The Sound of Freedom: Jazz from New Orleans to Prague

The tradition of jazz has represented freedom for over a hundred years, from its birthplace in New Orleans, to New York, across the United States of America, and around the world. Jazz has represented artistic freedom, social freedom, and political freedom. This course will introduce the important styles and musicians who have propelled jazz, with a particular focus on jazz in the cultural history of the United States of America and the Czech Republic. No prior musical experience is required.

Course leader

Mark C. Samples is a musicologist who studies how practices of promotion (branding, marketing, advertising) influence the cultural history of music in the United States. He also teaches entrepreneurship strategies to professional musicians.

Target group

High School Students, Unviersity Students. The minimum required age of GSSP participants is 18 years.

Course aim

In this course, students will learn about major developments in the history of jazz music. The course begins with a primer on the fundamentals of music, such as rhythm, pitch, meter, form, and the practice of jazz improvisation. It then follow the social, musical, and cultural developments of jazz from its birth in New Orleans, through the Swing Era, Modern Jazz Era, and today. The course ends with a discussion of the international impact of jazz music, through the lens of the history of jazz in Prague. No prior musical experience required.

Credits info

6 EC
All participants will receive an official AAU Global Summer School Certificate at the end of the program.

Fee info

EUR 1450: Not included in the program fee are traveling costs, accommodation, meals, etc. We highly recommend that you book your program housing with AAU, since finding housing over the summer in Prague is not always easy. The price for AAU housing, available for the GSSP is 620 EUR for a bed in a single room and 540 EUR for a double room.

Scholarships

There is not scholarship available for this course at the moment.