Retracing the Roots of Bluegrass Music through an Affrilachian Aesthetic

Abstract

This article offers an intellectual and pedagogical framework for teaching the early history of bluegrass music in the undergraduate music history sequence, especially drawing on the recent literary movement described by the native Kentucky poet Frank X Walker as “Affrilachian.†Inspired by Walker's commitment to make the presence of Appalachian black writers visible in literature, I have developed a learning unit that helps to redefine the musical landscape of Appalachia as one that is more diverse than it appears in the mass media. In response to the growing interest in American roots music as an area of serious study in postsecondary music schools, I argue that retracing the development of bluegrass and its multi-racial history provides a richer understanding of Appalachian and, thus, American culture and history. For our undergraduate music majors who no longer identify themselves as European descendants but rather as “Americans†with diverse ethnic and cultural heritages, my approach, teaching narrative, and classroom application will address the significance of representation in music and its historical narrative.