About the Course
This course uses digital methods to examine music and movement in Atlantic World History. We will investigate cultural production and practices from slavery during the nineteenth century through globalization in twenty-first century Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Over the course of the semester, we will build vocabularies and practice techniques to identify, describe, and discuss historical and contemporary embodied practices.
Exploring the sounds and movements of the Atlantic World, we will address broad themes including: immigration, race, class, nationalism, and transnational exchange. Readings for this course include secondary sources that analyze music, dance, and other embodied expressions. Alongside these texts, we will consider primary sources ranging from scores and song lyrics to images and audiovisual recordings.
Over the course of the semester, we will consider how a digital humanities approach can help us ask and answer new questions about historical and contemporary topics. We will explore and evaluate several programs and platforms. Throughout the course, we will maintain individual WordPress sites with blog posts and pages that respond to readings, visual, and audiovisual material. We will also use digital mapping techniques and data analysis to gain insight into the historical passages of people, sounds, and texts. As a final project for the class, we will develop exhibitions on a shared Omeka site.