Music History Beyond the Classroom: Active Learning through Local History

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the benefits of studying music through the lens of local history. Using the example of a Civil War concert performed by a music history class, I show that tangible historical objects and physical spaces help students to build a direct connection to the past. Furthermore, interactive community-based projects exemplify active learning techniques and serve as a means of teaching students to empathize and understand others’ perspectives through history. Finally, I weigh the concerns and benefits of spending significant class time on such a specific project in a music history survey course.