“A Nation of Instruments: How Nine Sounds Shaped America”

A Work-in-Progress talk with Zachary Wallmark, Musicology, and 2024–25 OHC Faculty Research Fellow My project explores American cultural and social history through the lens of musical instruments. I offer critical examinations of the development, popularization, and sonic palette of instruments that have played an iconic role in American (and global) music and culture: banjo, trumpet, steel guitar, saxophone, electric organ, drumset, electric guitar, synthesizer, and turntables.