The Musical Culture of Black Americans

1. The Musical Culture of Black Americans An Interactive Lesson by Ken Sockwell Work Songs Blues and Jazz • Overview • Standards • Assignments • Credits • Websites • Contact Info Popular Gospel

2. Overview Note: You will need internet access and the ability to listen to mp3 and Real Audio files to complete this lesson. Probably more than any other ethnic group, Black Americans have impacted our society with their culture and their music. From work songs, to blues, jazz, gospel, rock and rap, Black musicians have seasoned the melting pot of the United States with music that touches the heart and soul of all people. Collage created by Ken Sockwell

3. Work Songs This genre began with black slaves. Generally, the songs were “call and response” and sung while the workers were toiling in fields. Therefore, it is mostly unaccompanied and its composers are unknown. Roots are the African Work Song. This genre led to the “Blues.” Task: Follow this link and listen to this example of a work song (Real Audio.)

4. Blues and Jazz The work song led to the blues, which is generally a 12 measure form with AAB lyrical format. The topic is usually about how bad things are. Blues are usually accompanied by one or more instruments and often have improvised instrumental verses. Bessie Smith, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King are several well known Blues artists Task: Follow this link and listen to this example of the blues by Muddy Waters (mp3.) Also, read more about the blues here. To Jazz

5. Blues and Jazz - Continued Jazz is thought to have started in New Orleans around 1890. This early Dixieland music had a two beat, similar to the march. However, by the 1920’s its meter evolved into four. Chicago, New York and Kansas City became centers for jazz development. Big Band music dominated the 1940’s. The fifties saw cool and beat jazz develop, which were more intimate styles. The sixties gave birth to fusion, which was a combination of rock and jazz. Jazz, like the early work song, was an expression of the black condition of the day. Task: Listen to “Stormy Weather” by Ethel Waters and Duke Ellington. Also, read more about Jazz history here.

6. Black Gospel:The birthplace of Rock Slaves were initially not allowed to practice any religion as they were considered to be without souls. As Afro-Americans were allowed to convert to Christianity, the same “call and response” style that dominated the work song became praise to God. It is characterized as emotional with a wide vocal range. Major artists associated with gospel music include Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, and the Soul Stirrers. Gospel eventually led to the birth of “Rock and Roll.” Task: Listen to The Southern Sons and read more about Gospel Music history here.

7. Black Popular Music Rock music was first performed by black musicians in the early 1950’s. These early artists are said to have had a major influence on many other musicians, including The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Some major black popular musicians are Run DMC, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Several other Afro-American genres have developed since then, including Soul (1960’s), Funk (1970’s), Rap (1970’s), and Hip Hop (1980’s). Task: Read more about popular black music here. This is also a good overview page for all black music history.

8. Assignment and Assessment • Read through all the content slides and complete the task on each one. You may also want to check the credits and websites pages for more content information. • Go to this link and download a copy of the assessment. It is in Word format. • Print out the assessment and turn it in to the instructor by the due date.

9. Content and Technology Standards • Historical and Cultural Context • Understanding the Historical Contributions and cultural Dimensions of Music • Role of Music: 3.1: Identify the sources of musical genres of the United States, trace the evolution of those genres, and cite well-known musicians associated with them. • Technology Research Tools • Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. • Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

10. Other Websites for further Research • Rounder Records • Archives of African-American Music and Culture • Jazz History and Black Music • African-American Sheet Music from Browne University • See also the credits on the next page

11. Credits • Negro Work Songs and Calls • Black History Month 2003 – Rhino Records • Center for Black Music Research • Kelley Hutzley, Music Specialist, Academy for Academic Excellence, Apple Valley CA

12. All images used in this presentation are in the public domain. To contact Ken Sockwell, please write to: Ksockwell@lcer.org Collage created by Ken Sockwell