...Shosanna Spill Tricia Swoope ENG 112 03 July 2010 Rock Music Rock is a popular form of music that has evolved over the past couple of decades starting in the 1950s until present day. Rock music has been known to be used as a form of expression over the years. Despite its sometimes negative and defiant lyrics, rock is a form of art that allows one to release his/her feelings through singing in an expressive tone. Later styles of heavy rock music in the 1990s, such as grunge, the typical example being Seattle's Nirvana, show influences of heavy metal but are typically not labelled sub-genres of heavy metal, as opposed to thrash metal and glam metal. The general absence of virtuosic guitar solos is perhaps one reason grunge bands haven't been considered heavy metal bands. Another key artist during this time was Megadeth, which combined the relentless, speedy thrash metal riffs with the fancy guitar soloing of speed metal like Judas Priest. Rock-n-Roll has never just been music. Heavy metal, Rhythm & Blues, Art Rock, New Wave, and the rest may be primary styles or genres but as sub-categories of rock, or rockin’ roll they do not cumulatively add up to the whole. Rock n’ Roll is a movement, a lifestyle, in many ways a belief system and all that Rock n Roll is today it owes to history: two years, no more than three when the fabric of American popular culture was torn apart and rewoven, and a new era explosively began. Rock n Roll started with slavery. To understand we...
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...The Impact of Slavery on American Society DeVry University Abstract The subject of slavery has been the focus of a variety of controversies, debates, and protests throughout American history. Besides the Civil War era there has not been another time in history when slavery has been such a volatile topic as it has become in the last half decade. Even in modern day America the subject of slavery evokes significant discussions and has influenced legislative decisions such as the recent removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds and other government and public locations throughout the South. This paper seeks to review the literature attaching the history of slavery and present examples of the ethnic and cultural contributions that aided in the growth and diversity of America. It will also introduce examples of today’s societal issues including educational, economic, and social variances; the right to support cultural heritage; and the significant role history plays in influencing decisions made in America today. Introduction American history is filled with heinous acts that many would like to forget happened; slavery is no exception. Although it was a necessity of the times, slavery is undoubtedly one of the most volatile topics of discussion today; not just because of the inhuman and discriminatory treatment that was inflicted on an entire race, but also because of the perceived continued existence of some of those same...
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... They have their own unique history that differs from people of different skin colors who moved to the North American continent. Black Americans were originally from Africa and brought to the North American continent as slaves. The most prominent distinctive factor is their dark skin color. In 2015 the black population in America was 46.3 million people, which is about 14.4 percent of the U.S. population. As stated earlier, they originated from Africa and were transported to North America as slaves. They were freed from that lifestyle with the help of the emancipation proclamation that was made in 1862. Since they were separate for a long time, they developed their own cultural traditions,...
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...Jon Williams History 102 Historical Paper 3-2-09 Effectiveness of the Harlem Renaissance There has been plenty of talk about our nation’s history and how America became what it is today, and the Harlem Renaissance has been one of the most understated eras of our country’s history. The Harlem Renaissance not only boosted the quality of life for African Americans, but it also sparked tremendous progress with how all of America viewed the once hidden talents of African Americans during that time period. Also, it influenced a whole new generation of African American arts and literature in the United States. The Harlem Renaissance was an African cultural movement that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Some historians say that it is unclear as to when it actually started, but Dr. Cary Wintz, chair of the department of history at Texas Southern University, claims that the Harlem Renaissance began in 1919 and lasted until the mid-1930’s. (Wintz) It began when many socially conscious and intellectual African Americans moved from the economically depressed south to the industrial cities of the north to take advantage of the employment opportunities that had risen because of World War I. As more and more socially conscious and educated blacks moved to Harlem, it started to become the cultural center for black people in America. The Harlem Renaissance had a huge impact on African American literature. Most blacks during that time period had a sense of wanting...
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...Did you know that Caribbean music has been an influence by African, European, Indian and Indigenous cultures? It also goes back and tie in with Central America and South America. Caribbean music goes back centuries, since Caribbean music is a mixture of different cultures, it goes all the way to the fifteenth century and so on. This type of music is here to bring happiness and most of the time tell what has happened in the past or what somebody has been through. Music is for the soul. The history of the Caribbean music goes back so far, it even goes back when the European settlers were importing slaves from west and central Africa. That was when the slaves used music to express themselves. Immigrants and human trafficking was very heavily...
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...Art and Culture Paper Bryce Barbee ART/125 March 14, 2016 Jamie Welch Art and Culture Paper This paper will contain information about the Feminist Art Movement and how their art work help then towards the goal of women have equal rights as to men. This will also include the ethnic minorities and how their influence affected the art works. There will be a Section of this paper that will take about the influence of art and how it affected the culture of 20th century. Then this paper will so contain information about how the culture of 20th century influences the arts of the 20th century. Feminist Art Movement Well the Feminist Art Movement started in 1969 because there was a group of women artists in revolution (WAR). This group decided to split off from the Art Workers’ Coalition (AWC) the reason the split from the AWC because it was Male-dominated. This group would not help the women artists. Then in 1971 the women artists had started to strike out of the Corcoran Biennial in Washington D.C. because they had excluded the women artists. The women artists started to protest against gallery owners because they would not show off their work here. Judy Chicago is the first woman that acted on and to help the Feminist Art movement. Her role was the most prominent and the earliest activists in the movement because she had established the feminist art program for women to paint freely without having the rejections from the outside world. The place of the program...
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...Journal of American Studies, 45 (2011), 1, 113–129 f Cambridge University Press 2010 doi:10.1017/S0021875810001271 First published online 19 July 2010 Jazz as a Black American Art Form : Definitions of the Jazz Preservation Act JEFF FARLEY Jazz music and culture have experienced a surge in popularity after the passage of the Jazz Preservation Act (JPA) in 1987. This resolution defined jazz as a black American art form, thus using race, national identity, and cultural value as key aspects in making jazz one of the nation’s most subsidized arts. Led by new cultural institutions and educational programs, millions of Americans have engaged with the history and canon of jazz that represent the values endorsed by the JPA. Record companies, book publishers, archivists, academia, and private foundations have also contributed to the effort to preserve jazz music and history. Such preservation has not always been a simple process, especially in identifying jazz with black culture and with America as a whole. This has required a careful balancing of social and musical aspects of jazz. For instance, many consider two of the most important aspects of jazz to be the blues aesthetic, which inevitably expresses racist oppression in America, and the democratic ethic, wherein each musician’s individual expression equally contributes to the whole. Balanced explanations of race and nationality are useful not only for musicologists, but also for musicians and teachers wishing to use jazz as an example...
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...The interaction between Blues and Jazz can be discerned when the origins of both music are scrutinized. The development of one is hidden in the roots of one another and both use similar sound patterns for instance. In this paper the readers will be presented a brief history of Blues & Jazz within the similarities of the two. If we trace back to the history of Blues music, the impact of African-American tradition is seen quite apparently. Blues music evolved from the songs sung by West African griots, the southern Black American songs of sadness and despair, and more hopeful Christian spirituals. It originated in the rural Mississippi Delta region at the beginning of 20th century. Similarly, Jazz music emerged as a blend of African-American rituals; the features carried from West African Black folk music developed in the Americas, joined with European music of the late 18th and 19th centuries and turned out to be the minor voicing characteristics of the Blues. Jazz emerged in New Orleans and was characterized by strong but flexible rhythms. Blues had its most brilliant years in America by the end of WWI. The American troops brought the Blues home with them, which they learned from the Southern Whites who had been exposed to the blues. After WWII, Blues had a different experience by the well-known Blues musicians as B.B. King and Buddy Guy by “amplifying guitar” and “emphasized drums”; thus created intensified sounds in Blues, the collection of which later called...
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...John Newton An additional key figure of the Great European and American Awakening was John Newton, who will forever be remembered for his memorable hymn “Amazing Grace.” “Amazing Grace” is beloved well into the 21st century by Christians and non-Christians alike, and could be considered to be one of the most widely-known and widely-sung hymns of all time. Newton was a slave-trader during this time more than one hundred years before the Civil War and the eventual emancipation of slaves in the United States. John Newton was heavily influence by evangelist Josiah Smith, who preached the Gospel in the southern United States of America. John Newton visited Charleston, South Carolina where he met Smith and described meeting “a dissenting minister,...
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...Country music is a unique and traditional type of music. It combines many different genres, and it blends them all into one great genre. Country music takes beats of rock and roll, it takes the soul of the good ole drinking music, and it takes the heart of old gospel... Country music will always be, no matter what people think, the "real" music that tells the "real" story. The style of country music is very unique. It really doesn't beat around the bush. It tells you straight up what the artist is feeling or thinking, no matter what one might say... Country music is everywhere. It may come blasting from a truck, blaring from a bar room, or softly playing on an office speaker. Despite the wide range of country music we could isolate one characteristic that would explain the enormous popularity of country songs. The lyrics tell stories about American life (Winters 6). Some country songs sing of work. Some tell stories of family life. Some tell stories of the past and simpler times. Most Americans want to hear a good story. It adds to the entertainment value of a song when one can relate a life experience to the story being told in a given song. One author says, "I can't understand that pop and rap music with all the screamin' and yellin'. But I like country music. It always tells a real good story (Steward 1) . If a song tells a story and it concerns ordinary people in everyday life does that make it a country song? The key to that question is the word ordinary. What is...
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...Running head: MUSIC TRENDS IN POPULAR AMERICAN CULTURE Music Trends in Popular American Culture University of Phoenix There have been many trends in American popular culture dating back since America was founded, anytime an activity or a lifestyle became popular people wanted to follow it and millions did. This is the case with music; it has evolved over time yet remains one of the most popular aspects of American Culture. From 1606-1776 religious music was the first music of early colonists in what was known as The Colonial Era. Traditional English hymns were brought to America and singing the psalms was an early form of hymns. Folk music and ballads were the rage from 1776-1860 in the Revolutionary War era. Popular music just before and during the Civil War had to do with political and military events such as; Amazing Grace, Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie and the Star Spangled Banner was written during this time. In 1897 different composers give birth to America’s popular music industry, ending reliance on Europe. The turn of the century arrived and there was a period of excitement for the American Music Scene. During this time the “Western” musical genre spreads throughout western states and featured steel guitars and singing cowboys (Johnson, 2007). The Blues were also created during this time by ex-slaves that sang work songs filled with irony, imagery and love, offering relief from the tensions in their lives. Jazz was also developed in the 1900s...
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...Since the early history of the U.S., African-American have made great contributions in this country. And much have been applied within our daily use without any recognition of its contributors. These acknowledgments were created out of necessity. This section may not have been needed if America had initially recognized African-American contributions. They as a people living in this country needed to know that they have paid their dues as citizens, so before America paid contribute to them, they paid tribute to themselves. Holidays are days used to commemorate some major event or to honor someone. The official U.S holidays are fixed by law and business may be suspended during that time. There are also unofficial holidays that are not traditionally...
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...Country music and American culture When you walk along the street, you may hear Taylor Swift’s new album kept playing again and again; When you pass by a truck, you may be attracted by the euphonious ‘country road’ by Johnny Denver; When you step into a bar, country music will frequently appear among many energetic Rock songs. Undeniably, country music has been everywhere and even gained worldwide popularity in recent years. Caught by the beautiful sound and moving melodies of the American country music, I decided to lift the veil of American country music to people who have a passion for it. Besides the superficial acoustic enjoyment, the American country music is a perfect embodiment of American history, culture and customs. Once you could profoundly understand and sincerely appreciate the American country music, you are offered a golden opportunity to comprehend what the American truly value. In this paper, I will discuss how country music reflects the American culture in three dimensions, including American rustic culture, American family culture and view of marriage, and American urbanization and contemporary value. From where I stand, country music is more than a kind of popular music, but also the epitome of American culture. To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into five main sections. Firstly, the background knowledge of country music will be provided. Secondly, I will focus on the American rustic culture which is contained in country music. Thirdly...
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...Peter Clark Professor James Smethurst AFROAM 151 December 5, 2012 The History Of Rock and Roll: Copyright Not Included The history of black America is one filled with exploitation and abuse. Time and time again we see the “cultural rape” of the black community. Whether it be style, lingo, or music white culture has been “borrowing” from black culture since the early history of the United States. It is so obvious it almost passes unnoticed. For example the handshake has largely been replaced in youth culture by a dap or a fist pound, both remnant of black culture in the 60’s. Even hello has been replaced with “yo” an interjection made popular in the black vernacular. One cultural phenomena that has been largely covered up as African-American in origin. The history of rock and roll is long and intricate drawing its roots from early American R&B, among other places. While most of the true innovators of rock music have been widely overlooked, white musicians have been profiting greatly off of the innovations made in music by black recording artists, specifically in the arena of rock and roll. It is widely accepted that rock music has its roots in the american blues. The history of the blues dates all the way back to slave plantations. This genre comes specifically from African-American folk music. Julio Finn the author of The Bluesman stated that: [White blues performers] can never be bluespeople...because the blues is not something they live but something they...
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...The 1970s were a decade of great change in Australia, from punk to rebellion, abundant technological advancements and an unfortunate downfall of sporting accomplishment, all driven and influenced primarily by international sources. Influences from nations such as England and the United States of America majorly shaped and modified the great social and cultural changes in Australia, with particular impacts on music, entertainment, technology and sport. Music: Musicians from the United Kingdom had great success in Australia as they also majorly contributed to the music being played on Australian radios, ranging from rock and roll groups such as The Rolling Stones, to pop sensations like ABBA However, in 1977, Advance Australia Fair replaced...
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