Abstract

My IS looks at Blues songwriting in the 1960s and argues that themes in lyrical expression shifted as a result of Blues musicians’ popularity and the tense political aspects of the decade. Lyrics deepened an exploration of personal emotional expression and stories relating to songwriters’ lived experiences. In existing scholarship, Blues musicians’ lives, performances, and contributions to the genre have been explored. I bring a different approach to the scholarship by looking at the genre from specifically a songwriting perspective. The main primary sources I used were songs that the musicians wrote along with liner notes, interviews, and television specials. Quite a few of the songs I analyze have not been interpreted before. Additionally, this project was inspired by my own personal experience and interest in Blues songwriting, listening, and performance. I chose a podcast format because of the sonic and storytelling aspects of my topic, and I felt that my own skills in public speaking and creativity fit the development of the project.

Here is the link to my Soundcloud profile which currently contains all five episodes: https://soundcloud.com/shanelouis23.

Advisor

Biro Walters, Jordan

Department

History

Disciplines

American Studies | Audio Arts and Acoustics | Cultural History | Digital Humanities | History | Music | Public History | Social History | United States History

Keywords

Blues, music, music history, songwriting

Publication Date

2023

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2023 Shane Byrne