I'm currently working on a very rushed undergraduate thesis for my honors degree at the University of South Carolina. I'm researching the musical influences on early shape-note singing from 1760 to 1800 (roughly) although any info on later stuff, sacred harp, et cetera, is welcome. So if anybody out here has any information on the following things, please post a comment or let me know:
Instrumental folk music in the USA, 1600-1800
Singing Schools in the 18th and early 19th century
The Shape-Note Method of singing instruction
Harmonic concerns of early American composers, such as Billings and Lowell Mason.
or anything else that has something to do with those things. Because I'm just interested in general, above and beyond the project. Thanks a bunch.