Rock & Popular Music MUSI1530 CONTENTS. Jessica Gahtan

Transcription

1 Rock & Popular Music MUSI1530 CONTENTS Chapter, Listening Exercises, Discussion Questions, Study Questions (Answered, whenever I could); itunes playlist; Lecture notes; Online lecture notes; Summaries

2 Table of Contents itunes Playlist... 3 Chapter 1: Close Listening & Popular Music Appreciation Chapter 2: Musical Theatre, Parlour Songs & Brass Bands Chapter 3: Tin Pan Alley & The Golden Age of Popular Song Chapter 4: The Broadway Musical Chapter 13: Folk Origins & Early Influences Chapter 14: The Emergence of Hillbilly Music Chapter 15: The Growth of Country & Western Chapter 16: Regional Sounds and City Styles Chapter 7: Gospel Sounds and Popular Music Chapter 9: African Origins, Slavery, and Slave Culture Chapter 10: Emancipation, Blues Origins, and History Chapter 6: Tin Pan Alley and the Singer-Songwriter Chapter 11: R&B and the Rise of Rock and Roll Chapter 12: Trans-Atlantic Blues Revival Chapter 18: The Folk Music Revival and the Birth of Folk-Rock Chapter 19: The Counterculture and Psychedelic Rock Chapter 20: Art Rock, Punk, and Their Descendants Evaluation Online Assignments 2 Assignments 20% (2 x 10% each) Online Group Discussions 2 discussions 30% (2 x 15% each) Final test TBA (June 19 th to 21 st ): Essay 30% MC/True False 20% Details Course Director: Matt Vander Woude Campus phone: (416) x77460 OFFICE HOURS: T: 4:305:15 PM (appointment only) Office: 343 Accolade East Moodle//mattvw53@yorku.ca EHours: TW 9:00AM10:00AM On-site Lectures May 6, May 13, May 20, May 27, Jun 3, Jun 10 The website: (it has resources for students + instructors) Page 2 of 63

3 itunes Playlist These links will take you to an imix wherein you will find a list of songs you may wish to download. You do not have to download any or all of these songs however; they have been carefully chosen by the text s author Matt Vander Woude and will significantly add to your understanding and appreciation of the content of North American Popular Music, First Canadian Edition. Enjoy! VOLUME 1 VOLUME 2 This list contains additional songs that are not currently available within itunes but are relevant to the text s content and are worth adding to your collection. TIN PAN ALLEY IN THE ERA OF ROCK AND ROLL Please Mister Postman Marvelletes, 1961 GOSPEL SOUNDS AND POPULAR MUSIC Lined Hymn Untitled Rev. Crenshaw and Congregation, Memphis Bad Boy Keshia Chante, 2004 AFRICAN ORIGINS AND BLUES HISTORY Katie Left Memphis Tangle Eye Berta, Berta Leroy Miller and Prisoners Signifying Monkey Tom Ellis 1966 HILLBILLY MUSIC, COUNTRY AND WESTERN, NEW COUNTRY Lisbon Southern Traditional Singers, 1978 Barbara Allen Emma Dusenbury, 1936 Against the Grain Garth Brooks, 1991 ART ROCK, PUNK AND ALTERNATIVE Love Me Do The Beatles, 1962 Norwegian Wood The Beatles, 1965 Strawberry Fields Beatles, 1967 Obnoxious Husker Du, 1982 Delta Rain Dream Brian Eno, 1980 ELECTRONICA AND HIP HOP Innovator Derrick May, 1996 The Sunshine Underground Chemical Brothers, 1999 Razor Blade Alchohol Suicide DJ QBert, 1999 Page 3 of 63

4 Merchants of Cool Summary Page 4 of 63

5 On-Site/Online Audio Lecture Topics Week 1 (May 6) Music Analysis & Terminology Week 1 (May 6) Mainstream Popular Music Week 2 (May 13) Anglo-American Music Week 3 (May 20) African- American Music Week 4 (May 27) Rock & Roll Week 5 (June 3) Folk Revival; Blues Revival Week 6 (June 10) Progressive Rock Week 6 (June 10) Canadian Music Industry Page 5 of 63

6 Week 1 Music Analysis and Terminology; Mainstream Popular Music Page 6 of 63

7 Week 2 Anglo- American Music Assignment 2: Analyze Justin Bieber s Baby The nature and character of song music hasn t changed much Compare ACDC to Bieber s songs Read Merchants of Cool Article: Start with the documentary (~1h) go through get gist of what he s talking about (cultural industry) then compare with M.o.C. Parlour music what we call popular music today Often came in folios/books most cost effective way for publishers to give out music (best chance for remuneration i.e. getting $$) You d put in an order for Moore, and at home one person would lend their voice and another would play the piano The daughters (females) would carry popular music traditions forward in rising middle class families go to finish school learn to entertain gather on a Sunday or Saturday afternoon after dinner with friends, sing songs to refresh/entertain Popular music reflected popular dances e.g. Waltz Analysis of: Oh Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms (1820) By: Thomas Moore Triple (Waltz) Personal Pronouns think about in the case of Baby by Bieber Romance; Ballad this particular song was intended to be romantic it was meant by Moore as a homage to a sick daughter 13 syllable words (simple word instructions) Iterative (repetitious) rhyme schemes Rhymes 1 and 3 and 2 and 4 is called Quatrain Rhymes 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 are called Couplet Itteration (all start with ph sound, for example) Word uses to make song coherent Most people singing had little training basically had range of an octave Idea: gain quick and easy access composers want you to internalize and sing music music intended for public use Octaves 8 of something Based on simple chord instructions 1920s, Beethoven (near the end of his life), Mendelsson, etc. were creating complex stuff this, by comparison, is VERY different In the parlour, people wouldn t just be sitting, they d get up and dance too Each A bar is 8 bars long, B s are also 8 bars long Pop songs follow an AABA structure. It is called DECAPO ARIA (Decapo is Italian for head, something new, then a return) follows an 8 bar pattern They all have 8 bars in 3 or 4 (different than 4/4) First bracket is A. Second bracket is B and Bold is B and last one is A again. History You heard a lot of music that you d potentially like, and buy at the circus. Moving circuses would go town to town they would conduct entertainment for the town for a week White people would put paint on their face while on stage and joke about black people 1923: Jazz Singer did a joke about black people. Coloring their face in black since they were still enslaved. This was the first talking motion picture dressed in black face, shows how deep into the culture On stage everyone would be arranged in a semi circle and at the head of the circle, an M.C. would direct traffic 1 person on each side would be a different perception of how see black people left: bones; right tambone (played city slicker); they d go back and forth with jokes; every comedic team, there s a straight man and funny man; all the while, skits and animal/song/etc. on stage Page 7 of 63

8 Bamboozle movie The M.C. played a banjo south country music sounding not a native American instrument initially Banya goes all the way back to West Africa / Ghana in order to add an heir of authenticity Thomas DartMouth originator of this form of theatre banjo found its way into what became country/western music MC played the Banjo. Initially it was a Banya and it came from Ghana. Thomas Dactmorta he played the instruments while being dressed up in a black person. Stage name for Thomas was Daddy Rice. Minstrel show Letterman skits kinda show what you see today is an uncorked version of this show talking head show of what it was variety shows Sheet music accompanied with artwork on front page Last Minstral show in Canada 1992 Lincoln Alexander Gov. Gen. of Ontario He s the first black lieutenant government 0 Music under chair play into fantasy that s equal Skads of equally trained musicians perceptions that black no equal = started in minstrel show Masses in the cold ground 1852 controversial Stephen Foster Death of the master if you re a slave and the master dies will you be sad? Look for pop songs characteristics Spelling of words intonating how they think blacks speak social linguistic Rock and Roll songs Before the end of slavery, how are slaves treated? 12 years a slave he dared give the impression that slaves had actual feelings unheard of in minstrel shows at the time 1850: They did not have to publish books anymore instead they started to publish sheet music. Verse chorus follows A(V)B(CH)A(V)B(CH) 1865: End of civil war. Emancipation. End of slavery coincided with end of civil war, emancipated 10 year period looked like government would make good on its promise to blacks who had fought then was taken away (the parcel of land and freedom in exchange for fighting in way) 1880: Arrival of Black Professional Musician Union This was the dominant form of entertainment for Americans. Black people disguised themselves being white (with corks) and made money for performing in front of white people. (Blues/Jazz) 1892: 10 million copies; $23,000 per week Overview 1 Prerock and Roll History They sold 10 million copies of sheet music. They made $23,000 a week. It was an extensive amount of money back then. 1892: Music starts to be getting bigger since population of United States started booming between 1860 and Music industry relied on foreign market as well. Key Dates Chinese developed printing first however moveable was the first by J.Gutenberg. 1556: Any company that wants to sell music had to visit the Stationer s Company. Publisher asked for something return and the queen gave them the right to copy the original document. (Start of copyright law) The money that you achieve from printing comes in the form of royalties. 1565: first Spanish settlement; St. Augusta Florica 1776: American Revolution ended drafted a constitution which served as a legal framework was written over a period of time there s a law that protects people in the eyes of the law for the material that they create. 1790: First law that provide a public good. European countries had Feudalism and that is why America wanted Democracy. Remuneration Page 8 of 63

9 1909: composer didn't receive any money if he recorded on a cylinder. The copyright amendment covered live, mechanical and multiple sections of music. Before you weren t paid for these sections of music. Victor Herbert had dinner at a restaurant and saw musicians play his music but he knew that at this time the law enforced people not to play other people s music unless they paid for it. Composers are allowed to collect money. He decided to create ASCAP, which was the legal muscle for these kinds of situations. 1811: upright piano 1920: first time to sell 1 million copies. (Sheet music). Also first commercial radio in the world. Paramount (film) owned OK records, which was run by Ralph Peer. Hillbilly Music was made by white musician for white audience (mainly white collared) Race Music made by black people for black audience. Didn't matter in the style of the music. Only categorized by the skin color of the musician There was a huge division between race and income, however rock and roll made them come together as one. Biggest Romance Crooner was Bing Crosby Page 9 of 63

10 Week 3: African-American Music Page 10 of 63

11 Week 4: Rock and Roll ( ) Page 11 of 63

12 Week 5: Folk Revival; Blues Revival Page 12 of 63

13 Week 6: Progressive Rock Canadian Music Industry Page 13 of 63

14 Online Video Lectures Introduction Comprehensive History I Comprehensive History II Comprehensive History III Page 14 of 63

15 May 6: Introduction Page 15 of 63

16 May 6: Comprehensive History I Page 16 of 63

17 May 27: Comprehensive History II Page 17 of 63

18 June 3: Comprehensive History III Page 18 of 63

19 WEEK 1 Readings Chapter 1 (1-20) Section 1 (21-64) Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 Page 19 of 63

20 Chapter 1: Close Listening & Popular Music Appreciation Popular music embodies popular culture CULTURE & MUSIC Culture refers to the everchanging values, traditions, social + political relationships, worlds view shared by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that can include a common language, history, social class &/or religion. Culture can be tangible music, food, clothes, holidays, & forms of artistic expression. Subtle attitudes, communication styles, thinking patterns. Music is a (nontime bound) system of meaning (like language) that people use to make sense of their own lives. Culture is fluid all are blends/hybrids Music is a way to understand cultural hybridity and change Jazz, rock, blues, salsa, reggae, hip hop, country are all hybrids Popular music can also act as a political medium can influence our ideas or behaviors about rights, wrong, who is powerful, and what is desirable Popular music can be the voice of change MUSIC IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY A dominant culture is one that s at the center of society and is more powerful than other groups A subordinate culture is one which has less access to power and resources these groups have historically used music to create cultural strength, unity, and self expression under conditions of domination Our dominant culture still reflects eurocentricism or heterosexual male perspectives of the white, middle/upper class Culture and cultured imply appreciation of fine arts as defined eurocentrically, etc. i.e. you re culturally deprived if you didn t go to museums, etc. Recently, people in humanities and social sciences developed new perspectives to move beyond Eurocentric conceptions of culture i.e. the importance of popular culture Popular culture refers to the mass cultural forms of everyday life Western canon the body of cultural knowledge that is said to be important for an educated or cultural person to know is being reexamined People tend to have multiple cultural identities use music to express identities you could be part of the dominant culture in parts of your life (e.g. work) but the subordinate at other times It s important to avoid generalizing/stereotyping because of the destructive consequences associated with that. Both people and music can be stereotyped we aim to understand and respect cultural diversity while avoiding narrow cultural definitions that create stereotypes Each cultural group includes tons of subcultures and unique individuals with different beliefs, values, styles, and musical tastes New immigrants, for example, exist between subcultures Borderlands often generate cultural innovation many musicians between cultures have affected the history of popular music i.e. in N.A. popular music there s often lots of creativity on the part of artists in the face of cultural discrimination and adversity motivated the development of jazz, blues, etc. Borderland experience has also fostered musical crossover which takes places when a song or musician is associated with one style takes on the characteristics of another style and achieves popularity in 2 or more genres (e.g. Pete Escovedo experienced challenges and contradictions of crossing over to get radio airplay) HEARING VS. LISTENING When you hear something you re simply aware of its presence in your environment, like when you go to a restaurant and you only notice that music playing subliminally (Because it s pervasive part of everyday life, ends up making you take it for granted) Page 20 of 63

21 To be listening you need to have a higher level of involvement more attention than hearing expand awareness and understanding, learn to listen CAREFULLY Although everyone has certain preconceptions, we need to keep an open mind when exploring unfamiliar music EXPLORING MUSICAL TASTES Music has existed for as long as anyone can remember it s listened to because people want to relax, worship, party, relive memories, dance, express identities, to feel good, etc. Different factors affect our musical tastes: (1) family preferences our parents preferences, musical memories from childhood; (2) religion people develop an attraction to music through spiritual practices; (3) where we live significant musical differences remain among nations, cultures and religions; (4) education because it affects our exposure to different musical styles; (5) friends you don t want to tell your friends you like an artist that they don t (i.e. J.Beibs) How often do you listen to music for music s sake and not as background music? Where do you listen to music (work, live, church, parties, shower, etc.)? Obviously there s a huge difference between a live performance and listening to a recording Advancements in sound reproduction notably the introduction of digital technologies in the 1980s vastly improved the fidelity of recorded music, but hearing live music is still worth the effort recordings simply can t duplicate the experience of being with the person who is creating the music DEVELOPING A POPULAR MUSIC VOCABULARY Rhythm Rhythm refers to the arrangement of time in music. Composed of 4 elements: 1. Beat key feature of the rhythm of popular music it s the element that makes us feel the music and move to it underlying pulse of the rhythm Lots of musicians still use Italian terms to describe music; this reflects that there s still a European influence on much of our musical language 1. Tempo speed of the beat how quick or fast musicians play; in popular music it s consistent throughout song (for dancing purposes); to retard is to slow down tempo at end of song; rubato signals that music is to be played in a relaxed, less strict rhythm 2. Measure a consistent grouping of beats in time; each measure generally contains the same number of beats throughout it s possible to change metre midway through a tune, few contemporary popular styles do this i.e. go from waltz to march 3. Metre the way beats are grouped or number of beats per measure; The waltz uses a triple metre (3/4 time threefour time ) triple metre waltzes were pretty popular at the end of the 19 th century For the past ~50 years most popular music has been written in a pattern known as quadruple metre or four/four (4/4) time The backbeat is one of the most powerful fourbeat rhythms of North American popular music It emphasizes beats two and four It s popular in music with African cultural roots like now it s found in funk and afrocaribbean music Syncopation describes rhythms that place the accent off the expected beat pre1950s the back beat was a easy form of basic syncopation, as popular music has evolved, the back beat became so common that it was just like expected. The creation of a rhythm accent that occurs off the expected beat thus depends on the musical instruments the listener knows simpler definition of syncopation placement of rhythmic emphasis on the weaker part of a beat Melody A melody is a succession of notes of pitches that seem to relate and which express a musical thought; it can be simple or complex; it is often what people distinguish between songs; a melody s musical strength determines whether a song will be popular; Culture influences how we interpret a melody we respond more positively to a culturally familiar melody than one which is unfamiliar Page 21 of 63

22 Melodies don t exist in isolation an exciting rhythm, for example, interacts powerfully with a simple arrangement of pitches You can use melodic intervals the distances in pitch b/w 2 notes to construct a good melody A hook is a catchy melody, rhythm, or lyric that we can t forget no matter how hard we try, they re often found in a song s chorus; a song can have more than 1 hook. Lyrics Words or vocal sounds in musical compositions They help listeners derive an emotional connection to a given song Lyrics and melody often go hand in hang becoming intertwined in our memory Popular songs are full of grunts, moans, nonsense words (e.g. the hook of Tutti Frutti Little Richard) and sacred sounds. The improvised nonsense syllables in vocal jazz are called scat singing. In Native American music you can often hear vocables which are words with no definitive linguistic origin. Being able to write lyrics reflects the ability of a person to use language rhythmically and poetically E.g. of songwriting teams: That wrote many of Broadway s greatest shows: Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II, George & Ira Gershwin. Motown era (1960s) is very much owed to Lamont Dozier & Brian & Eddie Holland Rock in the late 1960s saw a shift to singersongwriters (i.e. Bob Dylan) Rap & Hip hop often drop the use of melody altogether and emphasize the rhythm of the spoken lyric instead the roots: West African griot or tribal story teller Early history of rural blues in N.A. includes many story songs performed in a halfsung, halfspoken style other echoes of the African spoken word tradition occur in the work of R&B legend Louis Jordan (1940s) Language whether to use English or Spanish influences the song s acceptance. Until recently, there weren t many nonenglish songs that experienced commercial success. Latin artists need to decide whether to sing in the dominant language in the U.S. (English) which would result in wider recognition & sales but alienate the artist s Spanishspeaking fan base Selena, a Chicano superstar, performed exclusively in Spanish though her first language was English Early 21 st century showed signs of increasing acceptance of bilingual songs e.g. J.Lo, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera In 2000 first Latin Grammy Awards showed a significant step towards commercial viability of Spanish language artists Harmony 1. Two or more musical notes produced or sounded at the same time Most familiar definition Monophonic describes the sound of a single unaccompanied melody Homophonic describes the same melody performed with simple harmonic accompaniment Polyphonic compositions are those which contain a more complex harmonic structure than homophony it s one where different melodies and rhythms interlock e.g. Row, row, row your boat Aka a counterpoint 2. The underlying chord structure of a song or piece of music A chord is a group of 3 or more notes sounded simultaneously or melodically Most Western European music contains this sense of harmony but there are exceptions like some folk songs (monophonic performed by solo voices or instruments with one melody & no harmony) European classical music relies on more complex harmonies N.A. popular song styles rely on simpler harmonies Earliest influences on harmony in N.A. popular culture were English parlour songs, church hymns and folk music from the early 19 th c. Birth of jazz > larger range of harmonic possibilities Not everyone finds more complex harmonies to be appealing that s why simple structures still dominate popular music in Canada & the U.S. Page 22 of 63

23 3. Study of the overall musical structure within a composition, genre, or style Tone & Texture The sonority of a particular piece of music, or its overall tonal texture affects the music s impact Tone has 4 main parts: 1. Pitch how high or low a given note sounds 2. Timbre the unique quality of the sound produced by a specific instrument or voice sometimes called tone color 3. Duration how long a tone lasts 4. Dynamics changes of volume within a piece These parts combine in complex ways produce a variety of responses in listeners New technologies continue to stretch the range of tonal possibilities through the production of electronic sounds that stretch our ideas of what is aesthetically acceptable A person s cultural background will partly determine which tones and related timbres will appeal to the listener i.e. traditional African musical aesthetics value the alteration of the timbre of an instrument or voice, while European aesthetics generally value purity of sound N.A. popular music is broadening it s early Europeanderived musical aesthetics to encompass other aesthetics like African Texture is the overall timbre created by a variety of instruments or voices producing musical sounds in a performance direct result of instrumentation the choice of instruments used in a performance You can thicken the texture of a composition by adding more instruments or voices resulting sonority & blending of any specific instrumentation can dramatically affect the listening experience Improvisation Improvisation is the spontaneous creation of musical ideas it s done on the spot Done all over the world Central in NA popular music Can occur in a solo performance or in a larger musical ensemble for the latter, it s usually an improvised solo or melody spontaneously composed by a single musician based on the harmony implied by the chord structure of the song being played Doesn t happen in a vacuum needs to make sense in terms of the surrounding chord structure, musical style of song being played combo of thought & emotion; it s an important means of individual self expression Defining element of jazz also occurs in other styles though Form Form refers to the organizational structure of a musical composition In NA popular music, it s not complicated songwriters rely on a few forms European = really complicated Verse/chorus with melodic sections that repeat throughout the song. A verse is usually a lyric statement that tells a story; each verse of a song presents new info to the listener while following a similar melodic structure. A chorus is a new lyric & melodic statement, following the verse, that s often repeated periodically throughout the song use of repetition causes it to become the hook of a song. This form originated in the verse/refrain patterns in AngloCeltic folk music. 32bar form example of voice/chorus; dominated Broadway & tin pan alley for the first half of the 20 th century. Eightmeasure verse (A) followed by a melodically identical eightmeasure verse (A) containing new lyrics. Then, an eightmeasure chorus (B) occurs followed by a final eightmeasure verse (A) that may contain new lyrics or a restatement of an earlier verse. (Sometimes called an AABA structure. The B serves as a bridge or release a transitional passage that connects two musical passages of greater importance Much African American influenced music often relies less on the use of the chorus and more on repeated melodic and rhythmic themes repeated, open ended structures (sometimes called a Page 23 of 63

24 groove, a riff, or a vamp) are often used in R&B, hiphop, funk, rock, and jazz to form groovebased tunes The traditional form of the blues blends the verse/chorus song form with the groovebased approach The standard 12 bar blues is written in 3 phrases of 4 measures each, and the form can be repeated many times without the use of a chorus The Rhythm Section The rhythm section drum set, acoustic or electric bass, guitar, and piano or keyboard serves as a rhythmic anchor Swing era/ Jazz played a central role in the rhythm section s development Many variations to the instruments that reflect changing cultural influences i.e. Latin percussion (timbales, conga drums, bongo, guiro, claves, and cow bell) in salsa and Latin jazz; also, the accordion is a defining component of Tejano and conjunto music. Rock usually 2 or more guitars and sometimes no keyboard. Development of rhythm section strong African roots though the instruments didn t originate in Africa, the way they now function reflects African rhythmic aesthetics Jazz emerged in the early 20 th c. King of swing bandleader and drumming legend Chick Webb 1930s The Drum Set The trap drum set (drum set, trap set) was a uniquely NA invention, developed into a sophisticated set of interconnected percussion instruments Started around turn of 20 th c. when drummers started playing more than 1 drum at once Drums used in trap set originally part of the traditional marching band percussion section: bass drum, tom tom, snare drum, and cymbals. The use of a foot pedal connected to a mallet for the bass drum and the invention of the high hat (cymbal) enabled one drummer to play 4 instruments at once. Motor rhythm a constant beat played at a consistent tempo African rhythmic influences, increasing dominant in trap drumming Marching band initially European style developed into jazz in New Orleans in the early 20 th c. by taking on African influences Piano Central role in popular music since early 19 th c. Before rhythm section, piano harmonic and rhythmic support for most popular music Ragtime was a highly rhythmic, percussive solo piano music that fed into the evolution of jazz and popular song. Early 20 th c. used as the principal chord making instrument in the early rhythm section and piano styles in most popular genres evolved throughout the century Invention of the electric piano and the keyboard synthesizer in the 1960s and 1970s further transformed the sound of the rhythm section Eventually (through electronic sampling technologies) the electronic keyboard developed the capacity to replicate the sound of almost any instrument Guitar Primary instrumental icon of NA popular music Turn of 20 th c. only minimal role in the rhythm section prominence in folk music was already established invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s stylistic innovations began to take off Birth of rock in the 1950s took center stage, transformed the sound of the rhythm section Both the piano and guitar can work as the lead or melody instrument share role of keeping time as rhythm instruments by playing coordinated riffs or chords The Bass Anchors the rhythm section Early jazz & traditional concert band music often used tuba for bass parts b/c it was louder than the unamplified string bass Page 24 of 63

25 Early rudimentary string bass piece of catgut or wire connected to a washtub and a long bendable poly Improvements in amplification technology caused the bass to become much more important during the 20 th c. Acoustic string bass and the electric bass guitar and now the most prevalent bass instruments in NA popular music Role of bass varies, depending on the style of music often emphasizes the bass not or root of each chord, using these notes in a rhythmic way to build a groove Listeners FEEL bass as much as HEAR it The acoustic bass = preferred instrument for acoustic styles like straightahead jazz or folk music, while the electric bass guitar dominates rock, country, and R&B LISTENING EXCERCISES 1. Hank Williams: Your Cheatin Heart (sadness & loss) 2. Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain (Resistance and affirmation of identity) 3. Louis Jordan: Saturday Night Fish Fry (Humor & community) Page 25 of 63

26 Chapter 2: Musical Theatre, Parlour Songs & Brass Bands Religious music earliest form of music that European settlers played in the New World E.g. We Gather Together Thanksgiving song from Netherlands to New Amsterdam Religious music fast tempi and in unison so god will not have trouble understanding Not much new music during U.S. revolution National Copyright Act in 1790 hundreds of new songs In 1800 music publishing began in Canada, difficulties began Due to the small population in larger cities, high costs to print (no economy of scale), publishing was a tertiary activity (behind distributing foreign music and selling musical instruments, esp. pianos- since where were more profitable) 1867: Publishers boasted a catalogue of 600 titles by homegrown and foreign producers 1859 First Canadian copy right notice for Canadian National Air Efforts to build Canadian market were continually stymied by the effects of technological change and by the realities of small market economics ENGLISH, IRISH, SCOTTISH, & ITALIAN INFLUENCES British composers wrote many of the popular songs in N.A. in the late 18 th c. They were meant to be used in London s pleasure gardens (=private parks featuring arbors, fruit trees, mineral springs, tea gardens, fireworks, and music) or in ballad and comic operas. As gardens (like Brit model) sprung up in NA composers often wrote love songs filled with rustic images basis for parlour songs (a style that lasted for almost a century in England and abroad Broadside ballads witty, ribald, topical verses that used everyday vocab usually sung to popular folk melodies, printed quickly and song cheaply i.e. Yankee Doodle Ballad operas was musical theatre that used spoken English dialogue and songs i.e. the Beggar s Opera (1728) which featured a stage packed with criminals and street life rather than the kings featured in grand opera; Rosina by William Shield and No Song, No Supper by Stephen Storace (Both BR composers) were performed in Halifax in 1791; this style was often written to lampoon society it was a precursor of the musical comedies of Gilbert and Sullivan (which was pop in NA musical theatre during the late 19 th c.) Theatre de Neptune (Written by Marc Lescarbot) was the first theatre spectacle in the New World, produced in 1606 as a welcome celebration for Baron de Poutrincourt, Lieutenant Governor of Port Royal, Canada. It presented a case of settlers and local Aboriginal performers. The presentation, known as an entrée royale or reception, generally involved mimed scenes, some verse and music. By 1810 approx. 100 opera performances had taken place in Halifax, Quebec City, and Montreal Opera 1820s growing interest in the Italian opera appealed to a wide audience. When opera emerged in the 16 th c. it opened new possibilities for dramatizing words set to music through introduction of characters and plot Bel canto ( beautiful singing ) accompanied opera this style emphasized a clear understanding of vocal technique to produce a beautiful sound that was equally effective in the parlour or on the grand operatic stage 1825 Rossini s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (the Barber of Seville) was the first Italian opera produced in NY. Although the genre was initially greeted with enthusiasm, it was not well accepted until the introduction of English translations Once an English version of Rossini s La Cenerentola (Cinderella) was performed in NY in 1832, it made its way to other NA cities (like Montreal in 1841) where it stimulated demand for sheet music adaptations of this and other popular operas, including Mozart s Magin Flute and Don Giovanni and Verdi s Rigoletto and Il Trovatore. Due to the increasing popularity of operas, the late 19 th c. witnessed the construction of dozens of seat venues in communities throughout NA Canada s first opera house was built in Quebec City in 1764 Page 26 of 63

27 In 1860, the next two Crystal Palaces were built: St. Patrick s Hall in Montreal and Shaftsbury in Toronto Piano Industry Growth in popularity of opera and sheet music coincided with the emergence of the NA piano industry st CDNmade piano Soon, 17 piano manufacturers existed in Quebec City, Montreal, and Toronto, and numerous retail branches dotted the cities of Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver With the rise of recorded music and radio during the 1920s, the fortunes of Canada s piano industry of 5,000 workers went into an irreversible decline eventually dragged down with it the undersized market for sheet music OPERETTA 1870s/80s Operetta European musical theatre style which blended: plot, music, lyrics, dance and an integrated story 1850s Opera bouffes (comic operas) written by German composer Jacques Offenbach Next 2 decades: William Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan (two Brit composers) followed with a light and humorous style of operetta that became popular on both sides of the Atlantic with works like: H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and the Mikado. Victor Herbert ( ), an Irish immigrant, was the first successful American composer of Operetta. He composed over 40 operettas, blending the wit and syncopation of American popular song with the European operetta to produce works like: Babes in Toyland. American and European operettas were popular until the beginning of WWI, when a wave of patriotic enthusiasm caused a backlash against works seen as foreign MINSTRELSY Minstrelsy emerged around 1830 and reached its height between 1850 and 1870 with variety show performances based on crude stereotypes of African Americans For close to 4 decades it was the most important form of theatrical entertainment White actors performed in blackface, a makeup style in which the face was darkened with burnt cork and exaggerated facial features like large lips and big eyes were drawn Black artists also performed in minstrelsy In early 20 th c. black minstrelsy shows served to disseminate early blues It was an early example of the appropriation and adaptation of African American music by whites a pattern that would continue in NA for 170 years what were then called Negro Songs were being presented in blackface in NY theatrical productions sometimes b/w the acts of plays or operas Thomas Daddy Rice The father of American minstrelsy An actor from NY Created a character called Jim Crow (a disabled black stable hand who moved with a shuffle) The songs sang by Rice belonged to the folk traditions of Southern slaves (according to historian Eileen Southern), but he changed the words in order to disparage the black and man and his life style Zip Coon Another minstrel character during the same period Popularized in a song whose melody resembled that of Turkey in the Straw An African American city slicker who made imperfect attempts to imitate white city folk The two contrasting characters (Zip Coon City Slicker; and Jim Crow the country bumpkin) established the character foundations for the minstrel show, as well as stereotypes that lasted for over a century Page 27 of 63

28 Well into the 1950s, laws that enforced segregation in the South were called Jim Crow laws and the word coon persisted as a racist term The Shows 1830s Minstrel performances developed into fulllength variety shows 1840s two most famous minstrel troupes, the Virginia Minstrels and the Christy Minstrels began The Christy Minstrels performed on Broadway for 10 years formalizing the minstrel show genre; cast members stood or sat in a semicircle around an interlocutor who dressed in formal attire and acted as MC. He bantered with two end men, Mr. Bones, who rattled bones, and Mr. Tambo, who played the tambourine. Shows opened with a chorus and grand processional, followed by jokes, dialogue, songs, sketches, and instrumental numbers Ethiopian delineators referred to the fact that the performers spoke and sang in poor imitations of black English dialect Instrumentation consisted of many of the same instruments associated with plantation life: banjos, fiddles, tambourines, and bone castanets Later minstrel shows incorporated wind band instrumentation as well as guitars and mandolins Origins Still disagreement about the origins of minstrel songs Composers claim that their music was based on slave songs heard on plantations By the time the music reached the stage, original elements were changed and clear influences of English, Irish, and Scottish Folk songs could often be heard For many white Americans, minstrel music was linked to patriotism, its popularity reflected an attempt to fashion an new American musical identity the rejected the sentimentality of BR parlour songs As historian Ken Emerson observed, a shared feeling of superiority to blacks was one of the few things that unified a nation of immigrants, many of them more recent arrivals than the African Americans they mocked. Minstrel music may have also served as a vehicle to express nostalgia for an imagined simpler rural life amid early industrialization of to discuss forbidden topics like race, class, sex, money, and violence America s greatest popular songwriter of the 19 th c., Stephen Foster, wrote extensively for minstrelsy, including popular tunes Old Folks at Home, Oh! Susanna, and Camptown Races. Minstrelsy pervaded American popular music well into the 20 th c.: The Jazz Singer (1927), the first motion picture with sound, featured popular entertainer Al Jolson performing in blackface PARLOUR SONG AND PATRIOTIC SONGS Irish Influence In Ireland, there was economic hardship and British political repression, so a huge number of Irish immigrants came to NA beginning in the first decades of the 17 th c. By early 19 th c. hundreds of thousands of Irish had settled in all parts of NA bringing with them a rich oral musical tradition and an appetite for songs by: Thomas Arne, James Hewitt, and Irishborn, Thomas Moore. Thomas Moore Following his visit to NA in 18034, Moore wrote A Canadian Boat Song (1805) which was the first popular song reference to Canada by name The composer, whose songwriting style reveals a blend of folk balladry and art song, published Moore s Irish Melodies in 1808, a collection of songs that sold an estimated 1,500,000 copies during the 19 th c. It included wellknown pieces like Tis the Last Rose of Summer and Oh, Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms The vernacular nature of Irish music lent it directness and passion, and many of the songs were written in first person, directly describing the rich emotions from a personal point of view Page 28 of 63

29 Although Moore s collection predates the Tin Pan Alley era by ~90 years, his compositional techniques became the template for writing popular songs for the next 200 years Music Lyrics One Octave Melodic Range Romance Themes 24 Bar Phrases Alliteration Basic Harmony (IIVV) Repetitive Rhyme Schemes (Quatrain, Couplet) Simple Accompaniment Symmetric Rhythms Repetitive Forms Personal Pronouns 8Bar 123 Syllable Words ABAA (Da Capo Aria) ABAB (Verse/Chorus) Dance Music Current Metric/Rhythmic Patterns Scottish Influence Robert Burns collaborated on the production of the Scots Musical Museum (1787) an anthology of Scottish songs similar to Moore s Irish Melodies It included wellknown works like Auld Lang Syne and Comin Thro the Rye, which later became popular as a gospel song The Blue Bell of Scotland, (published in 1800) was the most popular Scottish song of all time Parlour Songs Parlour songs were sentimental ballads that spoke of life, home, hearth, and family; they prevailed in the 19 th c. American pop music Home, Sweet Home (1823) was one of the most popular songs of all time, exemplified the style with its familiar lyrics: Be it ever so humble, there s no place like home. Sentimental appeal of the style was summarized by historian Denes Agay: These audiences it seems loves pathos, and craved teardrenched sentimentality. They were deeply moved by Lily Dale, Rosalie, The Prairie Flower and the entire sorority of young maidens who shared a curiously similar fate; they died young, and were resting in a flowery vale, in a Fadeless Bow r under the mournful branches of the weeping willow or amidst other heart breaking or picturesque scenery. Demand for parlour songs few apace with the piano industry as the piano increasingly became an essential component of middleclass homes in the 19 th c. Because recording technology was only a fantasy at this time, live performances were the only music available, and parlour song sheet music fit the bill for performance on piano in the home Civil War The U.S. Civil War ( ) left a rich musical heritage As late as the 1909 the bulk of an anthology of American patriotic songs called Heartsongs still centered on Civil War songs. John Brown s Body, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, and Battle Hymn of the Republic came from the North Dixie and Bonnie Blue Flag came from the south Music played a key role in the war As one Virginia soldier wrote, We are on 1 side of the Rappahannock, the enemy on the other. Our boys will sing a Southern song, the Yankees will reply by singing the same tune to Yankee words. On another night before the Battle of Murfreesboro, a Northern band played Yankee Doodle, a southern band responded with a Southern tune, and then both bands played Home, Sweet Home together. The next day thousands were slaughtered in battle Dixie, the southern patriotic song was originally written for NY minstrel shows by Dan D. Emmett in 1859, but soon became a Southern anthem Page 29 of 63

30 Aura Lee, another southern song, was written in 1861, and remained popular for over a century in several versions: (1) first, original form; (2) then, adapted as Army Blue (a traditional West Point song); (3) popularized again in 1956 by Elvis Presley with new words as Love Me Tender Canada & Patriotic Songs In Canada there were not as many patriotic songs but that doesn t mean they weren t as important James P. Clarke ( ) emigrated from Scotland to Toronto in He was an accomplished organist and choral director and wrote numerous patriotic songs, including The Wild Stream Leaps, The Maple Leaf, and Songs of Canada. First music U of T an the first to earn its Bachelor of Music degree The Maple Leaf For Ever (1867) was written by Alexandre Muir ( ) he was a school principal, songwriter, and poet who lived in Newmarket, Ontario. It s one of several songs written by the amateur musician to commemorate Canada s Confederation in 1867 O Canada first approved by Parliament of Canada in 1967 and later installed as the national anthem in It was composed by AdolpheBasile Routhier (lyrics) and Calixa Lavallee (music) in Quebec City in May 1880 It was initially sung only in Quebec, O Canada eventually spread across Canada in a variety of English and French versions. Stompin Tom Connors (1936 ) was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He was inspired by his mother s singing of Wilf Carter (Ch.14) songs to him at an early age, Connors almost single handedly created from his own hardlived experiences the largest \and most identifiable collection of patriotic ballads about Canadian lives, places, and activities. (There s an excerpt on pg. 29 of textbook) Some of Connors betterknown songs include Bud the Spud, The Black Donnellys, Sudbury Saturday Night. And the most frequently heard song in National Hockey League arenas, The Hockey Song, Connors was fiercely nationalistic He opposes the system which allows CDN artists who live and conduct business in the U.S. to be nominated for Juno Awards in Canada In 1978, he returned 6 Junos in protest of the practice PARLOUR SONG COMPOSERS Henry Russell Henry Russell ( ) was the 1 st major NA composer of parlour songs, as well as the country s foremost popular songwriter prior to Stephen Foster Historian Charles Hamm describes Russell as an Englishborn Jew who studied music in Italy, moved to Canada and then the U.S., and composed music in an Italian style with nostalgic, Irish influenced lyrics. Russell s best known songs were Woodman Spare That Tree (1837) and The Old Arm Chair (1840) The simple and accessible melodies accompanied lyrics that covered common parlour song themes: home, parents, lost innocence, old friends, and nostalgia for youth Stephen Foster Oh! Susanna, Old Folks at Home ( Way Down upon the Swanee River ), and Camptown Races, display how Foster developed a uniquely American style of songwriting that established a new tradition in popular song He was the most important American popular songwriter of the 19 th c. He composed over 200 songs in his lifetime His work retained sufficient appeal into the 21 st c. to win a 2005 Grammy for a traditional folk album Minstrelsy, Bel Canto, Irish Folk songs, and the musics of other immigrant communities all influenced Foster s songwriting style Many of the composer s best songs included memorable hooks, and his position, as American s greatest songwriter remained unchallenged until the birth of Tin Pan Alley in the late 19 th c. Page 30 of 63

31 Foster s earliest successes rhythmic minstrel songs he wrote 20 such, most with lyrics that are offensive by contemporary standards As his career progressed, Foster became concerned at the crude, racist nature of he songs He had his name deleted from some and revised others to portray African Americans in a more sympathetic and humanistic light, which he than called plantation songs He also eventually dropped the use of Ethiopian dialect a stereotyped imitation of African American speech Foster s first hit, Oh! Susanna, was published in 1848, and over the next 15 years he composed prolifically Famous parlour songs he wrote included: Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and Beautiful Dreamer. A lasting quality of Foster s music was his abilty to humanize the characters in his songs, as African American abolitionist Fredrick Douglass commented: They are heart songs, and the finest feelings of human nature are expressed in them. Lucy Neal, Old Kentucky Home, and Uncle Ned can make the sad heart as well as the merry and can call forth a tear as well as a smile. They awaken sympathies for the slave, in which antislavery principles take root, grow, and flourish. BRASS BANDS AND WINDBANS Wind band music was one of the most popular music styles in NA from the Civil War through the early 20 th c. Although wind ensembles existed in the European classical tradition as Harmony bands, they were usually made up of small ensembles of oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons A new instrument called the keyed bugle was developed in 1810 was a technical breakthrough that fostered the formation of allbrass ensembles a new kind of wind band, the brass band, that could play outdoors or in other setting s inhospitable to chamber music Invention of the valve cornet (1825) was another step in the development of brass instruments that were durable, reliable, and easy to play, and the wind bass movement was soon launched Frank Johnson Early wind band innovator African American composer/cornetist As early as 1812, he was leading an integrated band and playing concerts in Philly, and he subsequently performed throughout the NE, composing over 300 pieces in his lifetime Nationally Recognized Bands Children of Peace & Hope (1820), Sharon Ontario, & the Boston Brass Band (1835) became a model for community ensembles around the continent Start of the U.S. Civil War (1861) provided further impetus, and by 1900, almost every community had a band that played for weddings, funerals, picnics, and parties providing entertainment in an era before records, movies, or The peak of the band movement in 1910, the U.S. had more than 40,000 bands, with over a million members In the days before electronic amplification, the visceral impact of a large wind band was powerful, as composer/bandleader John Philip Sousa noted: We were marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. On the reviewing stand were President Harrison and an immense number of guests. I had so timed the playing of our march that the trumpet theme would be heard for the first time, just as we got to the front of the reviewing stand. Suddenly ten extra trumpets were shot in the air, and the theme was pealed out in unison. Nothing like it had ever been heard there before. John Philip Sousa The March King Composed some of America s most popular wind band music Page 31 of 63