Enroll in Ethnomusicology of Jazz this spring!

By Peter Silberman, October 31, 2024

The Center for Music will offer a new course in Spring 2025 open to any student with at least sophomore standing. For music majors, this course counts as a music elective.

Ethnomusicology of Jazz (MUNM 24200, TR 9:25 – 10:40, taught by Maya Cunningham, Pre-Doctoral Diversity Scholar in Ethnomusicology) will use the approach of ethnomusicology to explore jazz music as African American culture and as an African American heritage music. The course will present an overview of the music in the historical context of the African American musical tradition, including exploring the roots of this music in African lineage systems, generational transmission, the connections of instruments to voice and language, connections between jazz improvisation and African American language, connection between music and dance, and exploring how this music manifests Black American cultural code. This course is a must-take for all students who desire to pursue careers in jazz performance, jazz scholarship, music studies and for those interested in the impact of jazz and African American culture on American popular musics. 3 credits.

Please consider expanding your horizons and enrolling in Ethnomusicology of Jazz!