Throughout Pittsburgh history, the area has produced many acclaimed musicians and music organizations that have created music that has been enjoyed across America. Pittsburgh is a city of music with a history in Jazz, Classical, Pop, Doo-Wop, Rock, and most currently Rap. Many of Pittsburgh’s old musicians are award winning performers and song writers who have sold millions of records. Their music can now be heard on movies, TV, and even Broadway shows. These famous artists would be nothing without their teachers, producers, music promoters, managers, and radio personalities. This essay will take a look back into the roots of Pittsburgh to examine its historical and cultural music background.
The music legacy of Pittsburgh began back in in the mid 1750’s and early 1800’s as English, led by General Forbes, troops marched along with Scottish bagpipes and drums on their way to Fort Duquesne. The early Scotch, Irish, Welsh, English, and German immigrants who settled Pittsburgh brought their folk, religious, and classical music with them laying the foundation for the development of Pittsburgh's music traditions. In its early years Pittsburgh was a small trading post with a small population. Early settlers gathered at Fort Pitt for recreation, some of which included music. One of the supports at the fort was used as a stage for bands to perform their music. Several concerts were given during the Revolutionary War. In the 1780's Pittsburgh was mostly populated by Scotch and Irish settlers whose favorite music was the fiddle.
Early Pittsburghers watched shows by musicians and actors in village taverns and at home. Around 1786 A British chorister named Edward Tyler came to Pittsburgh to begin a choir for sacred music. Their first per...
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...ckstein, Sammy Nestico, Maxine Sullivan, Joe Pass, Erroll Garner, Roy Eldridge, Kenny Clarke, Mary Lou Williams, and Perry Como.
Pittsburgh has come a long way from its roots and is still continuing to change for the better. The same can be said for Pittsburgh’s musical artists and culture. As the times change and people desire something different, Pittsburgh will always provide for what people want and need no matter what culture, ethnicity, or style.
Works Cited
Carosi, Paul. "Pittsburgh Music History." Pittsburgh Music History. Google Sites. Web. .
Pittsburgh Music Hall of Fame. "Pittsburgh Music Hall of Fame." Pittsburgh Music Hall of Fame. Facebook.com, 2003. Web. .
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the Landing of the Pilgrims to the Close of the Civil War, 1620-1865”Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 18, No.2. (Accessed January 30, 2012).
The Marvelettes, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Drifters, The Temptations, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Spinners, Aretha Franklin
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...gers of the old folk music are referred to as “authentic”. The author uses the biographies and the personal experiences of true Appalachian folk musicians to portray what life in the Appalachians was like. The strong family values, the music, the legends.
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Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf
Ray Allen, Lois Wilcken. "Island Sounds in the Global City: Caribbean Popular Music and Identity in New York." 1-6. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1988.