Seminar Topic:  The Rhetoric of Music - In this class we will explore the enormous rhetorical powers of music—to inform, educate, delight, and, of course, persuade listeners. We will consider the rhetoric of the following genres: the hymn, spiritual, blues, jazz, folk, classical, rock, soul, hip-hop, as well as a few international genres. We will examine the various rhetorical situations implied by the various musical genres. We will consider the role of music in social movements such as Civil Rights and Labor. We will look at particular cases in which music has done (or is said to have done) the traditional work of speech and argument. We will ask whether traditional rhetorical theory is already capable of explaining the cultural work of music or whether we need to develop new rhetorical theory to explain the power of music. We will pay close attention to the rhetorical effects of aesthetics and technology in the case of music. We will sample some of the work rhetorical critics have produced as the discipline has expanded to acknowledge the importance of musical as well as verbal rhetorical artifacts. And, finally, students will be given the opportunity to think rhetorically about a musical artist or artifact that seems historically, publicly important to them.

Option for additional week to complete all course work by 7/7/24