History of Folk Music in America
"Hillbilly" music grew out of the rich tradition of British folk
ballads, songs and hymns brought to North America by British settlers and
then adapted to the peculiar circumstances, e.g., biographical names, place
names, frontier concerns, of the North American wilderness. It is
important to remember that all of the colonies were British, from Maine to
Georgia. The exact ethnic origins of the south are difficult to determine
and not well documented. The rural south did not attract large numbers of
European immigrants in the great period of immigration (1850-1920);
however, it is certain that by 1920 there had been considerable
intermingling of a few ethnic groups (English, Welsh, Scottish,
Scotch-Irish, German, Czechoslovakian, native Indian and African).
Likewise, the ethnic origin of the music of the southern region is complex.
There were Irish jigs, English and Scottish ballads and folk songs, hymns,
etc. However, as Malone (1985:4) suggests, the end result of the musical
melting pot was a product "more British than anything found in Great
Britain today."
The 1790 census report indicates that the population of the United
States was 60.1% English, 14% Scotch-Irish and 3% Irish. These three
groups made up 78% of the total population. The White Anglo-Saxon
Protestant core culture dominated all of pre-Revolutionary America.
However, for reasons we will examine later, the southern region produced a
white and a black musical tradition which were significantly different from
the rest of the nation.
The British folk ballad is at the heart of the southern musical
tradition. Three outstanding characteristics of the Briti...
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...from the
Middle Ages, used a four, five or six note scale which did not fall within
tradition major or minor scales. The tunes were almost chants which rose
and fell in pitch - usually peaking at the middle of the song and then
diminishing. Instrumentation was usually non-existent and, when present,
not very important to the song. In the U.S., harmony was much more
important. This probably results from the importance of gospel singing.
Sources
Malone, Bill C. Country Music USA: Fifty Year History. Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1985.
Carr, Patrick (ed). The Illustrated History of Country Music.
Garden City: Doubleday, 1979.
Roebuck, Julian B. and Mark Hickson. The Southern Redneck: A
Phenomenological Class Study. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1982.
As the United States entered the 1920's it was not as unified as one might think. Not one, but two societies existed. The Black society, whose ancestors had been oppressed throughout the ages, and the White society, the oppressors of these men and women. After emancipation the Whites no longer needed the Blacks, but were forced to live with them. The Blacks despised the Whites, but even so they became more like them in every way. Even though these two races had grown so similar over the past century and a half, they were still greatly diversified. One aspect of this great diversity was the difference in music trends. The White society was still in love with the European classical music. The Blacks on the other hand had created something all their own. Jazz, Blues, and Ragtime originated in New Orleans in the 19th century, but by the 1920's it had become famous throughout America. The Whites tried to suppress the Blacks with new laws, but the power of this strengthened race was too great. The Negro music of the 20th century had a huge affect ...
-The American people were hungry for new music, so they accepted the independent stations of the majors.
What comes to mind when thinking of the 1920’s? Most people think of the freedom the United States felt after World War I and that is exactly what jazz and the Charleston symbolize (Boundless.com par. 1). Jazz and the Charleston were extremely controversial in the 1920’s because they promoted a new way of thinking, which outraged the older generations (Knowles 160). Older generations did not like the fact that young people were becoming more and more daring with their actions just by playing music and dancing (Boundless.com par. 6). Today, jazz and the Charleston are thought of as out of date, but without them, music today would be completely different. Jazz and the Charleston revolutionized modern music and dance by altering the rhythm of classical music, changing the culture of American society (Boundless.com par. 1).
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
American Exceptionlism is basically the idea that we are different then other countries in the world. Which I believe is false because the U.S has these rules but there not really writing down rules there just like norms that American should have. There are certain attributes that a American should have there are things you should know as a American. Now what am I talking about it could be many things such as knowing who the president is in the big chair in D.C or having a huge truck that can drive up heels. Having the U.S flag out on Memorial Day. So many things can be things that make American. What I want to solely focus on is the idea that country music is what it is to be an American and accepted in the U.S.
Looking at Lord of the Flies by William Golding, readers may notice both good and evil in each character. Golding wrote this novel to demonstrate that humans are evil and requires the constraints of society to maintain social order but Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophy states that a person is naturally good but is corrupted by society. Taking place during World War II, Golding’s novel is centered around a group of British boys between the ages of six and twelve whose plane was shot down and were left to survive on an island. While on this island – away from the laws of England and the rules of the school – the boys had the freedom to act however their hearts desired but most of the boys became savage and violent proving Golding’s belief, that the evil of a person is kept in order by the restrictions of society, to be true. Rousseau’s belief is defined by the term the state of nature, which in this case, is hypothetical.
Appalachian Music Appalachee - people on the other side Folk music - What is folk music? Traditional songs existing in countries. Handed down through generations. Passes on by word of mouth, not written in musical notation. Don't know who wrote it. Melody and lyrics change as they are passed on.
...nt! The hypocrisy of this is although Hester had public humiliation Dimmesdale went through his own. There was no way to get rid of the shame in the end Dimmesdale ended up going through the humiliation in the form of pain."Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and power to sympathized -that many people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by its original signification. They said that it meant "Able": so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" She was able to deal with the society filled with hatred towards her, she was a seamstress and the town accepted her as being good at that. They were able to look past their own hatred for her and realized that she wanted to be there so she could stay there. At the beginning the “A” only stood for Adultery. As the story progressed the society finally started to accept her again through what she did.
The Holocaust, one of the most devastating moments in history. Hitler’s mass genocide of Jews and other ethnicities had left a scar in the world that would never truly heal. During a time of death and destruction, one camp held the title for most fatalities. The Auschwitz concentration camp, one of the most infamous places during the Holocaust with its bloody history forever etched into the mind of its survivors and future generations to come.
Many people see history as a set of facts, or as a collection of stories. The reality, however, is that history is a fluid timeline. Each act of an individual or a group has an effect on others. Each moment in history is a building block that, good or bad, contributes to the stability of the next. This can be seen clearly in American history, as there have been several developments since the 1800’s that have played major roles on the growth of the nation.
way in front when Old Major gave his speech. There was also gloomy music when
Music is an important aspect of every society. Music can tell stories, release emotions, build bridges and break down barriers, but above all music is entertaining. There are various forms of music but not many have as rich a history as gospel music. The importance of gospel music has been relevant in American music for more than a century and its importance to society is still relevant to this day (See Appendix A). Gospel music helped slaves escape to freedom and paved the way for other styles of music. It promotes a spirit of hope and provided an outlet to worship God. So how exactly has Gospel music impacted today’s society?
For centuries, philosophers debating human nature passionately have been all trying to reach a concise conclusion when faced with certain questions; Are we nothing more but civilized savages bearing ill will that lurks beneath the surface? Or do we enter this world as gentle spirits who become lost and corrupt along the way? They are questions that have yet to be answered, yet their themes are still heavily explored throughout human history and appear in many of man kind’s artifacts, such as art and literature. One of these examples lies within the context of Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a story in which a band of young boys survives a plane crash and is marooned on a deserted island without adult supervision. They eventually form together under a chosen chief, named Ralph, and attempt to govern themselves, with ultimately disastrous results. The novel evokes the themes of two philosophers- Thomas Hobbes, who believed that mankind is essentially in a constant state of war and requires laws and government to dictate his behavior, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that men are “noble savages” corrupted by civilization and the laws and government inherent in it. Based on the characters and plot in the Lord of the Flies, Hobbes’ belief is the correct one, as Golding depicts the boys slipping further and further away from civilized behavior and turning into savages.
The beginnings of Jazz are thought to be born at a specific time, but there is more to the birth of jazz. Jazz music was born more or less simultaneously in different parts of the United States and had many sources for its creation. Africans have contributed a lot to the style of making music, free rhythm, and the emotion with which they interpret their folk music that was later transformed into jazz. In the new world they absorbed the harmony and the concept of the Western form and condensed the African and European musical ideas, giving a musical style that can be called African American. Jazz became a type of urban expression that began to take hold in the cafes of New Orleans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
In the play, Webster does not only look at the physical entrapment of the Duchess that her brothers exert on her, but also the trapping of the soul and mentality. The Duchess resembles a beautiful bird that is held in a diamond filled cage. She has access to everything she needs on a materialistic level, but she is denied freedom in any form. Her overbearing brothers are the ones who control her every move and make every decision for her. “And fearfully equivocates, so we are forced to express our violent passions in riddles an in dream…”(1.2.354-357). Her brothers, along with Bosola, are the physical demonstrations of the evil that exists. Ferdinand’s devilish traits are often seen, “He and his brother are like plum trees, that grow crooked over standing pools, they are r...