Ateneo - UPO

This course is situated within the field of American Cultural Studies. It explores key concepts in United States culture—most notably the idea of freedom—by examining the ways in which these concepts have circulated through popular music. The course proceeds from the premise that Black popular music occupies a central place in American cultural history, with particular attention to the legacy of Black feminist performers and to the role of popular music as a site of cultural production and political intervention during the social transformations and historical upheavals of the postwar period.
Through the study of theoretical texts, historical sources, audiovisual materials, and musical works, the course traces major moments in the history of African American music in the United States, from the historical roots and cultural meanings of the blues to later developments in popular music. Particular attention is devoted to the blues as a cultural form and as a space for the elaboration of individual and collective experiences, as well as to the contribution of African American women performers, artists, and intellectual traditions to the redefinition of identity, autonomy, and freedom.
The course combines close reading, critical listening, and independent research. Students will engage with scholarly texts and musical materials, developing their own interpretations of the role of music in American culture.

Required Reading

Students are required to purchase and read the following books:

Angela Y. Davis, Blues Legacies and Black Feminism. New York: Random House, 1998 (or Vintage Books, 1999).
Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Blues People: Negro Music in White America. Any edition.
Selected Readings

Students are also required to read assigned selected chapters and short readings from the following books, which are available through the University Library. Purchase is not required.

Eileen Southern, The Music of Black Americans: A History. New York: W. W. Norton.
Mellonee V. Burnim and Portia K. Maultsby, African American Music: An Introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Ingrid Monson, Freedom Sounds: Civil Rights Call Out to Jazz and Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler (eds.), Keywords for American Cultural Studies. New York: New York University Press, 2007.
Craig Werner, A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America. Revised ed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006.
Daphne A. Brooks, Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2023.
Robert Palmer, Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago's South Side, to the World. London: Penguin, 1981.
Bibliography for the Final Podcast Project

For the final project, each student will select one musician and develop a research-based podcast exploring how the concept of freedom is articulated in that artist's work and within the broader history and culture of African Americans in the United States.

Each student must choose one of the following books:

Ashley Kahn, Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece. New York: Da Capo Press, 2007.
Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe, Miles: The Autobiography.
Paul Maher Jr. and Michael Kerr (eds.), Miles on Miles: Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis. Laurence Hill Books, 2008.
Charles Mingus, Beneath the Underdog. New York: Knopf, 1971.
Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues. London/New York: Penguin, 2018.
Louis Armstrong, Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1954.
Ross Russell, Bird Lives! The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie ("Yardbird") Parker. New York: Da Capo Press, 1995.
Nina Simone, I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone. Cambridge, MA/New York: Da Capo Press, 2003.

Most of these books are available through the Internet Archive or the University Library. Full bibliographic information and access details will be provided in the detailed course handbook.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand the main moments in the history of African American music in the United States and recognize its role as a form of artistic expression, historical memory, and a space for the negotiation of identity, conflict, and social transformation, placing it within the broader contexts of American history and society;
analyze how the concept of freedom has been expressed, debated, and reinterpreted through different African American musical traditions;
connect musical works, theoretical texts, historical sources, and cultural materials through critical analysis;
understand the relationships between music, race, gender, civil rights, and social change in the United States;
develop independent arguments based on the analysis of bibliographical sources and musical materials;
communicate interpretations and reflections clearly and effectively through written, oral, and multimedia formats.

No specific previous knowledge is required.

Students are expected to have an interest in the topics addressed in the course, willingness to participate actively in class discussions and activities, and English language proficiency at least at B2 level.

The course includes lectures, guided discussions, close reading of texts, critical listening activities, analysis and discussion of audiovisual materials, student presentations, and individual and collaborative research activities.

Classes combine historical and cultural analysis with the direct examination of songs, performances, and other materials related to African American music, encouraging an approach based on the interaction between reading, listening, and interpretation.

The course adopts a participatory methodology in which students develop critical skills through discussion of assigned materials and engagement with different interpretive perspectives.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) can request dedicated services and tools through the University's Staff for Student Careers Development and Coordination and by consulting the dedicated university webpage. After contacting the University Staff, students may refer to the instructor to define examination procedures and any necessary adjustments concerning academic aspects.

Assessment for attending students is based on active participation, coursework completed during the semester, and a final research project in audio format.

The final grade will be assigned as follows:

Readings, exercises, and in-class activities: 20%
Class participation and presentations: 20%
Final project – Research-based audio essay (podcast): 60%

The final project consists of a research-based podcast aimed at developing an original interpretation of the relationship between African American music and the concept of freedom in U.S. culture. The project includes the selection and analysis of musical materials, the use of course readings and sources, the preparation of a written script, and the production of the final audio essay.

The podcast will be assessed according to the quality of research, strength of argumentation, integration of sources and musical materials, and clarity of presentation.

Non-attending students must agree on an alternative program with the instructor. The examination will consist of a written test with open-ended questions on assigned readings and course materials (60%) and an oral examination (40%).

Assessment will consider students’ knowledge of course contents, their ability to critically analyze historical and musical materials, their ability to connect music, society, and the concept of freedom, their appropriate use of sources, and the clarity and coherence of their arguments.

Fail (

Indicative Programme (8 weeks)
Week 1 – Music, History, and Freedom

Introduction to African American music as a form of cultural expression and historical documentation. The concept of freedom in U.S. culture.

Week 2 – From African American Roots to the Blues

African American musical traditions, historical memory, and the emergence of the blues.

Week 3 – Blues People: Music, Identity, and History

The blues as an African American cultural experience and a space for the elaboration of identity.

Week 4 – Blues, Black Feminism, and Self-Determination

The blues and the construction of new ideas of voice, autonomy, and freedom.

Week 5 – Jazz, Creativity, and Freedom

Jazz, improvisation, identity, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Weeks 6–8 – Motown and Crossover: Music, Civil Rights, and Protest Movements
From Material to Narrative: The Podcast

Students develop their final podcast project while completing the assigned readings and analytical exercises.

Week 6: Analysis of music podcasts, selection of the artist, analysis of musical pieces, definition of the research question, and development of the storyline.

Week 7: Script development, integration of sources, historical context, and musical analysis; revision of projects.

Week 8: Presentation of projects and final revision.

Final output: Podcast + written script.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand the main moments in the history of African American music in the United States and place them within broader social, historical, and cultural contexts;
analyze how the concept of freedom has been articulated, contested, and redefined in African American culture through different musical forms and historical moments;
recognize African American music as a form of artistic expression, historical memory, and a space for negotiating identity, conflict, aspirations, and social transformation;
understand how blues, jazz, and soul have articulated different meanings of freedom: from survival and resistance under racial oppression to individual autonomy, artistic creativity, political claims, and social transformation;
analyze the relationship between music, race, gender, civil rights, and popular culture in U.S. history;
critically interpret theoretical texts, historical sources, autobiographies, performances, and musical materials;
conduct independent research using bibliographical and musical sources;
communicate critical interpretations through written, oral, and multimedia forms.