Ragtime to Rap

1. Ragtime to Rap A Musical Timeline of American Popular Culture and Social History

2. Why study American Popular Music? • Art reflects life • We can understand more about a culture through studying the popular and folk arts it produces and values. • Popular music reflects how a society reacts to major life events such as war, changes in mores, cultural conflicts, love, marriage, dating, death, politics, technology, space travel… • American Popular Music reflects stages in American development in terms of the meeting and blending of two distinct cultures, African and European. • As America’s diversity increases, other cultural musical influences come into play as well.

3. Introductory thoughts • No one viewpoint or perspective of this area is “correct” • Perspective presented today from standpoint of European Origins • There is a “shameful history” in American Music History in terms of derogatory/demeaning stereotypes perpetuated- • Where are we at now?

4. How to talk about Popular MusicTerms • In order to discuss music as a group, we will need to agree on using a common vocabulary. • The following terms are important: More will be added later • Melody • Harmony • Rhythm • Instrumentation • Vocal • Improvisation

5. Instrumentation • This refers to what instruments are used to play a piece. • Examples- piano, drums, guitar, bass, trumpets, trombones, saxophone, violin, banjo, to name a few. • When you listen to a piece of music, listen to the different types of instruments. Do certain types of music use certain types of instrumentation consistently?

6. Melody- • A succession of musical tones usually of varying pitch and rhythm that has identifiable shape and meaning…You can hum it! • Examples of Melodies- • Twinkle, Twinkle, Silent Night, (piano) • Star Spangled Banner (Whitney Houston) • Modern day- Examples from class?

7. Harmony • Pitches played or sung at the same time that produce chords. • The melody may move in relation to the harmony • Examples of Harmony • Piano demonstration • Listening example: Beatles- Please, Please Me –(LP), • Class demonstrates via singing simple harmonies.

8. Rhythm • Rhythm is “the organization of time in music, creating patterns of long and short durations of pitches to achieve desired degrees of rhythmic energy-the rhythmic impulse.” • Rhythm is how we divide the beat • The basic pulse in music is called “the beat” • It is divided and grouped into units called measures, or in pop music, bars. • Check out how these drummers, “divide the beat!

9. Vocals • The voice is also an instrument, a very special one. • When you listen to music, does the piece have someone singing? One person, a soloist, or many people, perhaps singing in harmony? • How would you characterize the style of vocals? • Is the vocal done by a male, female, or both?

10. Intro to American Popular MusicChapter one, before and beyond • It is difficult to research the early history of popular music as it was orally/aurally transmitted. (Nobody wrote it down) • Recording technology was not yet invented. • It is “elusive and poorly documented” • Vast majority of notated music was religious

11. Chapter oneEuropean origins • Can be traced back to the 12th century- Carmina Burana collection- “compiled by carousing, male university students” • Example played in class Orff: Carmina Burana performance. • Influence of folk songs from the British Isles • Parlor songs- (Old Arm Chair) (show original sheet music) • Vaudeville - • Minstrel shows • .

12. European origins (2) • Importance of Stephen Foster • American Popular Music develops distinctive character through this “shameful chapter of history” • Combined British folksongs, with folk songs from the African American genre for Minstrel shows. • Cultural Perspectives regarding African-American images/stereotypes portrayed in his music-Discuss • “When Bigotry Sang”

13. Birth of Tin Pan Alley • Music was promoted, “aired” by one means, live performance • Lack of radio, phonographs television • Importance of audience plants, or “singing stooges” • Song publishing neighborhood-Tin Pan Alley • Charles K. Harris “After the Ball” • 3/4 time signature “Waltz”

14. Tin Pan Alley Office

15. After the Ball

16. Emergence of An American Style • Cabaret • Floor shows • Sophie Tucker- Sound files- Also CD/pics • Ragtime- Alexander’s Ragtime Band • Irving Berlin- “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (Page 2) • Analyze- using musical terms/listening guide from APM

17. Further Musical Analysis • It Never Entered My Mind (Smithsonian) • I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Smithsonian) • Stardust- Nat King Cole (Smithsonian)

18. American Song and the Media • Changes from live to recorded • Thomas Edison invents the Phonograph • Differences in vocal styles • Crooners and Belters! • Radio-first in 1920 • Late 1920’s Sound film • Al Jolson- The Jazz Singer- class research • Images disturbing/Stereotypes/historical context

19. Further on Technology/Media Impact • Frank Sinatra- considered bridge between Tin Pan Alley and Rock and Roll • Book “The most influential voice of the 1940’s and the most important link between Tin Pan Alley and the rise of Rock and Roll was Frank Sinatra- 1911-1998 “The Chairman of the board”

20. Intro of Television • After WWII –dominant medium for music industry • 1950’s 1960’s Tin Pan Alley began to lose ground (also partly located in Hollywood-films) • Didn’t end abruptly- still crooners out there, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra • 1970’s “Great American Songbook” gone

21. Demise of the Golden Age • No more “Great American Songbook” • Or is there? • Musical experiences now diverse- are there still songs that American Culture as a whole shares? • Golden Age Songs- possibly considered America’s Art Songs- still have ability to capture imagination with their romanticism and sentimentality. • Use in films

22. Final thoughts • No one viewpoint or perspective of this area is “correct” • Perspective presented today from standpoint of European Origins • There is a “shameful history” in American Music History in terms of derogatory/demeaning stereotypes perpetuated- • Where are we at now?