Program Details

Stephen Foster: The Father of American Music

Instructor
Thomas Cimarusti
SUM8032
Video Catch-up
Available

Course Description

"Camptown Races," "Oh, Susanna," and "Swannee River" -- all classics of American song and all composed by a young man from Pennsylvania, Stephen Foster, who eventually earned the nickname, the Father of American Music. Join Dr. Tom Cimarusti, Professor of Music History at Florida Gulf Coast University, as we explore the life and songs of one of the most famous songwriters in American history. Oh, and be sure to bring your singing voice as we join together in singing some of Foster's greatest hits.

About the Instructor

  • Thomas M. Cimarusti, Ph.D., is a Professor of Music History at Florida Gulf Coast University. He has lectured at various campuses across the country including Florida State University, Utah Valley University, and Texas Tech University. With an interest in 18th and 19th-century music, Cimarusti has presented conference papers and has published on the topics of Mozart, Beethoven, Italian opera, and chamber music in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. His current research interest concerns the musical culture of the Koreshans, a Utopian group that settled in Estero, Florida in the late 19th century.