Course Content and Techniques:

This course will cover the history of world events that led to some of the most iconic songs created for activism and social protest. The social and cultural events surrounding the songs will be discussed in detail, and the songs themselves will be analyzed in depth. From “Yankee Doodle” to Kendrick Lamar and everything in between—including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and many more—this course is sure to be full of excitement and despair. Due to the sensitivity and potential emotional burden of some of the topics to be covered in this course, great care will be taken to present all ideas appropriately and accurately. Please send any questions or concerns to James before enrolling in this course.

Objectives:

Students will leave this class with a basic knowledge of world events surrounding the most iconic songs created as a result of activism and social protest. While sensitive subjects will be discussed, students will have a broader understanding of the historical impact of both the social or cultural events and the songs that resulted.