Discussion Post
• Davis and Malone are each presenting a history of popular music in the United States, but Malone's is more of a broad overview while Davis gives a much more focused analytical account of a particular genre of popular music, and of a particular identity-group within that genre. They also try to accomplish different things in their writing. How does the story of "color-blind" hymnal books and class-conscious music cultures that Malone presents compare to Davis' discussion of black female blues singers in the wake of emancipation and northern migration?
• What are the main themes that informed early blues music aesthetics and lyricism, according to Davis? How do these themes relate to the gender dynamics of early blues performances?
• Thinking about this week's readings in the context of last week's readings, how has music functioned in the construction of race in the United States? How does "popular music" as a broad category display and produce these constructions of race? And what are some of the social-economic outcomes of these racialized musical relationships?
The response must include a reference list. One-inch margins, double-space, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.