America in song

The objective of this music history course is to educate my students as to how the people from around the world came here and expressed their unique experience through song. As America is made up of immigrants from around the world, it is understandable that our music reflects this diversity. Likewise as we are a nation just starting out, we can document our growing pains, struggles, changing attitudes and civic morality through the music and lyrics found in our songs. This course will focus on music around the turn of the 20th century, as this was the time of discovering our National Musical sound, as well as the time of greatest civic change and unrest. American nationalism and American music will be thoroughly discussed and analyzed, as well as the many differing types of vocal music, such as African American Spirituals, Folk Songs, Choral Works and Gospel Music. The single composer that has peeked my interest the most and that I feel best incorporates the myriad of American music forms is Aaron Copland. A portion of this course will focus on the music of Copland. What were the factors in his life and upbringing that created the desire for him to discover his interpretation of the American sound, and how was this desire realized in both his instrumental and vocal works.