USA - MU398: On the Road (CO, MT, UT, WY)

MU398: Advanced Topics in Music: On the Road 

Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming

Last Offered: Summer 2026

This course explores the roots and branches of folk music in the U.S. with an emphasis on the bluegrass tradition. The musical roots of folk and bluegrass originate from a diversity of influences including, Irish, Scottish, and African cultures as well as musical genres such as blues, gospel, country, jazz, and in recent decades rock, pop and funky eclectic sounds. We will explore these influences on folk and bluegrass, which have broadened, narrowed, and combined over the decades.  

Given the inherently social nature of the subject, students consider music of the past and present through a combination of performance, readings, and listening assignments. Instrumental and vocal tutorials provide both music instruction and a sense of the development of the tradition over time. Emphasis is placed on composition, arrangement, and performance of folk and bluegrass music. 

Course led by Prof. Keith Reed