A Message from Ms. Graves A Letter from Paul Vallas About This Site Lesson Plans for Teachers and Parents Lesson Plans for Students Additional Internet Research Sites About the Program Artist Biographies: -Denyce Graves -Patti LaBelle -Take 6 |
|
African American Music Touches All Parts of Life Of all the earth's languages, music is the only true international one. You can find people celebrating with music in every land. Each culture has its own ways of expressing music. As men moved around the earth, their instruments traveled with them.
The history of music is global in nature. Each land has it own unique history. Of recent times, the most influential music has been that of our culture. This is due to the international network of sharing ideas. Before we look at how North American music has become so widely known in the world, it would help us to know how it evolved. North American music evolved with the Europeans who first came to this continent. They brought with them many ideas on how to celebrate music in their communities. They enjoyed composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. While these composers were highly respected, most Europeans did not realize that they were using instruments that had come from distant lands. Alfonso the Wise who ruled Castile Spain in the thirteenth century brought instruments into his court from North Africa. While some of these came into North Africa with Islam from as far as Persia, it was the African drums that gave the base beat to much orchestration. Native American people had their own music and celebrations. But for hundreds of years, it was not respected. Only in the past few decades have composers begun to celebrate the creative musical voice of Native Americans in their work. Europeans kidnapped Africans as slaves and forced them to come to America. The suffering of Africans and African Americans was exceedingly great. As African Americans became Christian, the metaphors of their new songs carried with them hidden meanings. Slaves suffered as they worked in the fields from sun up to sun down. Music tends to ease the burdens of people and the slaves often sang as a way of keeping their spiritual dignity strong. Many of their songs reflected their hopes for a brighter day of freedom. The sacred music of African Americans told stories that often related to the suffering of the Israelites who were once slaves in Egypt. As God sent Moses to free them, African Americans Spirituals noted this fact. In doing so, they kept alive the hope that one day they too would be free. The text of one of the most famous Spirituals follows. Wade in the water Watch Take 6 singing this spiritual in the program "Denyce Graves: Breaking the Rules" (Requires Quicktime). To hear this spiritual on the Internet, go to www.negrospirituals.com/song.htm (Two thirds down the page is an MP3 file that can be downloaded so you can hear this music). This Spiritual is a powerful social statement that reminded all that even the Europeans could not fight God's command to "Let My People Go." Traditional African music had a five-tone scale. Europeans had a seven-tone scale. African Americans quickly blended their style with that of the Europeans. They developed what is called a "diminished third" and a "minor seventh." These are understood as "blue notes." From the development of this style, African American music communicated their suffering musically so that others could feel their pain in song. This emotional communication became known as The Blues. After the Civil War and the end of slavery, more African Americans moved into urban centers in the South and Mid West. The Blues grew into a recognized American style. At this time, new blendings of traditions emerged. African rhythms joined with more traditional European styles to form the beat that was at the foundation of Dixieland Band music and Ragtime. Dixieland Band music is thought to have originated in New Orleans in the early 1880's. In this style, two instruments improvise the melody presented by a lead instrument. Dixieland Band style allows for the solo instrumentalist to take the melody lead, hold it, and pass it on to another musician. These bands had banjos, drums, clarinets, cornets, trombones, and tubas. They were used in funeral processions and in parades. A very famous tune was "Oh When The Saints Go Marching In." At about the same time, Ragtime emerged. This piano music was lively and exciting. It changed the way many people thought of music. African American legend, Scott Joplin was one of America's leading composers of Ragtime. So new was the syncopation of Ragtime that it captured the younger Anglo generation's attention and the style went around the world. His piece entitled: The Entertainer was a major international hit. Download sheet music for another Scott Joplin piece Search-Light Rag. Classical composers took notice of Joplin's Ragtime compositions. The new idea on the rhythm was a breath of fresh air. It influenced the work of Charles Ives, Igor Stravinsky, and George Gershwin to name a few. Joplin was also influenced by their traditional classical forms and he wrote a Ragtime Opera, Treemonisha. Opera has many African American singers. Ms. Denyce Graves is an internationally recognized opera star. From the Blues, Dixieland and Ragtime music emerged Jazz. Jazz is a free style of improvisational blending of musical lines that are grounded in a beat. It developed in New Orleans around 1895. Jazz is a progressive art that is best experienced by small ensembles where the musicians know each other's strengths. The free flowing nature of Jazz also responds quickly to new styles and expressions. Jazz music gave rise to some of the greatest bands of the last century. Styles changed and grew. Some were known as Swing or Bebop. Some of the leading artists of the time included: Luis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and the great John Coltrane. In another evolution, Modern Blues emerged and evolved into Rhythm and Blues - R&B. Patti Labelle and Take 6 are both recognized as performers whose music is greatly influenced by this style. Later R&B gave raise to Rock & Roll. Jazz has evolved into Cool Jazz. The freedom experienced in Jazz has influenced classical composers so that many now create their own styles. Today the styles of American Music are now international in scope. Its roots are blended with the European and our African American traditions of blues, spirituals, jazz and ragtime. Creative Engagement
|
People love all kinds of music. Much like spice used in food, when we learn of an instrument used in another land, we try it for ourselves. As we enjoy all kinds of national foods, we can also enjoy all kinds of musical style. When we try blending the instruments of other lands and play and "cook the sounds," we can serve up a new dish of joy.
