Gospel Music History 1: Artistry, Industry, and Culture
This course will examine the early development of gospel in the United States and abroad from 1920s through the 1960s with focus on artistry (ie., creatives and recordings), industry (ie., record labels, major performances, publishing and media) and culture (ie., regional styles, conference and national/ global impact). Evolving in the local churches of Chicago with the rise of industrialization, gospel has served as a soundtrack to Black life in the United States and abroad with alignment to spiritual/faith traditions while also moving outside of the Black church. From Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, quartets and the like to the pivotal release of the “O Happy Day” recording, this course will offer sociological, economical, anthropological and musicological commentary while also providing a historical and culturally competent focus on Black life through the influence and impact of gospel. This course continues the chronological sequence of AFST-320 Spirituals and Black Folk Traditions and serves as a precursor to AFST-422 Gospel Music 2: Artistry, Industry, and Culture.