Essay On Gospel Music

811 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Development of Christianity

Gospel music was birthed to this world by a man named Thomas A. Dorsey, born in Atlanta in 1899 and moved to Chicago as a teen. If it wasn’t for the tragedies that he faced, we would not have this glorious sound of music upon us today. While on tour with Ma Rainey, he was informed that his wife, and child, had passed away during childbirth. “My wife died, and the baby died, and I had my life’s hope in the baby. I lost quite a bit of trust. I lost a lot of confidence in the Lord or somebody. It was quite a while before I could get myself together.” Dorsey stated. After much devastation, Dorsey put aside the blues and poured his musical gifts into writing many songs of faith. Being that he had taken part of religious music before, it became more …show more content…

During the late 1800s, many African-American churches in the Southern United States began to include various styles of music into their worship services, including hymns, and sacred songs. This style of music is mainly sung in church, backed up by hand-clapping and foot-stomping. The heart of gospel music tradition was the use of the choir, as seen on movies like The Blues Brothers, Sister Act 2, and First Sunday. (Booth) Gospel music continued to change throughout the late 1900s. There are four distinct types of gospel music: quartet style, traditional gospel, contemporary gospel, and praise and worship. Quartet style is a small group of male singers who sings together with tight harmony, traditional gospel features a more basic sound suited for a singing by a choir, contemporary gospel is more focused towards solo singers, and praise and worship is a combination of of contemporary and traditional gospel in which the praise leader has a small group to help them sing and lead the congregation in song. …show more content…

Country music was one of the first genres of music modern American music. In the Southern Eastern states of the USA as a mix of folk music from the British Isles, church music and African American blues, it was developed. Country music is often played on instruments such as acoustic guitars, mandolin autoharp, fiddle, and banjo. One style of country music is Western Music. This style of sound often had horse-like clip-clop rhythms and songs about lovesick cows and gun-fighting outlaws. It became popular in the 1930s and 40s as cowboys began appearing in Hollywood, popular cowboy movies, known as “Westerns”. (History of Country Music, Country Music 1930-1960) To add on, I often listen to Gospel more than the three genres that I have mentioned. Not only because of my belief in religion, but because it helps me through situations that I face on a day to day basis. Jazz is often played when we have small gathering at my house, a relaxing, soothing like setting, and Country music is heard when I’m simply in the mood to listen to it. No specific emotion on mood that I have to be in for me to listen to it . In closing, all there genres of music are all good genres. Being a music lover, if you have not yet heard any song that falls into the category of any of these genres, it is highly

Show More
Related

  • Country Music Argumentative Essay

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Originating in the south, country music is a mix of folk songs and sounds brought over from England by Anglo-Celtic immigrants in the 1700's. (1) It was established in the Appalachians and back-woods around the time of the revolution. To cure loneliness and isolation, mountain dwellers would sing songs that reminded them of home, keeping up with traditions. According to B.A. Botkin, " the folk…group is one that has been cut off from progress and has retained beliefs, customs and expressions with limited acceptance and acquired new ones in kind." (1)

    Read More

  • Cultural Factors Of Motown Music

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion, especially Christianity played a huge role in black peoples’ lives at the time, leading to the expansion of black churches in South America. In the 1960s, the proportion of black going to church increased as segregation and racial discrimination divided the two cultures in America. This aspect of culture was very significant as blacks learnt that everyone was equal in God’s eyes. At these churches, the introduction of gospel music generated self expression and thus, these black churches were a representation of social cohesion among blacks. Gordy established this aspect of culture and incorporated gospel music from churches into the soul sound Motown was successful for. Moreover, the formation of African American neighbourhoods was a very important aspect of their culture due to its link to the history of segregation. Although many associated these black neighbourhoods or ‘ghettos’ with negative connotations, for blacks, it signified ‘home’, a place that showed representation of black identity, also including the passion and emotion from overcoming the struggle and suffering of being black. “The buildings in Harlem are brick and stone…and the streets are long and wide…but Harlem’s much more than these alone…Harlem is what’s inside…” (Hughes, 1945). Gordy realised that neighbourhoods also represented cultural cohesion where they could relate to each other. According to

    Read More

  • Hillbilly Influence On American Culture

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    Country music is one of the most popular music genres in America. There is a reason it is called Country music: because it reflects the heart and soul of the entire country. This unique genre of music can trace its roots to the very beginning of Southern culture. Through its rich history, Country music has always represented the life of the American little-man, the working-class hero, and has spawned many other forms of American culture in music, movies, television and style.

    Read More

  • Showboat: A Revolutionary Production

    1767 Words  | 4 Pages

    Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans. 2nd ed. 1971. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1986. 367, 404-5, 407, 430, 437. Print.

    Read More

  • R & B Research Paper

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Soul music was developed in the late 1950s from African American church music called Gospel music. After slavery ended in1865, African American were not welcomed in the church of White Americans, so they built their own churches and sang Christian songs with African American vocal styles and rhythm. As the civil rights movement, staged bigger and bigger demonstrations and increase in African American pride “Soul music” became more than party music for young blacks: it became a rallying flag for the Black nationalist movement. Soul music was born thanks to the innovations of continuous post-war musicians who essentially turned Gospel music into a secular form of

    Read More

  • Barn Dance History

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    Let's go back to the beginning. It all started on November 28, 1925, on the fifth floor of the National Life & Accident Insurance Building. The room was Studio A. WSM Radio was created for advertising promotions, but also played music. In the interest of trying something new, WSM Barn Dance began with the first live performer, a fiddler by the name of "Uncle" Jimmy Thompson. It was something that was known to the Southerners as honky tonk or western music. As more people started listening to this style of music, it became known as country music. In this small studio in Nashville, Tennessee, music of all kinds was being broadcast to a world which was fighting a war and coming out of a depression.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Black And White Gospel Music

    77 Words  | 1 Pages

    Black and white gospel music are similar in the sense of they are singing about. They differ most in the sound of music. Black gospel music has a more smooth and soul sound to it, while white gospel music has a more modern sound. I think the distinction between the two is necessary because they do have similarity, but just like hip hop and pop are similar they still are different genres because essentially they sound different.

    Read More

  • Country Rock Music In The 1970's

    1812 Words  | 4 Pages

    Country rock and classic country are two separate things. Classic country gets it roots from a combination of early 1900’s western music and mainstream country music. Classic country gained popularity when played on the radio with a “honky-tonk” sound. Nashville,

    Read More

  • african american religious music

    2304 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...erself expanded gospel’s exposure when she appeared twice on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Meanwhile, television producer Bobby Jones reaches four and a half million viewers each week with his BET program, “Gospel Explosion.” However, the test for Gospel music reflects one that all Christian musicians must wrestle with: Can Gospel continue to increase its fortune in the mainstream marketplace while still maintaining its spiritual base? Despite what you believe the answer to be, African American Religious music will continually evolve. Since Thomas Dorsey first stretched the boundaries to create gospel music, choirs, quartets, and power vocalists have been singing the same song, albeit in different styles and places. As African American religious music continues to grow beyond even Dorsey’s expectations, one can only hope that it will be embraced regardless of how it is labeled by everyone who needs to be reminded of the good news it represents.

    Read More

  • Rock-N-Roll Music

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...he country as very prominent musical genres. At the end of World War II, vocals-focused classic pop replaced big band/swing, although orchestras often accompanied the vocalists to provide depth. Around 1955, Mitch Miller began to set the course for the development of pop music (6). Incorporating many traditional genres, such as country, R&B, and folk music, into the standard popular music, Miller had many of his label’s most famous artists produce songs that adhered to the style of pop traditions. Miller himself often employed innovative arrangements that featured orchestral instruments or non-traditional sound effects. As a result, Miller’s work helped to maintain the popularity of the more traditional musical genres of the time. Another extremely prominent pop artist was Patti Page (7), whose music would eventually become some of the decade’s more popular songs.

    Read More

  • Gospel Music

    6228 Words  | 13 Pages

    this time, gospel music was a sacred folk music with origins in field hollers, work songs,

    Read More

  • Essay 1

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    Spirituals: African American spirituals are a key contribution to the creation of the initial genre of jazz. African Americans used spirituals during the earliest turmoil of slavery. These spirituals were used as songs to sing during labor and an initial way of communication for the Underground Railroad. These African American folk sounds mixed with gospel hymns were sun fused with instruments such as the harmonicas, banjos, and other instruments that could primarily be found. This initial form of the music started to separate itself from the gospel rendition. This mixture of different styles of music fused and gave birth to such things as minstrel shows, ragtime, and other forms of music. The most important that spirituals truly helped develop, was Jazz. Spirituals were the first true form of Negro expression in the form of music. Marshall W. Steams, Professor of English Literature at Hunter College states that “The spiritual was created out of nowhere by a sort of spontaneous combustion of Negro’s genius” (125). This mixture of hymns and instrumental instruction took form into one of the most versatile genres known to date, Jazz.

    Read More

  • Essay On Appalachia Music

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Appalachian Music

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Instrumental Music In Worship

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    more upbeat songs. Instrumentation is key to how the overall feel of the song should be. But

    Read More

More about Essay On Gospel Music

Open Document