A Brief History Of Rock And Roll And The Woodstock Music Festival Of 1969

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A Brief History of Rock and Roll and The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969

Throughout history, major social transformations have taken place that has changed how people perceive themselves and the world around them. With each social reformation, cultural forms and institutions also change as well as their meanings. For Example, the development of recording and electronic communication within United States capitalism spurred the unique coming together of music traditions in twentieth century United States society. The development of these technologies allowed music to reach beyond regional boundaries, which led to the clashing of vastly different cultures of all parts of the United States. The most influential form of music spread across the nation is unarguably Rock and Roll.

The first coupling of the words "rock" and "roll" on record came in 1916, in a recording of a spiritual song, "The Camp Meeting Jubilee", by an unnamed vocal quartette. Some of the lyrics include "We've been rocking and rolling in your arms / Rocking and rolling in your arms / in the arms of Moses". In 1922, blues singer Trixie Smith recorded "My Man Rocks Me (with One Steady Roll)", first featuring the two words in a secular context. Twelve years later, The Boswell Sisters had a hit with "Rock and Roll" (1934). These were the first artists to be said to have helped influence the beginning and spread of rock and roll music.

However, for many years and probably centuries previously, the term "rocking and rolling" had been used as a nautical term to denote the side-to-side and forward-and-backward motion of ships on the ocean. This meaning was used metaphorically in such records as Buddy Jones' "Rockin' Rollin' Mama" which was produced in 1939.

Rocking was ...

... middle of paper ...

...t by a man who wanted to build The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

A plaque is in the field that lists all of the bands that played at Woodstock. There are also some wood carvings of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. A new building all about the Woodstock festival and what it means is going to open in the field in 2009.

Sources

1. Marshall, Jim, Baron Wolman, and Jerry Hopkins. Festival! New York: The Macmilan Company, 1970.

2. Wilson, Louis. The Americans. McDougal Little.

3. Woodstock 1969. 16 Apr. 2008 .

4. "Woodstock 1969." US History Encyclopedia.

5. Rolling Stone. 2 May 2008 <^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6085488/woodstock_in_1969>.

6. Stuessy, Joe, Lipscomb, Scott D.. Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development,

7. Friedlander, John. Rock And Roll: A Social History

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