Soundtrack of a Nation: Music and the Making of American Identity

From patriotic anthems to protest songs, jazz standards to hip-hop beats, music has long reflected the story of America. This six-part lecture series explores how American music has shaped—and been shaped by—the nation’s history, culture, and identity. Through guided listening and engaging discussion, each session will examine a different era in American history through the sounds that defined it.

This six-part lecture series will meet at 6 p.m. at Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales on Tuesdays in September, beginning September 8, and run through October 13. Led by Andrew Fath, it will explore how American music has shaped—and been shaped by—the nation’s history, culture, and identity. Andrew Fath is a doctoral candidate in Musicology at Louisiana State University. His research focuses on musical biography, German cultural history, the influence of jazz in postwar Europe, and musical identity in early 20th-century Europe. He also teaches music history courses through the Ochsner Lifelong Learning Institute and is an avid solo and collaborative pianist.

This series is supported by an LEH Parish America 250 Program Mini Grant.