Contemporary American popular music culture has become increasingly eager for something usually called ‘authenticity,’ and harks back nostalgically to an era when music was ‘real,’ less contaminated by the marketplace, less calculated, and more spontaneous. Hence, the invention, rather than resurgence, of ‘roots music’ in the 1990s: for the term ‘roots music’ simply doesn’t exist until critics are convinced that it has become extinct. This presentation explores the tension between ‘roots’ as a marketing strategy and the undeniable fact that contemporary musicians enjoy an extraordinarily rich tradition to draw upon.

For moreinformation contact Gayle Klam at 618.457.5100.