Musical Communities of Chicago

Courses
Written By Andrew Mall

Northeastern University

Semesters taught: Summer II 2023

Course description

This course introduces students to the diverse musical communities of Chicago through texts and media, workshops with local musicians and arts workers, experiential activities, and your own research projects. Our five-week program in Chicago provides a unique opportunity for us to explore a range of musical practices and intersecting issues: arts policy, gentrification, tourism, and urban development, among others. Experiential learning activities are a core of our time together in Chicago as we engage in this city’s musical life. These include attending concerts and festivals together, excursions to historical musical sites within Chicago, interviewing local experts, and soundwalks, among others.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe diverse musical practices in Chicago, both historically and in the present ▪ Connect musical practices to other intersections of the human experience

  • Carry out original research within Chicago’s musical communities

  • Communicate effectively and persuasively about music

  • Contextualize your experiential learning with other forms of knowledge acquisition

Andrew Mall
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