Final Blog Assignment

American music is a synthesis of multiple genres that all illustrate some aspect of American culture and beliefs. For this reason my presentation would include a wide variety of genres. Many times music in America tends to represent various cultures/ethnicities and even social classes. Often social change can even be documented through the music of the time. In my presentation would include eras that represented huge changes in music. Many times huge changes in music represent huge changes in history. These eras include, 1920s and jazz, folk music and 1950s, and 1970s and hip hop American music and culture can best be understood as an amalgam of numerous genres that describe many cultures and ethnicities. My presentation would also include the historical overview of each drama so that students would get a global view the roots of each drama
The roaring 20’s is an example of a time of great change in American society. The U.S. was recently involved in war and many Americans felt disillusioned at its outcome. Simultaneously, great innovations in the arts and literature were also occurring. Jazz developed during this time and was easily popularized due to its upbeat nature. The improvisation and fast tempo may have represented the need to look toward the future and break from tradition in American society. Jazz was an outlet for many people of the time; to do away with rigid structure and enjoy one’s self.
Listening Examples: Dizzy Gillespie
Billy Holiday
Folk music was another music genre that developed during a time of marked social change in American history during the 1950s and 60s. American folk music, commonly called traditional music, has been described as the music of the people; music that the local population can identify with. It has been said also that folk music is associated with a lower class in societies that are culturally and socially stratified. That is, societies which have developed an elite, and possibly also a popular, musical culture. At times folk music was music that represented oral traditions and for this reason rejected mainstream popularization for quite some time. According to sources, folk music is easily identified with the ordinary working people who created it. Folk singers are often known to comment on social issues of the time and for this reason represent the “music of the people.” Such singers as Joan Baez, Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan began writing "protest music" and topical songs, particularly against the Vietnam War, and likewise expressed in song their support for the American Civil Rights Movement during the 50s and 60s. All in all, folk music mostly represents the heart of American culture in many aspects; the "music of the common people” that has been passed on by memorization or repetition rather than by writing.
Listening Examples: Bob Dylan
Woody Guthrie
Lastly, hip hop would be discussed in my lecture on American music. This genre in particular also was a response to significant social changes for African- Americans in general. It became a form of protest and cathartic expression of many frustrations that existed in black communities. Early hip hop was even credited with helping to reduce inner-city gang violence by replacing physical violence with hip hop battles. Often dominated by African- American males, this form of music also rejected the rigid boundaries (much like folk music) that often characterized European music. Hip hop is in fact a music genre AND a cultural movement developed in urban communities.
Listening examples: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Eminem
American music can be viewed as a story book that documents social change in this country. It is important to understand this fact when listening to American types of music. Many times there is a message behind the song that gives insight into societal beliefs and preoccupations