Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 2.01 Education
Presentation #1 Title
Institutionalizing Bluegrass in Higher Education
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This session explores how bluegrass music is being institutionalized in several universities across the country. Abstract: While the music of Appalachia – especially bluegrass music – has had a presence in higher education for many years, the last decade has witnessed a surge in formal bluegrass instruction in institutions of higher education. These institutions have long-standing ideologies and entrenched cultural practices that contrast, sometimes dramatically, with the traditions and practices of bluegrass music. Institutions also impose rigors and requirements that shape, structure, and influence the bluegrass cultures that enter them. This presentation considers these cultural negotiations and interactions. Historically, musics outside of the Western classical tradition have experienced a great deal of institutional resistance in the United States. For example, Prouty (2008) and Ake (2002) argue that jazz music forfeited some of the jam-based, democratic practices of its musical culture, becoming increasingly “score-ified” and authoritarian and less improvisational, in order to be legitimized and accepted in institutions of higher education. Is bluegrass making similar concessions to find place in these institutions? How do musical and cultural differences interact and coexist at these locations? I explore these questions through a multi-case study of several universities with bluegrass offerings, drawing on the views and experiences of administrators, teachers, and students, and examining curricula and organizational structures. While marginalization and bias are evident at some locations, other programs cultivate deep, immersive, and culturally distinct bluegrass experiences that both perpetuate traditions and encourage musical innovation and evolution.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Nate Olson is an assistant professor in the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University where he teaches music theory, fiddle, and bluegrass ensembles. He holds a doctorate in music education from Columbia University and his research interests include cultural diversity in music education, institutionalization, and traditional music styles and pedagogy.
Institutionalizing Bluegrass in Higher Education
This session explores how bluegrass music is being institutionalized in several universities across the country. Abstract: While the music of Appalachia – especially bluegrass music – has had a presence in higher education for many years, the last decade has witnessed a surge in formal bluegrass instruction in institutions of higher education. These institutions have long-standing ideologies and entrenched cultural practices that contrast, sometimes dramatically, with the traditions and practices of bluegrass music. Institutions also impose rigors and requirements that shape, structure, and influence the bluegrass cultures that enter them. This presentation considers these cultural negotiations and interactions. Historically, musics outside of the Western classical tradition have experienced a great deal of institutional resistance in the United States. For example, Prouty (2008) and Ake (2002) argue that jazz music forfeited some of the jam-based, democratic practices of its musical culture, becoming increasingly “score-ified” and authoritarian and less improvisational, in order to be legitimized and accepted in institutions of higher education. Is bluegrass making similar concessions to find place in these institutions? How do musical and cultural differences interact and coexist at these locations? I explore these questions through a multi-case study of several universities with bluegrass offerings, drawing on the views and experiences of administrators, teachers, and students, and examining curricula and organizational structures. While marginalization and bias are evident at some locations, other programs cultivate deep, immersive, and culturally distinct bluegrass experiences that both perpetuate traditions and encourage musical innovation and evolution.
