America250: Balancing the Narrative - Women Creating Music in the United States - Virtual Course

Come and learn the REAL story of Classical music in the United States. BI goes head to head with the assumption that US-American music was written solely by men, and introduces you to the Women Composers of the United States: not as additions, but as essential voices in shaping the nation’s sound. This virtual course excavates the buried history of women's voices, revealing a more balanced and accurate musical landscape shaped by a diverse range of creators, Crosby, Palmer Knapp, Crawford Seeger, Queen Lili’uokalani, Ruthven Lang, and many, many more. Enter into a guided discussion, listen to samples of once well-known music and composers who were buried by history and the myth of male legitimacy, and deepen your understanding of the United States’ musical identity. 

Sessions run June 29-July 1, and financial aid is available. This course can be attended synchronously or asynchronously, and recordings will be available to all registrants for a month following its conclusion. Attendees will also receive a listening link, further reading lists, and a 20% discount code to purchase BI’s curriculums and merchandise.

Session 1: The Early History: Exploring the origins of music in the United States, including pre-notated music, the first publications, and the groundbreaking women who paved the way for future generations. 

Session 2: The 19th and 20th Centuries: Women who shaped the American musical identity.

Session 3: The Recent Past, Present, and Near Future: From modernism and electronic music, to Neo-Romanticism and beyond, women have been and continue to be at the forefront of musical stylistic development.