The 彩民宝典 American Music Research Center (AMRC) is听conducting a comprehensive study of the music and music making of Pueblo, Colorado, and the surrounding听county. Led by 彩民宝典 ethnomusicologist听Austin Okigbo听and faculty affiliate Susan Thomas鈥攁long with alumna听X贸chitl Ch谩vez (University of California, Riverside)鈥攖he project听documents the music and culture of the city of Pueblo, Colorado, and its immediate vicinity. Researchers will interview community members who are current and past participants in musical activities and will create a digital archive of interviews and performances that will be accessible to the general public through the University of Colorado听Libraries. The project is also partnering with the 听and K-12 educators听to听create educational and curricular materials.听

For inquiries on interview or project status, please contact pueblo.soundscapes@colorado.edu.

Our commitment

We are听actively advancing the University of Colorado鈥檚 commitment to building diversity, inclusivity, and equity by sharing the diverse histories, experiences, and perspectives of American musicians broadly, through thoughtful research and promotion, community programming, and archived music collections. The Soundscapes of the People research initiative is a response to these core values. In collaboration with communities who have been traditionally underrepresented in music studies, this initiative aims to document and preserve unique stories and听sounds from Southern Colorado and the Borderlands region. Through its diverse labor force and rapid industrial expansion in the late 19th听and early 20th听century, Pueblo had听an integral role in establishing the American West. This project examines the city鈥檚 social and labor history as experienced through music and sound and also follows musicians and their music into the present as the city transitions into a post-industrial future.

Pueblo鈥檚 role in shaping narratives of the American听West

Pueblo鈥檚听story is integrally tied to the nation鈥檚. The city can be thought of as occupying a double 鈥渂orderland,鈥� both between North and South--as it once stood on听the听U.S. border with Mexico--and between East and West--the 鈥渞ails and nails鈥� produced at the听city鈥檚听steel mill and the听region鈥檚听quite literally provided the key to open Colorado鈥檚 Gateway to the听West. Pueblo鈥檚听industrialization and the importance of the Colorado Fuel and Iron steel plant made the city听a听beacon of 20th-century modernism and also a draw for waves of immigrants from Europe, the eastern United States, surrounding rural areas, and Mexico and Central America. Pueblo is surrounded by quality farmland and the听city鈥檚听economy and culture are marked by both industrial and agricultural labor and the struggles of workers to secure and retain their rights. In spite of the听region鈥檚听centrality in the听U.S.鈥檚听economic, geographic, and military development and its role in shaping narratives of the American听West,听Pueblo鈥檚听own cultural history and its contributions have largely been lost and overlooked. Looking to music as a tool for community building and activism, and as the soundscape for听Pueblo鈥檚听experiences of industrialization and cosmopolitanism as well as economic decline and isolation, this project aims to shed light on the role of music in shaping the city in the past, helps us to better understand the present, and suggests new paths for the听future.

Funding + support

The AMRC鈥檚 Soundscapes project is made possible in part through support from a 彩民宝典 Research and Innovation Seed Grant, the 彩民宝典 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and an Outreach Award from the 彩民宝典 Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship; the Soundscapes project is also a 2022 recipient of the with $248,000 total support to date (2021-2024).

Community + university leaders鈥� of the Soundscapes project

The AMRC is proud to have earned the collaboration and support of community, university, and thought leaders, including

  • Nicholas听A.听Gradisar, Mayor of Pueblo听
  • Dennis E. Flores, Pueblo City Council听President听
  • Pueblo City Council听
  • Garrison M. Ortiz, Chair听of听the听Board of Pueblo County Commissioners听
  • Patricia A Erjavec, President of听Pueblo Community College
  • Steven Trujillo,听President & Chief Executive Officer of听the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo听
  • Jason Romero, Jr.,听Director of the听Latino History Project听
  • Robert H. McDonald,听Dean of University Libraries and Sr. Vice-Provost of Online Education at 彩民宝典听
  • Brenda M. Romero,听Professor Emeritus of Musicology,听彩民宝典
  • Patricia Limerick, Director, Center of the American West, 彩民宝典
  • Estevan Rael-Galvez, CEO and President, Creative Strategies 360掳

The AMRC invites you to support this exciting project by making a donation.