Black Americans’ Influence on Music

A four-part workshop series, meeting Mondays from 6:30-7:30 pm, April 11, 18, 25 and May 2.

Delve into the influence of black Americans on the music of this country with Lloyd Kaplan, professional musician and member of the faculty of both Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University and the University of Rhode Island. Kaplan will begin this four-part series with Blackface Minstrelsy in 1828, then look at how the blues came about, including the important early figures involved. The blues had a profound impact on popular music, country music and classical music as well as musical theater. This series will introduce the early black composers, lyricists, and performers, many of whom are now little known, or, essentially unknown, and their influence on modern music.