taught, believe it or not, to sing the Catholic Mass in Latin. But the story of American music soon includes British influence, and along with the other cultures mentioned, it was music of the enslaved from Africa that would co-mingle and flavor the music evolving in North America. This course examines how Native, European, and African cultural materials come to play in all sorts of music — sacred and secular, commercial and freely played, urban and rural, amateur and professional. Materials presented in these classes span the two centuries after Jamestown's establishment and include plenty of live and recorded musical performances as well as rich, lovely images and relevant videos.

Throughout these sessions, attendees will explore and discuss the functions of music: ritual and worship, dance, oral history and storytelling, warring and protest, theater, and sheer entertainment. This broad, rich history includes ballads, spiritual and other songs, marches, dances, psalm- and hymn-singing, and both commercial and classical expressions. Each of the five sessions will allow for interaction and question-driven discussion, plus some optional homework.

This mini-course is led by David Hildebrand, a lecturer in musicology at Peabody Institute, in partnership with Hopkins at Home.