America's Music film series continues this weekend at UNG/Gainesville

The University of North Georgia's (UNG's) film series about American pop music continues this weekend with an exploration of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley.<br /> <br /> UNG is one of 50 sites selected nationwide to host "America's Music: A Film History of Our Most Popular Music," a six-session program featuring documentary film screenings and scholar-led discussions of 20th-century music. Dr. Benjamin Schoening, an assistant professor of music at UNG, will lead discussions about the historical context and social impact of each musical genre.<br /> <br /> "When looking at any culture, an exploration and understanding of music is paramount to understanding the overall historical fabric, values and norms of that culture," Schoening said. "The popular musical genres and styles that developed within the United States are both a fusion of many world cultures coming together in the United States and yet, at the same time, something that is uniquely our own that others around the world have chosen to emulate." <br /> <br /> The "America's Music" series explores a different, uniquely American, musical genre's influence on American life during sessions held every other Saturday. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, all sessions are free and open to the public and take place on UNG's Gainesville Campus in the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building.<br /> <br /> Participants are welcome to join any number of sessions, which start at 4 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes to two hours. Light refreshments will be provided, and RSVPs are appreciated to [email protected] or 678-717-3658.<br /> <br /> The "America's Music" sessions are:<br /> <br /> Sept. 14: The blues and gospel music are featured in an episode of "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" and the documentary "Say Amen, Somebody."<br /> <br /> Sept. 28: The music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley are featured in an episode of the Emmy-winning series "Broadway: The American Musical."<br /> <br /> Oct. 12: Swing jazz is covered in an episode of "Ken Burns' Jazz" and the documentary "International Sweethearts of Rhythm."<br /> <br /> Oct. 26: The history of country and bluegrass are traced in the documentary "High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music."<br /> <br /> Nov. 9: The emergence of rock and roll is featured in an episode of "The History of Rock and Roll."<br /> <br /> Nov. 23: Latin rhythms from mambo to hip hop are the subject of an episode of "Latin Music USA" and the award-winning film "From Mambo to Hip-Hop: A South Bronx Tale."<br /> <br /> "America's Music" is a project by the Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with the American Library Association, Tribeca Flashpoint, and the Society for American Music. For more information, visit the UNG Libraries website at http://ung.edu/libraries/americas-music.php.

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