America's Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway
America's Music is a six-week series of public programs created by Tribeca Film Institute in partnership with the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and in consultation with the Society for American Music.
The programs feature documentary screenings (of films like Ken Burns' Jazz and From Mambo to Hip-Hop: A South Bronx Tale, pictured at the top of the page) and scholar-led discussions of 20th century American popular music. The six sessions will focus on uniquely American musical genres: blues and gospel, Broadway, jazz, bluegrass and country, rock 'n' roll, and mambo and hip hop.
Libraries and non-profits related to music and music history can apply to receive a $2,500 grant to support the series. Applicants have to first register their institution with grants.gov (this process can take up to two weeks, so we encourage you to register as early as possible). The deadline is March 14th.
50 libraries and non-profits will be selected to participate in this national initiative, and in addition to the programming grant will receive a full set of the DVDs for the series (including public performance rights) along with support materials and resources. Resources to help begin the application process can be found at ala.org/programming/americasmusic.
