What could be said to be more American than apple pie, more American than baseball? Well baseball and apple pie are certainly the first things that come to mind when asked what you think of when you think of America but what if I asked what would be an all-American music. I believe the first thing that should come to mind would be bluegrass music. Bluegrass music; mainly played with acoustic and stringed musical instruments and vocal harmonies has a few variances and cultural roots from other countries, but remains as American as apple pie.
Although bluegrass got its beginning in the United States its roots are long stretching to other countries and cultures that brought their music preference to the beginnings of America. Early settlers to America including those from Ireland, Scotland, England, and even Africa composed music and occupied their time playing new songs about their day to day lives. These songs often reflected life on farms and homesteads for the new settlers. Regularly bluegrass music was played by these settlers in the hills of southern United States; this is where bluegrass music got its first designation, “mountain music” or “country music”. Because of bluegrass’s diminutive outreach it wasn’t until an important invention changed the popularity of this vital music for so many people. “The invention of the phonograph and the onset of the radio in the early 1900s brought this old-time music out of the rural Southern mountains to people all over the United States.” (IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association))
Although no one person can claim to have invented bluegrass music its humble beginnings can be traced to one band that took advantage of the popular new phonograph. This band called “Bill Mo...
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...w have the knowledge to listen carefully to bluegrass and hopefully the inspiration to check bluegrass out for yourself. You could pick up an album by an artist I previously mentioned or go to one of many bluegrass festivals. There is no better way to experience the rich and vibrant culture of bluegrass music than by participating in any of its multiple-day festivals. If you’re in Kansas in September do yourself a favor and stop in Winfield Kansas for the Walnut Valley Festival, you won’t regret it.
Works Cited
Bean Blossom. n.d. 2011 .
IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association). 2011. November 2011 .
Mountain Music History. 2003. November 2011 .
Traum, Happy. "Bluegrass Guitar." Traum, Happy. Bluegrass Guitar. 1974.
In 1919, Cecil Sharp introduced this genre to the world by releasing "English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians" which would open the door for future country singers and songwriters. (1) Unlike the deep
For many Americans, country isn’t just a type of music. It’s a lifestyle. From sippin’ sweet tea on the porch, drinking beer at a tailgate or driving a pick up down the backroads, country music has made its way into the hearts and minds of many Americans. It is one of the only truly home grown American art forms. Its relatability and wide appeal has made country music one of the most commercially successful and popular genres in the United States. Using the work of scholars Tichi, Pecknold, and Ellison, I will show how country music grew from its rural southern roots into an integral part of American culture.
African music has had a major influence on Cuban culture beginning in the early 1550’s through slave trade. Thousands of slaves were brought to Spain in the 1400’s and eventually migrated to Cuba. Since these “Ladinos” were accustomed to Spanish culture and language, they easily were able to get by in Cuba and even escape slavery. As a result, Slave owners in Cuba brought more slaves directly from Africa. In 1526, a Royal Decree allowed slaves to buy their freedom, resulting in increased interaction and ethnic mixing among Cubans and Africans. All aspects of both cultures began to blend, especially among working class Cubans and Africans. Music became a common bond between the two groups
Mills, Susan W. “Bringing the Family Tradition in Bluegrass Music to the Music Classroom.” General Music Today 22, no. 2 (January 2009): 12-18.
Jazz is a treasure to American culture, which originally came from New Orleans of South part of America in 19th century. It’s a special music because it contains changeable rhythm and improvisational performance. But what makes jazz so special in 1920s is that Jazz could not only be performed by an individual but also could be performed by a group of people. This music performance style shows important things about American society and culture itself.
In conclusion, Appalachian music can be defined as old time music, Appalachian folk music, country music, back woods country music and American Folk Music, but this type of music is and has been a staple in our society and has survived decades and with the beauty of the music it will hopefully continue for all time.
It should be brief but comprehensive, as it may also be the introduction of the music to teachers as a study guide before or after an in-school presentation, or they may include this information in a history of social studies discussion if a program presentation is not possible. Bluegrass Music: The Roots. The street balladry of the people who began migrating to America in the early 1600s is considered to be the roots of traditional American music. As the early Jamestown settlers began to spread out into the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and the Virginias, they composed new songs about day to day experiences in the new land. Since most of these people lived in rural areas, the songs reflected life on the farm or in the hills and this type of music was called "mountain music" or "country music." The invention of the phonograph and the onset of the radio in the early 1900s brought this old-time music out of the rural Southern mountains to people all over the United States.
Country music was brought over by the first European settlers. In medieval times, storytelling was a tradition that allowed history to be recorded when few were able to read and write. When the first British settlers came to America, they brought this tradition with them, along with songs that they had learned in Europe. The people who settled the Appalachian Mountains and the West did not have an easy life and their music gave them an outlet to express their hardships.
Rock ‘n’ roll and 20th Century Culture According to Philip Ennis, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the convergence of social transformations which resulted from World War II (Ryan 927). Despite its pop culture origins, rock music is arguably one of the strongest cultural factors to develop in this century. Artists such as Lennon, McCartney and Dylan defined the emotions of a generation and, in the last decade, it as even been acknowledged by members of the establishment which it hoped to change as a major influence in the country. In order to understand how rock went from a sign of rebellion to a cultural icon, it is necessary to understand where it came from.
Music can be traced back into human history to prehistoric eras. To this day archeologists uncover fragments of ancient instruments as well as tablets with carved lyrics buried alongside prominent leaders and highly influential people. This serves as a testament to the importance and power of music, as well as its influence in society. Over its many years of existence, music’s powerful invocation of feelings has allowed it to evolve and serve many purposes, one being inspiring change. American journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson once said, “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel.” This fuel is the very things that powers the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society, that author Glenn C. Altschuler writes about in his book, “All Shook Up – How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America.” Between 1945 and 1965 Rock ‘n’ Roll transformed American society and culture by helping to ease racial integration and launch a sexual revolution while most importantly developing an intergenerational identity.
The Blues started in the late 1800's in levee camps or plantations in places like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were many African Americans lived. The blues of that time was called country blues. It was a mixture of African music, field hollers, work songs, religious music, and ragtime.
Rock and Roll was the start of a new revolution in America. It introduced the world to many of the famous artists that continue to be a part of our lives today. "Artists who became popular in the 1950s such as Elvis, began to pave the way for others such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly" (The History of Rock 'n' Roll until 1960). With the introduction of rock 'n' roll, there came many new changes to the lives of many Americans. Rock and Roll was a major contributor for the change in teens' behavior in the 1950s because it encouraged new freedoms for teenagers, encouraged new fads among teenagers, and caused a generation gap.
The blues, a uniquely American art form, was born on the dusty street corners of the Deep South in the late 1800s. An evolution of West African music brought to the United States by slaves, created the blues which was a way for black people in the south to express their hardships, heartbreaks, religion, passion, and politics that they experienced in their day-to-day lives. The majority of blues songs were never written down, let alone recorded, but instead, were passed on from one musician to another and played on a variety of instruments including a number of stringed instruments, harmonicas, and horns. Once blues songs began to be officially recorded in the 1920s, the most frequently found instruments were guitars and pianos. However, the basic 12-bar style and three.-chord progression have remained the same throughout the years and continue to be key components of the blues.
Influence of Jazz on American Culture Nowadays, many believe that jazz is not that important in the music genre, but with our history, jazz plays a big role. “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but it is a gift that America has given to the world,” quoted Ahmad Alaadeen. Jazz in the 1920’s opened the eyes of whites and invited them into African American culture; it evolved Americans to where we are today since it brought a change to the music scene, an acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles. Jazz began affecting American culture from the beginning of its conception.
Various authors have varyingly explored the origins of the blues, as a genre, possibly because of its influence in modern-day music world. In fact, the blues significantly influence today’s music scene and it is common to find other music genres borrowing from the blues in terms of style, tunes, as well as other features. Nevertheless, the blues have emerged as a widespread genre since its inception in the United States in the early 19th century. It is believed to belong to the popular (commonly referred to as pop music) style of music. In addition, it is associated with African-American culture. This paper looks into the work of two authors (R. Palmer and W. Barlow) by comparing and contrasting their views about the origin of the blues as