A Brief History of American Music

Blues and Jazz

were the foundation of what became American popular music

BLUES

COMMENTS ABOUT BLUES AND JAZZ

• What did you think about Jazz and Blues?
• Was it what you expected?
• General comments about the music?
• Why do you think Blues and Jazz would be the foundation of American music?

SWING and CROONERS

• What did you think of Swing Music and the focus on Crooners?
• How did Jazz and Blues influence this music?
• Was it a logical next step in American Music? Explain

1. What did you think about:

• Rock and Roll?
• R & B?
• Doo Wop?

2. How did this progress from Swing?

3. Are they a logical tranisition? Explain.

4. Which did you like best? Explain.

1. What do you think, feel about each of the genres

• Surf Music?
• British Invasion?
• Psychedelic Rock?
• Counterculture Music?

2. How does each genre borrow or use previous genres?

1. How has the music changed from Jazz and Blues?

2. How is it similar?

3. How has Soul and Funk borrowed, used, expanded previous forms/geners of music?

1. What do you think about the three genres we just listened to?

2. How do Folk Music, Heavy Metal, Disco Music fit into the progression of American Music?

1. What genre of music did you like best? Why?

2. How has each genre built on previous genres?

A Brief History of American Music

On your Blog please doing the following:

1. Choose a song from any genre - country, rap, R & B, etc

2. Copy it's YouTube video URL Address onto your Blog so I can see and hear the song.

3. Summarize the song and explain how it represents, helps define society - American Culture in 2013.

Rock and Roll

1950's

To accomplish this assignment, imagine you are an anthropologist from the year 2050. You are trying to understand the years 2012 and 2013. You find the recording of a song (the one you chose for this Blog), and decide to use it to describe, in writing, how the song represents what people thought, believed,and experienced - bankruptcy, war, entertainment, friendships, etc.

• Entered mainstream music through a style called "Rockabilly"
• Sam Philips of Sun Records discovered Elvis Presely
• Another Rock and Roll star was Bill Haley

Doo Wop

Rhythm and Blues (R & B)

• Rhythmic and uptempo form of blues
• more complex instrumentation
• Suggestive lyrics

Rock and Roll

• Vocal harmony music
• Preformed by groups
• Fusion of vocal R & B, Jazz, and Gospel

Rock and Roll

1930's and 1940's

SWING MUSIC

• Replaced jazz as most popular music in 1930' & 1940's
• Characterized by strong rhythm section - double bass and drums
• Medium to fast tempo

R & B

"Crooners" like Frank Sinatra became famous.

R & B

Gangsta Rap

Little Richard

Grunge

Ice T

Doo Wop

Smashing Pumpkins

Swing Music

The Platters

British Invasion

Beatles

Surf Music

JAZZ

1960's

Beach Boys

Surf Music

Blues

Psychedelic Rock

• Pioneered by Dick Dale
• Instrumental and guitar-based rock
• Distorted and twanging sound
• Associated with Southern CA surf culture
• Beach Boys and Jan & Dean were popular

Counterculture Music

Hip Hop

• Youth Movement
• Political Activism
• Opposition to Vietnam War
• Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, & Mary

Jefferson Airplane

British Invasion

• Wave of Bands from United Kingdom
• Popular Bands - Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who

Muddy Waters

Psychedelic Rock

Glam Metal

• Hard driving, guitar based rock
• Closely associated with San Francisco
• Closely related to use of hallucinogenic drugs
• Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix

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Ice Cube

Jimmy Hendrix

Counterculture Music

Guns N Roses

Billie Holiday

Peter, Paul, and Mary

Soul & Funk

American Music

Anti-vietnam Music

1990's

Grunge

• Alternative rock subgenre
• Dark-brooding guitar-based "sludge" sound
• Unconventional tunings to bend standard pop songs

James Brown

1980's

Glam Metal

• Radio friendly
• Macho lyrics and attitudes
• accompanied by hard rock music
• Heavy metal virtuosic soloing

Country Joe McDonald

Gangsta Rap

• Lyrical focus on macho sexuality and physicality
• Focus on dangerous, criminal image
• Began in Los Angeles and Oakland

American music is the most unique and dynamic sounds, but, most of all, it is rooted in the history of the folks who came to the United States.

Hip Hop

• Originated by DJ Kool Herc in The Bronx, NY
• Composed of two parts - Rapping & DJing
• Rapping - delivery of swift, rhythmic, lyrical vocal
• DJing - instrumentation through sampling, turntablism , beatboxing

Soul

Supremes

Wilson Pickett

Soul

Folk Music

1970's

The Temptations

Disco

Folk Based Music

• Songwriters drew on "new" style
• Introspective, deeply emotional, and personal
• Popular singers - John Denver, Carole king, Glen Campbell

Soul Music

• Combination of R & B and Gospel Music
• James Brown seen as one of "Fathers of Soul"
• Marvin Gaye and others led soul music to more secular themes & social commentary

John Denver

Heavy Metal

• Aggressive, driving rhythms
• Amplified distorted guitars
• Grandiose lyrics and virtuosic instrumentation

Funk

• James Brown led soul towards more dance oriented music

Bee Gees

Disco Music

• Form of dance music
• evolved from underground dance clubs

Heavy Metal