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The historical influence of jazz in America
The historical influence of jazz in America
History of jazz in America
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Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy
"He just got his music out of the air," said one neighbor. One cannot hear the word "ragtime" without thinking of the "King of Ragtime," Scott Joplin. He is clearly one forerunner in the field of American music, particularly at the turn of the twentieth century.
Not only was he a genius in the musical frame of mind, he also displayed strong talents in other areas. He had a kinesthetic gift, as seen in the movements he created for his dramatic productions. It was often said that if times were different and not so segregated, he could have been a great choreographer. He was also talented in the interpersonal field, as his music touched so many people throughout the years. Through his efforts ragtime is now a respected form of music in our history, although he did not live to see this fulfillment of his dreams.
Background
Joplin's father, Jiles, was only a small boy when he was purchased in South Carolina and taken to Texas. He had the privilege of being one of the few black slaves to be a house worker, which decreased his chances of being sold. Jiles was freed in his late teens. Picking the last name of his former owner's son-in-law, he traveled south. There he met Florence Givens, who was freeborn. They married by "jumping over the stick," the only form of marriage available to blacks at that time. He was eighteen; she was nineteen.
The Joplins were not a close family. It is said that the men "had traveling in their blood." Scott, the second of five children, was born on November 24, 1868. When he was a preschooler, they moved to the wild frontier town of Texarkana, Texas.
Both Jiles and Florence were musically inclined and talented. Jiles played the violin, while Florence played the banjo and sang. They encouraged musical interest in the children, and all five had talent.
Scott stood out above the rest. At an early age, he could pick out songs on his mother's banjo, on which he was proficient by age seven. He had perfect pitch and could duplicate any chord he heard. He had the ability, which he retained until the end of his life, to remember tunes and fragments he heard years before. He incorporated them with his own elements into original compositions.
His talent did not go unnoticed. Area music teachers were impressed and offered instruction.
Chris McCandless has left a legacy and a lesson after dying on his excursion into the brutal Alaskan wilderness. Some people claim that he is a hero and that he left a good message for spirits who crave freedom and peace with nature. But others believe that he is no hero at all; but in fact, a dumb young kid with no sense of gratitude and a plan for failure. I think that Chris not only failed to execute any heroic actions at all, but he had anti heroic qualities and beliefs. McCandless is not a hero because ran away from and let down friends and family to travel blindly into danger with no plan or preparation whatsoever.
In Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction novel, “Into the Wild”, he tells a story of young man named Chris McCandless. McCandless had grown up in a wealthy family. He was a loner, mainly because of his thirst for social isolation, but seemed to be independent. McCandless had given away all of his money, left almost all of his possessions, became an explorer, and changed him name to Alexander Supertramp, without letting anyone know of his whereabouts which was selfish of him. Not even his own family. He was also a highly intelligent man, yet he also lacked to understand something immediately and the knowledge to keep safe when it is needed. In April of 1992, young McCandless stubbornly hitchhiked his way to Alaska to live in the wild nearby Mt. McKinley. Then four months later in late August, a group of hunters sadly found his dead body. Chris McCandless was very courageous for his decision to go out on his adventures, yet he was inconsiderate for his lack of common sense during the time he was out in the wilderness in Alaska.
Throughout history, and even today, music has shaped America’s culture, society, and even politics. One of the most outstanding and enduring musical movement has been from African American artists, ranging from bebop to jazz to hip-hop to rap. During the 1920’s , jazz artists stepped into the limelight and began their impact on American and even world history. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential leaders during the Harlem Renaissance and his jazz legacy and impact of American history is everlasting. A master of his craft, Armstrong and his music heavily influenced America’s white and black populations from the 1920’s and up until his death.
One man made his impression on the music world soon after he arrived to America. His
Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag seemed allegretto and was very catchy. I easily pictured scenes from old time-y silent movies as I listened, like one of those fast-paced walking down the street scenes. I also saw the flicker of the screen when those movies would flash to a card with the dialogue that just happened written on it. The upbeat rhythm makes it seem like it would have been a popular song to dance to at the time. The song is in duple meter and the syncopation helps to give it that fun and different quality.
In this article, “The Shadow of the Past” Clive Ponting, proclaims the vital importance for our modern global civilization and offers a provocative and illuminating view of human history and its relationship to the environment. Ponting points out that as our species increased in population, it had a direct effect on our environment and our ecosystems could not support our increasing number. He argues that human beings have repeatedly built societies that have grown and prospered by exploiting the Earth’s resources, only to expand to the point where these resources can no longer sustain the society’s population and subsequently collapsed. Ponting is trying to get across a point by saying that if humans continue to markedly use resources or create unnatural resources, the natural ecosystem will not be able to follow these changes and it will soon be destroyed. Agriculture is what caused our population to grow which lead to a greater population. As our population grew, the more land we needed to cultivate on, the more ecosystems we destroyed. Since agriculture is our most important res...
Legend, stand out, a man who set the bar in the jazz world. Duke Ellington wasn’t the normal everyday hit artist with just one or two big hits we hear on the radio and call great, he was simply a legend. This man was the real deal in the jazz world; he was one of the main guys who put jazz on the map. Duke Ellington didn’t just become great though; just like everyone else, he had to start from the bottom. He had to make his own story. He had to separate himself from others and make a name for himself. This is the story of how Duke Ellington made himself a hit, and how he impacted the jazz world and made a name for himself.
Scott Joplin was know as the kings of ragtime. I will explain also explain how he grew up and what type of music he played. I will also write about why I believe he deserves the title that he has been bestowed upon him.
Now that I have explained a little background on Joplin’s career as a singer, which I think is very important to understand who she is, I will continue to explain why she was so influential to her
George Gershwin is one of the most celebrated composers of modern times. He is Famous for bridging the gap between Jazz and Classical music, and developing a new kind of popular music that held a genuine, American voice. With such pieces as his Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F he has become the most widely played American composer of all time. Although he boats having one of the most recognizable names in modern music, many people do not truly know the story behind it all.
“On a visit to the Himalayas, they became impressed with aspects of “Sherpa culture” particularly when they found that their Sherpa guides regarded certain mountains as sacred and accordingly would not venture onto them.” Deep ecology movement endorses “biospheric egalitarianism”, the view that all living things are alike in having value in their own right, independent of their usefulness to others. The deep ecologist respects this intrinsic value, taking care, to not cause unnecessary damage to nature. Naess argues, that humanity and the natural world could not be separated because it will cause selfishness on humanity toward nature. According to relationalism, organisms are understood as knots in the biospherical net. Deep ecology focuses also on the identification of the human ego with nature. That by identifying with nature one can enlarge the boundaries of the self, beyond skin, emphasizing being something larger then the body and consciousness. To respect and care for oneself is also do so with the natural environment, this is called, in other words self-realization. These are concepts are similarly practiced by animistic views, as the Inuit people respect nature and its spirit, as well as the understanding of ones self spirit in the natural world. And their respect for the spirit of the animals they hunt, an ideology that considers humanity in connection and in balance with
McCandless had a reckless behavior and like many young adults, they engage in impulsive activities. Krakauer expresses in the book that McCandless had the common misperception of the young which was his major flaw he states, “ it is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God- given right to have it” (155). This young man had a vision to do something significant without measuring the consequences, this is very common when your brain is not even fully developed to go off and do an extreme measure. According to an article, “ Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk” by Maia Szalavitz there are “biological tendencies that prime [teenagers’] brains to learn and be flexible”(1) thus not measuring the consequences of their actions. These risks can be wildly overestimated certain risks that McCandless had overestimated his endangered himself by going off into the wild by himself without the proper gear and equipment to survive the harsh Alaskan wilderness. Although some would argue that what drove McCandless to the wild was his toxic relationship with his parents while this may be true, but his thirst for adventure and rebellious attitude was the motives to off into the
My Papa always had a big personality, the kind that made a person drop whatever they were doing just to listen to him sing, laugh, tell a story- even if it was just a simple tale of washing the car- that was what made him the best performer. My Papa was always humming a melody, tapping a beat, bobbing his head to song that no one else could hear. Music was everything to him, for every memory he had there was a soundtrack, for every emotion he had felt over the years Papa could think of a song to perfectly relate to it- one that he and his family had lovingly dubbed as His Song was My Way by Elvis Presley. I had always looked up to the broad-shouldered man because of what he taught me to me about music- ranging from how to count the beats and find the chords, to just listening to notes with an open heart and seeing where it takes you. This man was filled with life in the best way, and everyone wanted to be around him because of it.
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
‘Take care of Mother Nature before she strikes’. We’ve all heard this cliché, along with others, from respected and environmental figures; and although we think these ideologies have been embedded into our daily lives, have we truly comprehended the profound meaning of these statements? One may ask, what is the true essence of nature? Well it is simple; nature is humanity’s means of surviving. Mankind’s unique desire for nature is possibly one of the greatest mysteries of life, one that even evolutionary biologists have a hard time understanding. After all, a short walk amidst nature does have a sedative and awe-inspiring impact on our minds – more specifically, a morning walk in the garden.