Teach. Learn. Change.Elevate Black Music.
BlackMusicScholar is a learning platform for teaching, studying, and advancing African American music through courses, instructors, community, and culture.
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A Platform for Our Community
Built for Teaching & Learning African American Music
From foundational history to contemporary practice, our courses connect you to knowledge, community, and opportunity. Wherever you are on your journey, there's a place for you here.
BMS-DEMO
Black Music Scholar Demo
A quick tour of the Academy — how we teach, what you'll learn, and how the community fits together.
Dr. Kevin P. JohnsonBMS-101
Survey of African American Music
From spirituals and blues to hip-hop and beyond — the movements, artists, and moments that built a tradition.
Dr. Angela PowellFUND-101
Music Fundamentals
Notes, rhythm, and the language of music. The prerequisite for Theory 1 and the foundation for everything else.
Prof. Ramón OrtizTHY-101
Music Theory 1
Scales, intervals, chords, and how to read and hear them. Written and aural work every week.
Prof. Elena RodriguezTHY-102
Music Theory 2
Voice leading, harmony, and the mechanics of good writing. Continues where Theory 1 ends.
Dr. James WhitfieldCOND-101
Conducting
Baton technique, gesture, score preparation, and how to lead an ensemble with clarity and intention.
Dr. Margaret Whitmore
SPIR-101
Negro Spirituals
The origins, forms, and performance traditions of the American spiritual — from the fields to the concert stage.
Dr. Ruth ColemanJAZZ-101
Jazz
History, styles, and improvisation. From New Orleans to modern fusion — listen, analyze, and play.
Prof. Diego Vargas
SANK-101
Sankofa: African American Catholic Worship Music
The musical traditions of the African American Catholic worship experience — hymnody, liturgy, and improvisation.
Fr. Michael BoatengSPSW-101
From Spirituals to Swing
Trace the arc from sacred song to swing. Follow the lineage that made American music American.
Dr. Mei TanakaVOCD-101
Vocal Diction
IPA, English lyric diction, and the sung languages of the choral canon. Sing clearly in any language.
Dr. Naomi Park
TECH-102
Music Technology 2
Recording, editing, mixing. Take your setup from working to sounding good.
Chloe MartinezAIMU-101
AI Music Alternatives
Generative tools, stems, and where AI actually helps. What to try, what to avoid, and the ethics of both.
Prof. Rajiv PatelLOGC-101
Apple Logic Seminar
Logic Pro's instruments, MIDI editing, and mixing — arrangement to bounce.
Dr. Layla Hassan
COMP-101
Composition
Melody, form, and craft. Write songs and instrumental pieces, share drafts, and revise them into finished work.
Dr. Olivia Grant
Our Mission
A home for the study of Black music.
BlackMusicScholar exists to make the study of African American music serious, accessible, and connected — bringing together scholars, teachers, students, and practitioners to advance the tradition.