PCM 505 - Music in the African American Church (3)

This course examines the historical and musical development of African American sacred music from slavery to the present; from African American folk spirituals to traditional and contemporary gospel music; with special attention to African American culture in the U.S., a culture which represents a synthesis of African and European cultures into a unique hybrid with its own developmental tradition. The students are required to complete a major project of attending two contrasting Black worship services, documenting the services with an audio and/or video recording and with field notes, analyzing the kind of music used in the services and the way music functions.