What can music tell us about a city? How have musical practices been used to create community? This course considers these questions by examining the city of Chicago. A center for trade and the major metropolis of the American Midwest, Chicago provides many insights into how people create community through music. Blues, jazz, classical music, soul, punk, and hip-hop have all found homes in Chicago. Despite the widespread popularity of these practices, racial and class-based divisions persist in Chicago. Indeed, some have used musical practices to create exclusive groups and to reinforce division. In exploring the history of Chicago’s music, students will gain foundational listening skills and music vocabulary and will practice listening through a variety of theoretical, analytical, historical, and cultural lenses.