Presented by Norm Cohen
Railroads shaped our history in the century after the Civil War—a story chronicled in songs that had a lasting impact on American music. In this course we’ll hear and discuss examples representing railroad construction (“John Henry”), disasters (“Casey Jones”), badmen (“Jesse James”), imaginary trains (“Wabash Cannon-ball”), religious imagery (“Life’s Railroad to Heaven”), and pop songs (“Atcheson Topeka and Santa Fe,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “City of New Orleans”). Instrumental music (“Honky Tonk Train”) and classical compositions (“The Lonesome Train”) as well as an overview of the history of the railroads will also be covered.

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The Impact of the Railroads on American Music

VISTAS MEMBER $50.00 USD NONMEMBER $75.00 USD