"Music is a mobile art. When people move to faraway places, whether by choice or by force, they bring their music along. Music creates a meaningful point of contact for individuals and for groups; it can encourage curiosity and foster understanding, and it can preserve a sense of identity and comfort in an unfamiliar or hostile environment. Above all, music continually changes as it crosses cultural, linguistic, and political boundaries. While human...

"The emergence of jazz out of New Orleans is part of the American story, but the creation of this music was more than a regional phenomenon: it also crossed geographical, cultural, and technological lines. Court Carney takes a new look at the spread and acceptance of jazz in America, going beyond the familiar accounts of music historians and documentarians to show how jazz paralleled and propelled the broader changes taking place in America's economy,...

The music of Broadway is one of America's most unique and popular calling cards. In Broadway to Main Street: How Show Tunes Enchanted America, author Laurence Maslon tells the story of how the most beloved songs of the American Musical Theater made their way from the Theater District to living rooms across the country. The crossroads where the music of Broadway meets popular culture is an expansive and pervasive juncture throughout most of the twentieth...

"Unspooled examines the history of the audio cassette within the context of indie rock musical subcultures. Focusing on how the cassette heralded new modes of music sharing, intimacy, and communication through forms such as the mix tape, Rob Drew argues that the format's emotional resonance is tied to its shareability. Each chapter traces the cassette's history and evolution, from its predecessor open-reel tape and treatment in the music industry,...