FYS 1084 SONGS FOR SURVIVAL

This seminar examines the historical role that music, especially singing, has played in helping persecuted groups of people to sustain their survival and build their identity. Singing can engender a will to live against overwhelming odds and give expression to cultures whose voices have been taken away. Some genres of singing covered by this class will include African-American spirituals, the music of revolutionary movements in East Asia, the songs composed in Nazi concentration camps, and the Baltic Singing Revolution of 1989. Students will learn to appreciate the multi-faceted function that music can have for many cultures in their struggle for survival and identity. Prior experience with music is not necessary for taking this course.