It’s Tricky: American Music & Culture

This speech is my recital, I think it's very vital

To rock (a rhyme), that's right (on time)

It's Tricky is the title, here we go...

Those lyrics by the new-school hip hop group Run-DMC were not just the beginning of a fantastic earworm, but also make a valid point. Music is a statement. It IS vital.

You can’t deny the role that music plays in our lives, the lives of our students, or in American history. Music defines eras (that’s a historical reference, not a Taylor Swift reference), serves as a vehicle of expression and emotion, and ties us to specific moments in time. Music defines and reflects American culture. 

American history is tricky. American culture is tricky. And oftentimes, American music is tricky.

During “It’s Tricky: American Music & Culture” Educator Summer Institute, participants will explore the history of American music, examine genre changes, analyze how music is shaped by political & social events, and how music has served as a voice for the voiceless.  Join us as we take a deep dive into 250+ years of American music– and inevitably jam out to some iconic songs! This educational experience is designed for K-12 educators from all disciplines. “It’s Tricky” will feature discussions with historians & guest speakers, an opportunity to experience American history through a new lens, and valuable time to collaborate with fellow educators from across the nation. 

This four-day workshop will be hosted at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, June 24-27, 2024. This workshop is being held in conjunction with the exhibit “Music America: Iconic Objects from America’s Music History” on loan to the LBJ Library from the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music.

Participants will be responsible for:

• Travel to & from their home to Austin, Texas 
• Dinner each day
• Local non-workshop based travel costs
• Any extra hotel nights and/or incurred fees
• A $75 non-refundable deposit to hold their place in the summer institute

Speakers include:

• Kenneth Campbell, Monmouth University
• Daniel Carson, University of Texas Butler School of Music
• Leila Cobo, Billboard
• Michael Cooper, Southwestern University 
• Robert Duke, University of Texas Dell Medical School
• Holly George-Warren, State University of New York-New Paltz and the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music/Tisch School of the Arts at New York University
• Bruce Gleason, University of St. Thomas
• Glenda Goodman, University of Pennsylvania
• Hannah Lewis, University of Texas Butler School of Music
• Alan Light
• Bruce Boyd Raeburn, formerly of Tulane University
• Nico Schüler, Texas State University
• Melissa Ziobro, Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music and Monmouth University
• Lynn Zubernis, West Chester University