The course traces the history of music in the United States beginning with native American music, continuing Anglo, Scottish and Irish music, black music, and ending with Latin and Asian popular music. How did the movements of people inside and outside the United States affect the music created there? How does music express the American ethos of an immigrant state? We will discuss these questions in relation to two main topics: 1) music as a mediator between people of different origins 2) music as an expression of a real or imaginary 'house'.