Overview

Robert McParland explores American music as a bridge between art, audiences, and the environment. American Melodies is a study of America’s varied music genres that is grounded in interviews with folk, rock, and jazz musicians, music listeners, songwriters, and organizers of music programs in local communities. The author explores artists’ ecological, social, and technological concerns and the ways that music as an art form can reflect upon and actively reshape lived realities. Through interviews and conversations, he examines how the spirit of jazz, folk music and Americana, country, and rock music brings to life relationships between people, connection with their communities, and expression of social and ecological concern.

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9781666973792

Table of Contents

Reviews

Based upon Robert McParland’s evident familiarity with a wide variety of musicians and music scenes (rock, metal, jazz, folk, blues, R&B, hip hop, ska, and Christian), he makes the argument for strong connections between music, community, and ecology. His reasoning is buttressed by the use of literary and other non-musical sources, making for a truly transdisciplinary text. McParland’s considerable attention to the folk music community is especially welcome, since rock and pop music tends to be written about more frequently. Overall, this book will appeal to those interested in musical communities and environmentally-focused music and musicians. * David C. Wright Jr., Professor Emeritus of History, Misericordia University, USA *

Author Information

Robert McParland is Professor of English and the Humanities at Felician University, USA. He is a singer-songwriter who holds degrees in arts administration, literary studies, and cultural history. His books include Beyond Gatsby: How Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Other Writers of the 1920s Shaped American Literature (2015), Citizen Steinbeck (2016), and Rock Music Imagination (2019), all published by Bloomsbury.

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