Global Impact of Gospel Music
This course explores the global development, influence, and legacy of Gospel music, beginning with the creative genius of African ancestors who laid the musical foundations—rhythm, syncopation, vocal layering, call-and-response, and tonal improvisation—that became the bedrock of today’s gospel music. These indigenous musical devices were transferred generationally and geographically to the Americas and beyond, and have evolved into the multi-faceted Gospel genre that is a vibrant part of global music. Students will study how Gospel’s language of faith, freedom, and rhythm influenced nearly every global genre—from jazz, blues, and R&B to reggae, pop, hip-hop, and film scores—while gaining hands-on experience performing, analyzing, and experiencing Gospel’s global impact.