Music is the great equalizer in the human experience. As a universal mode of communication, it speaks to our creativity, emotions, identity, and sense of community. Drawing upon objects in the National Museum of African American History and Culture's permanent collection, Dr. Dwandalyn Reece, the museum's first curator of music and performing arts, explores how to use the material culture of music--the tangible objects that are the material evidence of its existence--as a primary source in music research and education. Conceptualized around the idea that objects embody multiple narratives, Reece demonstrates how a close analysis of an object and the documentation or other evidence that provides information on its maker, original purpose and use, paired with questions and additional research that examines it's significance and historical context in relationship to a wider network of musical activities, offers new avenues for research and dialogue that expand the ways we can let the diversity of individual and collective values and experiences of African American music-making continue to shape and influence the way interpret music's role in society.

Item Information Item Information

Format: Hardcover
Author: Reece, Dwandalyn R.
ISBN: 9781911282877
Condition: New
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Year: 2023

Language: English

Musical Crossroads: Stories Behind the Objects of African American Music

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