P. Kenagy, rev.

10/31/18

MHIS-P221-013
Music of the African Diaspora in the United States

This course explores the evolution of contemporary American music from the perspective of its
African musical roots to various incarnations in the United States, evolving primarily from the
interaction of African and European cultures. Important trends will be covered, including the
incorporation of African aesthetics into a succession of new and evolving styles, the role of
African cultural values in the development of American culture and music, the blues, the
evolution of African-American ensemble styles, the development of collective improvisation,
African contrapuntal, harmonic and polyrhythmic principles, and syncretic processes
influencing the development of American music. Music and traditions from pre-15th century
Africa through the development of the roots of contemporary music in the 19th and 20th
century, to the present day will be explored. This course will explore specific topics relating to the
Music of the African Diaspora in the United States in a chronological order.

Instructor Dr. Peter Kenagy, Associate Professor

E-mail pkenagy@berklee.edu
Phone x6805; 617-747-6805
Office Location 899 Boylston St., 2nd floor
Office Hour Monday and Wednesday, 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Course Chair Dr. Simone Pilon, spilon@berklee.edu, 7 Haviland, rm. 334, 617-747-2552

Course Meetings

Wednesdays, Sept 12–Dec 19

MHIS-221-013, 4:00 p.m. – 5:50 p.m., 22 The Fenway, room 204

Course Materials

The required text is The Music of Black Americans: A History (3e), by Eileen Southern
(Norton, 1997). Weekly required readings—as well as suggested further reading—are
listed below. PDFs of some essays are on the ol.berklee.edu website, and several reference
works are on reserve in Stan Getz Library. Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2GFVO1J

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Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop a factual and conceptual framework for understanding the development

of contemporary American music from its roots in Africa. 

• Outline how the American music of the twenty-first century has evolved from
past practices driven primarily by the interaction of African and European
cultures. 

• Understand ongoing relationships between Africa and America as central to the
development of the black public sphere. 

• Relate trends in American music—performance, production and composition—to
major historical movements, events and technological innovations. 

• Analyze individual works of contemporary American music in their appropriate
social, historical, and aesthetic context. 

• Articulate the social, political, geographic, economic, technological and cultural
elements that shaped contemporary American music, and how music has in turn
influenced society and history. 

• Write an analytical essay focusing on a significant work, set of works or trend in
the making, style, and/or delivery of American contemporary music. 


Course Requirements, Grading and Grade Determination

Each week, students will compose one page of written notes [outline + thesis statement(s)
+ questions] on the assigned reading, and come to class prepared to respond factually and
critically in group discussions. A playlist of audio examples corresponding to the reading is
available, and it is expected that students spend time each week listening to musical examples
from that playlist as well as investigating others mentioned throughout the reading.
A series of six written assignments will advance each the student through the essay
writing process, culminating in a finished analytical essay of 1,500 words. Further description is
found at the ol.berklee.edu course webpage, and assignments will be clarified through Faculty
Announcements which students will receive via E-mail. Grades will be posted online and
updated on a weekly basis. Late work policy: A 10% reduction in grade for each day an
assignment is late.

40% Notes on Weekly Reading (one page: outline/statements/questions)

10% Class Participation and Discussion
30% Written Assignments (#1-6)
20% Final Essay

Failure to complete a Final essay will result in a failing grade.

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Attendance Policy

Missing class will impact your grade negatively. The first two absences will not incur a
deduction in your course grade, but you are still responsible for turning in assignments
on time via Email. A third absence will lower your grade by 10%. A fourth absence will
lower your grade by 20%. A fifth absence will result in a failing grade. Attendance will be
recorded on ol.berklee.edu. This policy applies to any form of absence.

To be clear: Miss once, no penalty (but make sure to turn in what is due)
Miss twice, no penalty (but make sure to turn in what is due)
Miss three times, 10% reduction in course grade
Miss four times, 20% reduction in course grade
Missing five or more times will result in earning a failing grade in course.

Absences due to performances, school sponsored trips, common illnesses, jobs, recording
sessions, tours, networking opportunities, family visits, weather, transportation,
headaches, etc., will all count as missed classes. Under extremely rare circumstances—
such as unexpected prolonged hospitalizations, jury duty, etc.—the above policy will be
modified to your accommodate your situation, please communicate any serious issues.

Academic Honesty

Berklee insists on academic honesty. Unless the assignment explicitly is a group project,
all of the work in this class must be your own. The source of all information in any
written assignment must be cited properly, whether it is a quotation, paraphrase,
summary, idea, concept, statistic, picture, or anything else you get from any source other
than your own immediate knowledge--including the Internet. Writers give credit through
accepted documentation styles, including parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a
simple listing of books and articles at the end of an essay is not sufficient. Plagiarism—not
giving proper credit to a source and thereby passing off someone else’s material or idea as
your own—is a type of intellectual theft and deceit and cannot be tolerated in an
academic setting. Plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the assignment or course,
and possible dismissal from the College. It is your responsibility to be aware of and abide
by the rules governing plagiarism, fraud, and cheating found in the College Bulletin
under the section "Honesty in Academic Work and in Scholarly and Professional
Practice." If you have any questions about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, please
talk with a reference librarian, ask a teacher, or refer to a writing handbook. Websites
that discuss types of plagiarism and how it can be avoided through evaluation and proper
documentation of sources include:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/index.html

www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Documentation.html

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

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College Attendance Policy

Attendance is required in all classes, private lessons, instrumental labs, and ensembles, beginning
with the first scheduled meeting. Absences must be addressed directly with the course instructor
to determine impact on student progress and/or overall grade. The faculty member may also
provide more specific information on attendance policies. Classes, labs, and ensembles are
scheduled to start promptly on the hour and end at ten minutes before the hour. Late arrival is
both unprofessional and disruptive.

Berklee recognizes that its students will be presented with professional opportunities, such as job
interviews, auditions for professional positions or graduate school, and exceptional performance
opportunities (including those sponsored by Berklee). Students hoping to take advantage of such
opportunities are not excused from course assignments or deadlines, and are required to discuss
the ramifications of any related absences with their course instructors in advance.

Title IX

Berklee is a diverse community composed of individuals with different life experiences,

viewpoints, belief systems, and identities. A welcoming and inclusive culture is essential to
maintaining the college’s role as a leader in music education and Berklee highly values the
dynamic environment that results when students, faculty, administrators, and staff from diverse
backgrounds come together to learn, live, and work. The Equity Policy and Process prohibits and
addresses sexual misconduct, as well as other forms of discrimination and/or harassment based
on legally “protected characteristics” and provisions covered under Title IX of federal law. If you
have concerns about a possible violation of the college’s Equity Policy, please contact Dr.
Christopher Kandus-Fisher at ckandusfisher@berklee.edu. FMI: visit www.berklee.edu/equity.

Important Dates

• Deadline for course withdrawal: July 20, 2018. Neither the instructor nor the student may initiate a
“W” after this date.
• Deadline for add/drop is June 4, 2018.

Support Services

The Center for Liberal Arts Tutoring (CLAT) offers various tutoring services to the Berklee community.
Located in 7 Haviland Street, room 110, CLAT falls under the auspices of the Liberal Arts Department in
the Professional Education Division. For more information, please visit https://www.berklee.edu/liberal-
arts-tutoring

Additional Student Services include:

• Counseling Services, 54 The Fenway, 617-747-2310

• Academic Advising Center, 939 Boylston Street, 3rd floor, 617-747-6535
• Disability Services, 939 Boylston Street, 2nd Floor, To schedule a session:
https://www.berklee.edu/disabilityappointment
• Stan Getz Library and Media Center, 150 Mass. Ave

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Class Schedule and Readings

Readings are referred to by Author, see Bibliography for full titles.

Below are the topics, reading lists, and due dates. Grades are recorded at ol.berklee.edu.
Readings other than in Southern are found as PDFs on the ol.berklee.edu website, or in
the case of reference works, at the reserve desk in the Stan Getz Library and listed under
this course/instructor. Writing Assignment details will be provided via E-mail.

Week 1 (Sept 12, 2018): Introduction and Syllabus, key concepts and themes

Week 2 (Sept 19): Music in African Culture

Required Reading: Nettl, “You Will Never Understand this Music: Insiders and
Outsiders,” 149–160 [PDF]; Southern, The Music of Black Americans: A
History, 3-22.
DUE: Reading Notes #1.
In class: Writing Assignment #1: Introduce Yourself.
###Recommended reading: Nketia 3-34; Floyd, 14-34; Stone 1-21.

Week 3 (Sept 26): African Diasporic music in the US (1600-1800)

Required Reading: Southern, 23-58.

DUE: Reading Notes #2.
###Recommended reading: Floyd, 35-57; Jamison, 24-59.

Week 4 (Oct 3): Black music in America (1800s), Spirituals, Minstrelsy

Required Reading: Southern, 80-96, 223-244.

DUE: Reading Notes #3.
###Recommended reading: Floyd, 59-86.

Week 5 (Oct 10): Ragtime and Early Jazz (1890-1920)

Required Reading: Southern, 313-332, 340-358.

DUE: Reading Notes #4.
###Recommended reading: W. E. B. Du Bois, 9-16; Hurston

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Week 6 (Oct 17): Early Jazz, continued

DUE: Writing Assignment #2, Essay proposal

###Recommended reading: Gushee (2)

Week 7 (Oct 24): The Blues (country, classic/vaudeville)

Required Reading: Southern, 332-340; Jones, ch. 6-7, 60-94.

DUE: Reading Notes #5.
###Recommended reading: Floyd, 66-69, 72-81; Hughes; Stearns.

Week 8 (Oct 31): Jazz Age and Swing Era (1920-40)

Required Reading: Southern, 365-403.

DUE: Reading Notes #6 and Writing Assignment #3: Preliminary bibliography,
annotated.
###Recommended reading: Schuller; Magee (Uncrowned King of Swing), Taylor.

Week 9 (Nov 7): Afromodernism: Bebop and Modern Jazz forms (1940-1960s)

Required Reading: Southern, 487-505; DeVeaux, 1-31.

DUE: Reading Notes #7.
###Recommended Reading: Monson; Magee (“Kinds of Blue: Miles Davis, Afro-
Modernism, and the Blues”).

Week 10 (Nov 14): Gospel (1930-60s). Rhythm and Blues (1950s)

Required Reading: Southern, 452-465, 475-487; Floyd, 143-145.

DUE: Reading Notes #8, and Writing Assignment #4: Musical examples and
theoretical framework.
###Recommended Reading: Stewart (293-309).

NO CLASS ON WED NOV 21 ---THANKSGIVING

Week 12 (Nov 28): Rock ‘n’ Roll to Rock (1950-1960s), & Black Arts Movement

Required Reading: Wald, 166-183: Hamilton.

DUE: Reading Notes #9 and Writing assignment #5: Engaging critically with
sources

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Week 13 (Dec 5): Funk and Disco, House & Techno (1960s-1970s), B.A.M. cont.

Required Reading: Brackett; Stewart, 309-314.

DUE: Reading Notes #10, and Writing assignment #6: Thesis statement
refinement and essay outline.

Week 14 (Dec 12): Rap and Hip Hop, Transnationalism & Globalization (1970-1980s)

Required Reading: Miyakawa; Marshall.

Week 15 (Dec 19): Wrap up, final discussion

DUE: Final draft of analytic essay.

See Course Bibliography on next page

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Course Bibliography

Brackett, David. “Funk.” Grove Music Online. Edited by Deane Root. Accessed 25 May, 2018.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.

Baker, Houston A., Jr. Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance. Chicago: The Univ. of Chicago
Press, 1987.

Davis, Angela Y. “Introduction.” In Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, xi-xx. New York:
Vintage, 1999.


DeVeaux, Scott. The Birth of Bebop: A Social and Musical History. Berkeley: Univ. of California
Press, 1997.

Du Bois, W. E. B. “Of Our Spiritual Strivings.” In The Souls of Black Folk, 9–16. Edited by Henry
Louis Gates Jr. and Terri Hume Oliver. New York: Norton, 1999.

Floyd, Samuel A., Jr. The Power of Black Music: Interpreting Its History from Africa to the United
States. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.

Gushee, Lawrence. Liner notes to Steppin’ on the Gas: Rags to Jazz 1913-1927. New World
Records NW 26 (1977)

———.“The Nineteenth-Century Origins of Jazz,” Black Music Research Journal, Vol. 22, 151-
174. Chicago: Columbia College, 2002.

Hamilton, Jack. “How Rock and Roll Became White.” In Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll
and the Racial Imagination. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 2015.

Hodeir, Andre. Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence. New York: Grove Press, 1956.

Hughes, Langston. “The Negro Artists and the Racial Mountain.” In Norton Anthology of Theory
and Criticism. Second Edition. New York: Norton, 2010.

Hurston, Zora Neale. “Characteristics of Negro Expression.” In Norton Anthology of Theory and
Criticism. Second Edition. New York: Norton, 2010.

Jamison, Phil. Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance.
Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 2015.

Jones, LeRoi [Amiri Baraka]. Blues People: Negro Music in White America. New York: Morrow,
1963.

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Marshall, Wayne. “Hip-hop's Irrepressible Refashionability.” In The Cultural

Matrix: Understanding Black Youth. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 2015.

Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz. New York:
Oxford Univ. Press, 2005.

———. Kinds of Blue: “Miles Davis, Afro-Modernism, and the Blues.” Jazz Perspectives 1, no. 1
(2007): 5-27.

Miyakawa, Felicia M. “Hip hop.” Grove Music Online. Edited by Deane Root. Accessed 25 May,
2018. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.

Monson, Ingrid. "The Problem with White Hipness: Race, Gender, and Cultural Conceptions in
Jazz Historical Discourse." Journal of the American Musicological Society 48, no. 3 (1995):
396-422.

Nettl, Bruno. “You Will Never Understand this Music: Insiders and Outsiders.” In The Study of
Ethnomusicology: Thirty-one Issues and Concepts, 149–160. Second Edition. Urbana:
Univ. of Illinois Press, 2005.

Nketia, J H Kwabena. The Music of Africa. New York: Norton, 1974.

Schuller, Gunther. The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. New York: Oxford Univ.
Press, 1989.

Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. Third Edition. New York: Norton,
1997.

Stearns, Marshall. “Part One: The Pre-History of Jazz.” In The Story of Jazz, 3–33. New York:
Oxford Univ. Press, 1956.

Stewart, Alexander. “‘Funky Drummer’: New Orleans, James Brown and the rhythmic
transformation of American popular music.” Popular Music 19, no. 3 (2000): 293-318.

Stone, Ruth M. “Introduction to African Music.” In The Garland Handbook of African Music, 1-
21. Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 2008.

Stuckey, Sterling. Slave Culture: Nationalist Theory and the Foundations of Black America.
Second Edition. New York: Oxford,

Taylor, Jeffrey J. "Earl Hines's Piano Style in the 1920s: A Historical and Analytical
Perspective." Black Music Research Journal 12, no. 1 (1992): 57-77.

Wald, Elijah. “Rock the Joint.” In How the Beatles Destroyed Rock'n'Roll: An Alternative History

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of American Popular Music. New York: Oxford, 2009.