Episode 1 : The Roots of American Music

I'm discussing the ways that American music came to be shaped by cultural influences and migration.  I will also give a brief biography of five early American composers
who had a significant influence on the creation of different styles of American music. 
They are  Stephen Foster, John Phillip Souza, Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, and W.C. Handy.

Transcript

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How you doing? This is Joe McDonald coming to you from San Diego. Welcome to Music in the Air, my podcast about music and American culture. A discussion of how our music has crossed borders, climbed over walls, and built bridges. This first session begins with the roots of American music. It will also feature a short introduction to five early modern American composers whose influence reflected their own roots and in turn will point out their influences on modern American music. Modern American music continually creates new possibilities for people to create new sounds and find common grounds. American music in particular has grown from disparate roots to form something unique and new, which has in turn spread back to the rest of the world. It gives way to new forms of expression. Modern music is usually categorized by labels such as jazz, rock and roll, country and western, reggae, RB or soul, hip-hop and classical. Though it seems that as soon as a label is given, usually by these scholars or critics, a category morphs into something altogether new. An example is what is referred to as electronic music. It started as a form of avant-garde expression, but snuck its way into jazz, rock and roll, and dance music, and combines styles into something altogether new. As inexpensive electronic equipment becomes more readily available, continues to morph. Most of the world's cultures create some type of music. Culture can be understood as the accepted way of living for particular groups of people. It often includes rules, standards, ideas about spirituality, success, failure, and some sense of community. A culture's music communicates both individual and group expression. It serves as entertainment and at times simply a way to pass the day. Music is a function in many aspects of a culture. It can be heard in everyday life, in gatherings and in religious celebrations. The gospel great sister Rosetta Tharp sang, I hear music in the air, up above my head, up above my head, I hear music in the air, I hear music in the air, and I really do believe. Yes, there's a heaven up there above my head. Music releases the spirit from the intellect and encourages it to sing and dance. Most music makes people want to dance. Dancing makes people happy. It's very hard to be angry when your feet are moving. Although several extremist religious groups frown on dancing, it's easy to picture folks moving their feet when backs are turned. Sharif didn't like it, but they rocked the casball anyways. Many people can relate to the song The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. We can dance if we want to. We could leave your friends behind, because your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well, they're no friends of mine. Music can serve as a method of breaking down barriers or walls between different cultures. It allows us to share our own culture with another and in turn learn about the other. We don't even have to understand the words of another language to enjoy this music. Sometimes either the melody, the rhythm, or combination of both penetrates our senses. The result can be intrinsic and yet enjoyable. Sometimes the listener might not understand why a new music moves them, just that they somehow get it. Sometimes it seems that the body reacts to sound even before the brain can stop it. We like to dance. Music can serve as a gateway to learning about and understanding other cultures. It may allow people from different cultures to see connections and commonalities with their own and dance. The pony, the twist, the peppermint twist, square dancing, break dancing, line dancing, the tango, salsa dancing, hip hop dancing, on and on and on. Just dance if you want to. And if you don't, well. In this way, American music in particular has established a bond with other cultures throughout the world. It's easy to see why, as most cultures had a part in the beginning and growth of America. A famous music writer once stated that American music is the result of the mixing of European melodies and African rhythms. I think this may be too narrow of a viewpoint. Native American, Pacific Islander, and Asian cultures have also played a major part in developing our unique sound. It is extremely important to include the contributions of the Hispanic and Latino cultures as well to our sound. You're listening to Music in the Air. This is Joseph McDonald. Africans were brought to the Americans in bondage. They came from many distinct cultures. Although most African cultures had both musical and vocal traditions, each geographical area influenced how music and singing developed. Sub-Saharan cultures had distinct methods of making rhythms. Different stringed instruments such as gourds and lutes, and even the development of the banjo originated from them. There weren't many trees in the dry desert areas to make drums. There were varied vocal traditions here that were influenced by contact with Arab and Berber traders. In several cultures, a social class of musicians singers known as Grio exist. They have been responsible for keeping the culture's oral tradition alive. They are the storytellers and historians. In the forested areas where wood was plentiful, many different types and sizes of drums were created. These drums were played during religious rituals and social functions. They are even used to send communications. The famous talking drums of West Africa specialized in trading and either welcoming or warning visitors. The interactions between various drummers was a form of talking. Drum beats combined with singing in what is known as call in response. Call in response would become a major form of communication and music in the Americas. So much so that English and American slave owners banned the drum for fear that the messages being sent were dangerous and possibly sending messages about uprising. And occasionally they were right. Spanish slave owners, however, were different. They, for the most part, allowed drums, singing and dancing. Their reasoning was that this would keep their slaves reasonably contented. As a result, different combinations of musical styles developed in the Spanish colonies. Poor whites and Africans often played music together in the countrysides, introducing each other to rhythms and melodies, creating new mixtures of musical sounds like the roomba. The Spanish colonizing of the Caribbean area, in particular Cuba, had a profound effect on the development of American music. They brought their cultures with them, which included singing, dancing, and musical instruments. The migrations to New Orleans had a large influence on the development of jazz. Later migrations to New York helped influence the development of rap or hip-hop music. This is Joe McDonald. You're listening to music in the air. European migrations to North America also brought new forms of music. In particular, the old medieval folk ballads of many cultures traveled along with the people who migrated to America looking for work and a new life. They brought their instruments and songs to remind them of home and to help express them in their new world. The music of the Appalachian Mountain folk, known as hillbillies, has been connected to folk ballads of Europe. Germanic migrations to the Midwest brought accordion music like the polka. In the early 1900s, there was a Germanic immigration from the Midwest to northern Mexico. Playwright Sam Shepard wrote a play called Real Dylan, which featured conversations between him and Bob Dylan, where the singer relates that the music of Minnesota, where he was from, sounds similar to a style of Mexican music he refers to as border music, probably Nortagon, which includes accordion. Native American cultures were singing and dancing to their own groove long before the rest of the world showed up. Several new distinct styles developed during the turning of the 19th into the twentieth century, the most prominent of which were jazz, the blues, country, and several styles of religious music. A form of religious music were spirituals, which equated spiritual release to release from bondage. Stephen Foster, born eighteen twenty-six, died eighteen sixty-four, is often referred to as the father of American music. He composed in the styles of music known as parlor and minstrel. He composed over 200 known songs. Among the most familiar are O Susanna, Old Folks at Home, also known as Swannee River, Camp Town Races, Genie with the Light Brown Hair, Beautiful Dreamer, and My Old Kentucky Home. His family was of Scottish and English descent. He was self-taught on clarinet, guitar, flute, and piano. He studied music under the tutelage of Henry Kleber, who had him study classical composers Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn. Foster briefly attended college, but didn't have enough money to graduate. He returned to his home in Pennsylvania and began composing the songs for which he would become famous. Many of these songs were used in blackface minstrel shows, which were very popular during his life. Later he would turn to writing parlor music, which was usually performed in the parlors of those who could afford to pay for them, particularly for a singer and a pianist. Even though several of his songs had a southern theme, he never really lived there. He was not known to support the abolition movement. Stephen Foster would die at a young age. The manner of his death is controversial, as some historians believe that he accidentally cut his neck in a fall, died of blood poisoning, or may have actually took his own life. Foster's legacy is rather unique. His music was used by early filmmakers because the copyright issues were such that they didn't have to pay to use them. More modern composers have used his songs as the basis for their own compositions. Nevertheless, his music has appeared in many different forms and is still very popular. This is Joe McDonald. You're listening to music in the air. John Philip Sousa, born in 1854, died in 1932, is most widely known for his marches. His compositions include Liberty Bell, Simplified Dellas, and The Stars and Stripes Forever. His father was of Spanish-Portuguese descent, and his mother was of German descent. He is also famous for inventing the sousaphone, which is a tuba type of musical instrument which wrapped around the player's body and made it easy for a marching band musician. As a young man, he learned violin and studied musical composition. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band at the age of 13, where he stayed for seven years learning to play, conduct, and compose music. After a brief career in a theater pit orchestra where he learned how to conduct, he returned to the Marine Marching Band. Now is its director and conductor. He led the band until 1892, when he left and formed the Sousa Band until 1917, when the United States entered World War I. At this time, he re-enlisted and led the Navy Band. After he was discharged, he would often wear the naval uniform during performances for the rest of his life. Scott Joplin, born in 1868, died in 1917. He was the son of two former slaves. He was an American composer and pianist. He has been called the king of ragtime. He composed many ragtime pieces in his life. Among the most famous are Maple Leaf Rag and Entertainer Rag. This became famous in the movie The Sting. He also wrote ballets and operas. Ragtime music is thought as containing a syncopated or ragged rhythm. It was primarily composed on pianos. It originated in African American communities during the late 1800s. It has been described as being closely related to marching music, but created from African polyrhythms. It greatly influenced the development of jazz and the Piedmont style of blues. In addition, European classical composers like Claude Debusset, Igor Stravinsky, and Eric Sati wrote music influenced by ragtime. The music was at its high point from the late 1890s to 1920s. Although Joplin was not the first composer, he was its most famous creator. This is the first African-American music that had a significant influence on American music. Joplin grew up in the African-American community of Texarkana, Texas. He seems to have been a self-taught musician. His family were railway laborers. Joplin often used the railways to travel the south as an itinerate musician. Eventually he settled in Sedalia, Missouri, and made a living as a piano teacher. It was here that he composed Maple Leaf Rag and taught other ragtime musicians like Arthur Mitchell and Brun Campbell. Maple Leaf Rag sold so much sheet music that he had an income for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in creating enough money to produce an opera. This opera, published after he died, became known as Trimonesia. In 1916, Joplin developed dementia as a result of contracting syphilis and passed away. His passing marked the end of Ragtime's popularity until it was revived about 50 years later, again with the help of the sting. This is Joe McDonald. You're listening to music in the air. George Gershwin, born 1898, died in 1937. He was born with the name Jacob Gershwin of Jewish ancestry in Brooklyn, New York. His older brother Ira worked together with him for many years on his music. George would change the spelling of his name from Gershwin to Gershwin when he became a professional musician. As a youngster, he heard a friend playing the violin and became very interested in learning how to play music. Although his brother Ira was given a piano to learn, it was George who actively practiced on it. Another brother, Arthur wrote songs and musicals. George received formal training on the piano as a young teenager. He would quit school at 15 to concentrate on writing songs. He worked recording, arranging, and producing prepared piano roles. Among other compositions, he wrote a ragtime ballad called Rialto Ripples. His first national hit was called Swannee, which was performed by Broadway star Al Jolson. George began collaborating with other composers to create Broadway musicals. In 1924, George composed Rhapsody and Blue, his first major work. It was a piece for piano and orchestra. This would become arguably Gershwin's most famous work. It demonstrated his ability to blend different musical styles, notably jazz and classical. Gershwin wrote a one-act jazz opera, Blue Monday, which was set in Harlem. This piece set the stage for Porgi and Bess, which was first performed in 1935. Gershwin would go on to write quite a few musicals and plays. The mixture of classical and jazz music would become a consistent part of many Gershwin compositions. George Gershwin spent some time in Paris, where he would compose An American in Paris. Although it would receive mixed reviews from critics, it has become an enduring performance piece in both Europe and the United States. His opera, Porgi and Bess, also didn't become an immediate success. Many critics didn't know how to categorize it. The noted theater historian Robert Kimball stated, it crossed the barriers. It is also possible that subject matter set in the African American community of Harlem caused some issues among critics and audiences. This is my favorite version and most definitely worth repeated listenings. In 1937, Gershwin began to suffer coordination problems and blackouts. After he collapsed at a friend's house, it was discovered that he had a brain tumor. Although doctors removed the tumor, George Gershwin died at the age of 38. George Gershwin's ability to blend different styles of music has had a major impact on the creation of modern American music. This is Joseph McDonald. He is known as the father of the blues. He was born in Florence, Alabama, to a very religious family of ex-slaves. His father was a pastor of a small church who believed that musical instruments were tools of the devil. This didn't stop young WC from buying his first guitar. Although his parents weren't happy, they eventually arranged for him to take organ lessons. He would switch to playing the coronet and joined a local band as a teenager. He had to keep this a secret from his parents. He was deeply religious, and his musical style was influenced by the church music he sang. He was also influenced by the sounds of Mother Nature, particularly bird songs. While working at a place called McNabb Furnace, he learned to use his shovel to make music. Handy and other workers beat their shovels against hard surfaces and complex rhythms that formed the basis of his musical experiences. Handy stated that Southern Negroes sang about everything. They accompany themselves on anything they can extract a musical sound or rhythmical effect. In this way, and from these materials, they set the mood for what we now call the blues. Andy became a teacher in Alabama, but discovered that it paid poorly. He started several performing orchestras and taught the musicians to read music. His various bands began to see some success. One band, in particular, traveled widely, including stops in Tennessee, Georgia, Cuba, and Canada. When Handy grew tired of traveling, he settled down for a while in his hometown of Florence. Handy was again hired to teach music, but was dismayed to find that the emphasis was on learning European classical music. Not cool, so he said forget about it. Handy began to travel throughout the South, listening to various styles of black popular music. Much of the music came from the countryside and featured guitars and banjos. He had a remarkable memory which allowed him to transcribe the music he heard. In 1903, while waiting for a train in the Mississippi Delta, Handy overheard a black man playing a steel guitar using a knife as a slide. He recalled this experience as influential in developing his new musical style. Handy took the influences he heard from different performers and dancers and wrote St. Louis Blues in 1914. He would state that when St. Louis Blues was written, the tango was in vogue. I tricked the dancers by arranging a tango introduction, breaking abruptly into a low-down blues. The dancers seemed electrified. Something within them came suddenly to life. An instinct that wanted so much to live, to fling its arms to spread joy, took them by the heels. These were all published. His music was popular with a large section of the American public, which crossed through quite a few boundaries, including racial. He created several musical companies, both publishing and recording, and was very successful. St. Louis Blues became a movie in 1929, starring blues singer Bessie Smith. It played throughout the United States and was very popular. Handy wrote Blues and Anthology, complete words and music of 53 songs. It was his attempt to describe the blues as an integral part of the South and the history of the United States.

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C. Handy would die in 1958 of bronchial pneumonia in New York City. Over 25,000 people attended the funeral in Harlem, and another estimated 150,000 gathered in the nearby streets to pay their respects. His work crossed the boundaries of musical styles and culture. The blues are now seen as a legitimate musical form which has influenced many different aspects of American music and culture. This discussion of WC Handy will serve as the introduction for my next series of podcasts about the blues. All of the musical bits and pieces in this episode were either created by my talented brother John January or borrowed from various public domain sites on the internet. The goals of my podcasts are to share my passion for music and how it has helped to shape a unique American culture. I welcome and encourage any comments, viewpoints, criticisms, and information that you, as a listener, may wish to add or even correct. I say bring it on. Next up, the blues.