BLST 007A. More Than a Drum Line: Exploring the Legacies of HBCU Marching Band Traditions

(Cross-listed as MUSI 007A)
In this course we will explore the socio-cultural significance of Historically Black College and University marching bands for Black communities across the United States. Using Howard University’s Showtime Marching Band, Texas Southern’s ” Ocean of Soul,” Grambling State University’s “World Famed Tiger Marching Band,” Florida A&M University’s “Marching 100,” Morgan State University’s “Magnificent Marching Machine,” and Bowie State University’s “Symphony of Soul” as case studies, we will consider the histories and development of these institutions and their band programs. This will require us to examine the circumstances under which they evolved, and the culture that has evolved in and around them from the 18th century to the present-day. This course will highlight the impact of HBCU marching bands and music programs on the social, cultural, economic, and political realities of the communities that they serve, and on the students, faculty, and alumni who continue to serve them. We will explore the sounds and styles that differentiate Black collegiate marching bands from those at predominately white institutions, and the characteristics that distinguish Black collegiate marching bands from each other. Students will learn that in addition to being performatively dynamic, HBCU marching bands have consistently had a profound and lasting impact on the lives of their students, faculty, alumni, and communities across generations, throughout the twentieth century and in the present-day.
Ethnomusicology credit.
1 credit.
Fall 2024. Stewart.
Catalog chapter: Black Studies
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/black-studies-program

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