My school music experience taught me that American music consisted of classical, jazz, and pop. It taught me that Chicago was home to world-class classical and jazz musicians, but it said nothing of its hip-hop, EDM, folk, or so many other musical cultures.

Last month I moved to Denver. When I begin teaching here, I want to have a much wider view of the state’s music than I had in Illinois. I want to begin a perhaps lifelong pursuit of becoming an expert on all of Colorado’s musical cultures. I want to identify the cultures, then the sub-cultures, then the sub-sub-cultures. I want to talk to musicians. I want to understand how they make their music, and why their audiences listen. Most of all, I must do lots of listening.

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