Semester:
Offered:
Instructor: Alex Corey
Meeting time: Friday, 12:45 - 2:45
What did life in the United States sound like at the turn of the twentieth century, and what can attention to sonic culture--from tent shows to urban noise complaints, from player pianos to poetic representation--teach us about the conflicts of social belonging that characterized this era? This class takes these questions as a guide, as we explore an era when commercial radio didn’t yet exist, new genres of music like ragtime were becoming popular, and cities were growing rapidly. Our primary source materials are drawn from various special collections in the Harvard Libraries and Museums, including the Loeb Music Library, the Houghton Library, the Schlesinger Library, and the Peabody Museum. Assignments will likely include a small, collaboratively produced exhibit and an individually written research paper about an object in the Harvard library collections. No experience with music is necessary.