SEM-140 |
The Sociology of Jazz |
This course will explore how jazz was birthed New Orleans through the confluence of the end of slavery and the increase in immigration in this most cosmopolitan American city. From early traditional jazz, to the end of World War I and swing era positivity, to the end of World War II and the development of bebop and hard bop created by radical musicians, mostly black, who were looking for a voice, jazz has always evolved with the times. Jazz music reflects the time in which it was written and our everchanging American culture. This course will address the topic through the lens of immigration and racism, both Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, by exploring how the large influx of immigrants into New Orleans, as well as how slavery and its eventual end contributed to the development of a new art form called Jazz. This is a writing intensive course. English 100 is a prerequisite for this course. |