Music

ASSIGNMENTINFORMATION.PLEASE

READ CAREFULLY AND

ALWAYS CITE.

No copying

off

from the

internet

.

ALWAYS CITE

·

What constitutes American music?

(The first thought that comes to my

mind when I ask this question is that if there were a true American music, it

would have to be that of the American Indians who were the original inhabitants

of this part of the world. T

his is true but as we all know, the European settlers

savagely repressed the Native Americans and so little of their music was

absorbed into the

Eur

o

/American culture.)

It is impossible to answer this question without considering the effect of

Afr

ican traditions on our musical heritage.

Consider this quote from the Czech

composer Antonin

Dvorak, who spent several years in the United States teaching

and conducting concerts of his own music:

“I am now satisfied that the future music of this

country must be founded

upon what are called "negro

melodies". This must be the real foundation of any

serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States."

He was correct of course but I doubt he could ever have imag

ined the

direction and diversity that school of composition would take. The

"negro

melodies" he was referring to are

Negro Spirituals, work songs, field

"hollers" and other such styles that developed in the South during the years of

slavery. These songs a

re a blend of European musical traditions and African

influences and are unique to the United States. They are rooted in the African

American experience of slavery and the continuing struggle for freedom but if

you think they are primarily political in tha

t sense or racially exclusive, consider

another quote for

Dvorak:

"In the Negro melodies of America I discover all that is needed for a great

and noble school of music. They are pathetic, tender, passionate, melancholy,

solemn, religious, bold, m

erry, gay or what you will. It is music that suits itself to

any mood or any purpose. There is nothing in the whole age of composition that

cannot be supplied with themes from this source."

These "Negro melodies"

-

Spirituals, work songs, ragtime

and the blues

-

are

in fact at the heart of what American music has become. Everything from

popular songs to jazz to "rock and roll" owe something to the style and energy of

these songs.

The goal of this paper is to get an understanding the origins

of what has

become, with all due respect to native Americans, a truly American music.

ASSIGNMENTINFORMATION.PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS CITE. No copying off from the internet.

ALWAYS CITE

 What constitutes American music? (The first thought that comes to my

mind when I ask this question is that if there were a true American music, it

would have to be that of the American Indians who were the original inhabitants

of this part of the world. This is true but as we all know, the European settlers

savagely repressed the Native Americans and so little of their music was

absorbed into the Euro/American culture.)

It is impossible to answer this question without considering the effect of

African traditions on our musical heritage. Consider this quote from the Czech

composer Antonin Dvorak, who spent several years in the United States teaching

and conducting concerts of his own music:

“I am now satisfied that the future music of this country must be founded

upon what are called "negro melodies". This must be the real foundation of any

serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States."

He was correct of course but I doubt he could ever have imagined the

direction and diversity that school of composition would take. The

"negro melodies" he was referring to are Negro Spirituals, work songs, field

"hollers" and other such styles that developed in the South during the years of

slavery. These songs are a blend of European musical traditions and African

influences and are unique to the United States. They are rooted in the African

American experience of slavery and the continuing struggle for freedom but if

you think they are primarily political in that sense or racially exclusive, consider

another quote for Dvorak:

"In the Negro melodies of America I discover all that is needed for a great

and noble school of music. They are pathetic, tender, passionate, melancholy,

solemn, religious, bold, merry, gay or what you will. It is music that suits itself to

any mood or any purpose. There is nothing in the whole age of composition that

cannot be supplied with themes from this source."

These "Negro melodies"- Spirituals, work songs, ragtime and the blues- are

in fact at the heart of what American music has become. Everything from

popular songs to jazz to "rock and roll" owe something to the style and energy of

these songs.

The goal of this paper is to get an understanding the origins of what has

become, with all due respect to native Americans, a truly American music.