Evolution Of American Music

588 Words2 Pages

“Music is the universal language of mankind”.- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Since the beginning of time, music has played an important role in everyday life. Music is used to create stories, make history, spread religion, and pass time. In the times of slavery, African Americans used music to pass time and forget about their problems for a while. During the 70’s hippies used song lyrics as a method of protest. Without music, America would not be as culturally developed and artistically modernized. In the 1900’s music became a popular trend in America. Genres such as folk music, opera singing and ballads became a popular trend during this time. Music stores opened and began to sell sheet music and it was instantly a hit. Song pluggers, which was another name for musicians, carried around piano’s in horse carriages to play for the public’s delight. On Saturday nights, barber shop quartets performed on the streets. Movies and Broadway began to use music in their productions. In 1903, radio’s began to play music which inspired the hand cranked victrola. Ballroom dancing became a pop...

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