MUSI-1310 American Music

Joyce Wu

Credit Fall 2025

Section(s)

MUSI-1310-006 (33082)
LEC DIL ONL DIL

MUSI-1310-021 (22926)
LEC TuTh 1:30pm - 2:50pm RRC RRC8 8304.00

Course Requirements

Regular and diligent study are the key to success for this course.  Musical elements would never make sense until you hear it within a piece of music.  Students are strongly encouraged to listen to the music examples closely while studying through the materials.  The music examples can be accessed through eBook or through the link provided under the “Course Content”

Students will be graded based on their performance with class attendance, listening exam, chapter quizzes, and concert reports.  All the grades will be posted on the class BlackBoard for student to review.

This is a self-paced, online course.  No class meetings are required.

Readings

The required textbook for this course is An Introduction to America’s Music, 3rd edition, by Richard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin.  

Digital materials, including eBook, musical examples, required assignments, and other supporting materials are all INCLUDED in your tuition.  Students need to access it all through the course BlackBoard.  

Course Subjects

This course is a study of various styles of popular and classical music from America’s Colonial days to present.  With emphasizing on stylistic developments and general historical background, the course will also examine the influence of music on the American culture.  Content includes survey of psalmody, concert life, European, Latin and African influences, and the social conditions that produced what is known as American Musical Hybridity.

The content of the course consists with the following 5 parts:

  1. America's Music from Colonization through the Civil War
  2. America's Music From the Civil War Through WWI
  3. America's Music from WWI Through WWII
  4. America's Music in the Postwar Era
  5. America's Music Since 1980

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives:

  • Survey the vast number of genres alive in American Music historically and in modern day.
  • Explore the influences contributing to today’s American Musical Hybridity.
  • Gain an understanding of the musical evolution and development of American music styles.
  • Identify the "families" of musical instruments and the typical sounds of each.
  • Broaden students’ concepts of musical arts in America.
  • Increase students’ awareness of the ways in which American music influences society - social relationships, social patterns, social interaction, and social awareness- and vice-versa.

Student Learning Outcomes—upon successful completion of this class students should develop:

  • Knowledge of the basic elements of American Classical and Popular Music.
  • Knowledge of music styles and music artists in American music.
  • Ability to aurally recognize styles/genres of American music.
  • Understand the processes involved in the development of American music.
  • Relationship between American and world music influences.

Office Hours

M 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online via Zoom

NOTE

Office Hours

M 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online via Zoom

NOTE

Published: 08/05/2025 11:27:40