MUSC 107 Introduction to Country Music

This class is a survey of “country & western” music (or, more familiarly, “country music”). We will discuss the history of the genre, starting with its origins in cowboy music, folk music, blues, and other genres in the American south and Midwest; progressing through to radio and screen in the 1930s, thanks to shows like Grand Ole Opry; continuing to its assimilation into rock n’ roll with the advent of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and others; and into the present day and the many genres (alternative country, crossover country, neocountry) into which it has splintered. Along the way, we will see—and hear—how the genre of country music has responded to, reflected, and influenced major historical and cultural milestones in American history, including the “Golden Age” of Hollywood; the building of the Interstate Highway System and the birth of “trucker culture”; the Cold War; the Middle East Wars and 9/11; and the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements.

Credits

3.0

Core

Humanities

Offered

Fall Semester, Odd Years