American Music Essays (Examples)

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Essay
American Music of the New
Pages: 2 Words: 671


Another category that is emerging for the next generation is the "reggae funk and jazz" category. This category of music harkens back to an earlier time of Bob Marley and other strong funk and reggae music. Even as the culture of today has become more uniform, there is a strong backlash now to have "chill" music. The rise of Gnarles Barkley signifies the birth of this new genre, with others such as Ray la Montaine showing that this genre has strong staying power. The key characteristics of this genre are that it takes reggae and jazz music to blend it together to make something that resembles modern pop. The music has much more beat and contemporary rhythm, yet it still carries the old feel of reggae music in its calming affect. The main difference in this genre is that the music has faster beats which makes it much more "hip"…...

Essay
Psychedelics on American Music and Culture the
Pages: 7 Words: 2249

psychedelics on American music and culture
The evolution of American popular music and culture in the late1960's and 1970's was an influential factor in the inspiration of musical artists. The creativity of music and its variety in modernity indicates that, most American artists claim for music ranges from the religious beliefs to the love interests. However, the driving force of creativity for the music in United States has come as a result of the usage of drugs subculture. The research carried out shows that, without the use of recreational drugs by the artists in America, the popular music could have resulted to a different evolutionary path resulting to a different musical world. Music has been taken from the drug culture by the Americans to be incorporated by the mainstream culture. When looking at the popular music in the past, there is a clear indication that shows a bond existing between…...

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References

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (2012).hippie. Retrieved October 29, 2012 from  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266600/hippie 

Article Myriad, (2012). The Influence of the 60s and Psychedelic Music and Culture on Modern Society. Retrieved October 29, 2012 from  http://www.articlemyriad.com/influence-60s-psychedelic-music-culture-modern-society/ 

Acker, C.J., & Tracy, S.W. (2004). Altering American consciousness: the history of alcohol and drug use in the United States, 1800-2000. New York: University of Massachusetts Press.

Laderman, G. (2011). Frequencies. lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Retrieved October 30, 2012, from  https://sites.google.com/site/frequencies2/

Essay
Latin American Music Industry the Music Industry
Pages: 10 Words: 2994

Latin American Music
Music Industry

The music industry is undergoing a global technological revolution which has been induced by the introduction of Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing services, and the proliferation of recordable CD equipment which his now within the financial reach of the average consumer. Any one of these three influences alone could have been absorbed by the recording industry. The presence of a P2P service which was limited only to sharing files between computers would have been convenient and fun. If consumers could only put personal music tracks on portable music devices, the convenience would have expanded the reach of the individual's music collection, much the same way that personal cassette recorders did in the 1970's. Although the music industry was worried about personal cassette recording abilities of the past decades, the inherent poor quality of personal recordings meant that the demand for studio recordings remained high.

However, the advent…...

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Resources

Manuel, Peter. Latin Music in the United States: Salsa and the Mass Media

Journal of Communication, Vol. 41, 1991

Fernandez, Enrique. "Latin Notas." Billboard, June 1, 1985.

Agudelo, Carlos. "Latin Notas." Billboard, April 25, 1987.

Essay
African-American Music
Pages: 6 Words: 1523

music that we have in our list nowadays are quite more diverse than what we had few decades ago. Truly, in comparison to the past and present times, how music is defined have completely changed. Music is no longer just about the rhyming melodies and the rhythmic tones and sounds of the music instruments. It's also about the preservation of culture and heritage that we inherited from our ancestors.
One of our contemporary types of music is the African-American music. African-American music is a collaboration of the music of African culture mixed with the American style. The creativity this type of music offers is impressive because of its artistic delivery and renditions to its audience. The beauty of African-American music is not only visible in the music itself, but also in the performances African-American artists demonstrate. Usually, such artists exhibit strong and powerful voice when rendering their songs. Others, on…...

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Bibliography

Christo. (2000). African History and Overview.

Retrieved October 7, 2003, from Acslink.

Web site: http://www.acslink.aone.net.au/christo/f_afrihi.htm

Clarke, D. Minstrelsy and the War Between States.

Essay
Native Music Native American Music
Pages: 5 Words: 1648

The means of musical dissemination today often incorporates only audio, but even music videos are seldom used in the way that traditional music used visuals. hereas traditional songs were crafted specifically incorporating dance and costume, that is not the case. Even assuming that the lyrical component is just as potent now as it ever was, it represents only one-third of the traditional song. This represents a major loss.
Conclusion

Native American music in all its forms was highly distinctive and completely unique before European influence. Many elements that made the music unique have either eliminated from modern native American music or had their roles greatly reduced. The loss of these influences not only represents a loss of part of the culture, but also represents the loss of the uniqueness of native American music. The role that traditional native American music played in the lives of the people and the form it…...

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Works Cited

Reublin, Rick & Maine, Bob. (2000). Native Americans and American Popular Music. Parlorsongs.com. Retrieved May 14, 2008 at http://parlorsongs.com/insearch/amerindian/amerindian0.asp

Paige, Joseph. (2006). Native American Music. Native American Articles. Retrieved May 14, 2008 at   And  http://www.native-languages.org/composition/native-american-music-2.html http://www.native-languages.org/composition/native-american-music.html .

No author. (n.d.). Music of the First People of the Americas. Rootsworld. Retrieved May 14, 2008 at  http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/first.html 

No author. (n.d.) Native American Music. Indians.org. Retrieved May 14, 2008 at  http://www.indians.org/articles/native-american-music.html

Essay
African-American Music With AA Literature
Pages: 2 Words: 586

Although the Negro-Art movement included novelists and visual artists, it was the poets and bandleaders who became the face of the Harlem Renaissance. It is in the field of music that African-American Art has had the most widespread and enduring success and influence.
Music as the Dominant Art in Black Culture

The musicality of Black culture is caused by its Southern, agricultural roots. As with all people laboring on a farm in hot weather for long periods of time, Blacks passed the time with song. These songs are typically considered as a society's folk music. It is typically catchy, simple, and characterized by motion, as a diddy or nursery rhyme is. Unlike a society's formal music, such as classical music or modern pop music, folk songs are of unknown origin and are not performed by professional musicians.

As a Positive Distinguishing Feature

Music is the focus of much African-American writing because it is…...

Essay
American and Asian Music as
Pages: 9 Words: 2888

This, along with the older Psalter by trenhold and Hopkins, was the main influence of the Bay Psalm Book printed during 1640 in Massachusetts. This can be compared with the first musical influences on and compositions by Li Jinhui. The traditional forms were explored thoroughly before new ideas in music were explored.
Culturally, the new Americans at the time were deeply religious, following the Puritan tradition on which they based their way of life. Their music therefore reflected this tradition, and the earliest genres were mainly religious in nature. As such, the musical format was unaccompanied by musical instruments, as these were viewed as secular and therefore sinful. The same type of division can be seen in the later genres of Asian music, where Cantopop began to lose its popularity in the face of new and more trendy developments. In contrast, however, the Chinese does not have as clear a…...

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Sources

Faigin, Tom. "The Minstrel Show's Contribution to Folk Music." 2007.  http://www.jsfmusic.com/Uncle_Tom/Tom_Article6.html 

Wikipedia. "C-Pop." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-pop 

Wikipedia. "K-Pop." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-pop 

Wikipedia. "Li Jinhui." Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Jinhui

Essay
Music Appreciation Stravinsky the Rite
Pages: 5 Words: 1420

The piano plays quick octaves and the urgent bass motive portrays an intense wild ride. This strong galloping is also being formulated by the piano's triplet rhythm which allows for the development of the dramatic storyline's urgency.
5. ) There are four different characters in this piece: the Narrator, the father, the son, and the Erlkonig. Although Schubert uses one singer to portray and sing all of the four parts of the characters, the listener is able to quite clearly differentiate them from one another. The son is sung in the high register in a minor key with dissonant harmonies. On the other hand, the father is sung in low register while the Erlkonig is sung in a coy with pleasant and soft melodies in the major key.

6. ) There are two ways that Schubert builds momentum in his piece. The first way is by using the bass as a…...

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References:

Kamien, R. (2010). Music: An appreciation, brief edition. (7th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.

Essay
American Popular Music
Pages: 5 Words: 2002

American Popular Music (Lady Gaga)
The question of originality in popular music is a vexed one. To choose a convenient and current example, when Justin Bieber sings about his "baby," listeners are not meant to hear any kind of deliberate allusion to the Supremes' "Baby Love" or any other previous songs which include "Baby" as part of their lyrical hook: Bieber's charming faux-naivete cannot be mistaken for anything other than a rhetorical willingness to utilize the regular tropes and language of a standard love song. But with some performers, the matter of originality -- together with the question of influence -- is one that must be addressed. I would like to look, in this context, at the work of Stefani Germanotta, the twenty-four-year-old singer and composer better known by her stage name "Lady Gaga." I would like to examine Lady Gaga's oeuvre with three separate areas of inquiry kept in mind…...

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Works Cited

Brand, Katy. "No Pants." Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, Episode 1 (ITV-2, UK). Airdate 10 September 2009. Accessed on YouTube 13 March 2011 at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKGtFNwxs8 

Germanotta, Stefani ("Lady Gaga"). "Just Dance." The Fame, 2008. CD.

Grigoriadis, Vanessa. "How Lady Gaga Became the World's Biggest Pop Star." New York Magazine, 28 March 2010. Accessed on 13 March 2011 at:  http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/65127/ 

Koestenbaum, Wayne. Andy Warhol. New York: Viking, 2001. Print.

Essay
Music an American Popular Music
Pages: 4 Words: 1302

" Instead of those key lines, a wailing voice suggests that prayers for love remain unfulfilled. The stress is on lines like "without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own," as the wailing replaces the rest of the chorus. Elvis's "Blue Moon" is truly blue: filled with sadness and unfulfilled longing.
To enhance the reinvented theme of "Blue Moon," the instrumentation is stark. Throughout the recording, only a bass and a drum accompany the sultry vocals. The effect is clearly and intentionally that of a cowboy song. The rhythm of both the bass and the drums convey a horse gently trotting, carrying its lone rider through the Wild West. Evoking cowboy movies and mystique is one way the arrangement sends a far different message than the one that ogers and Hart had intended. In Elvis's version, the male vocalist is totally, utterly alone. He is a lone…...

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References

"Blue Moon: by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart" (n.d.). Retrieved online: http://www.lorenzhart.org/moonsng.htm

"Blue Moon." Versions performed by the Boswell Sisters, Elvis Presley, and Rod Stewart. Retrieved on YouTube.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLfTjTLnVIo&feature=player_embedded

Essay
Music Few Popular Music Stars Today Are
Pages: 2 Words: 734

Music
Few popular music stars today are as colorful as Lady Gaga. Recently on tour, Lady Gaga is again making the headlines. In South Africa, a group of churches has been organizing protests against Lady Gaga's performances, and even just her presence, in the country. Among other complaints, the South African Council of Churches claims Lady Gaga's visit "could lead to an exponential growth of Satanism," (Engelbrecht, p. 1). For others, Lady Gaga is a welcome presence in the popular culture because she spreads the message of gender equality and positive gender "performativity," (Horn, p. 1). Lady Gaga is like a female "drag queen" and therefore sends a good message about tolerance of gender and sexual identities. Finally, Lady Gaga exemplifies the way social media can be used to promote popular culture and allow for greater fan interactions and control over content. Given that Lady Gaga is associated with Satanism, gender,…...

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Works Cited

Engelbrecht, David. "Council of Churches Still Anti-Gaga." Channel 24. Retrieved online:  http://www.channel24.co.za/Music/News/Council-of-Churches-still-anti-Gaga-20121129 

Hampp, Andrew. "Gaga, Oooh Lala: Why the Lady Is the Ultimate Social Climber." Advertising Age. 22 Feb, 2010. Retrieved online:  http://vandymkting.typepad.com/files/2010-2-22-adage-gaga-oooh-la-la-why-the-lady-is-the-ultimate-social-climber.pdf 

Horn, Katrin. "Camping with the Stars: Queer Perfomativity, Pop Intertextuality, and Camp in the Pop Art of Lady Gaga." Current Ojbectives of Postgraduate American Studies. Vol. 11. Retrieved online:  http://copas.uni-regensburg.de/article/view/131/155

Essay
Music the Influence of American
Pages: 3 Words: 945

Today many mainstream popular artists have Rhythm and Blues influences. In addition some artists fluctuate between signing R&B and pop music. Although there are often distinctions made between the two genres R&B is definitely a type of popular music that has been greatly influenced by all of the above Genres.
Rap music or hip hop is also a prime example of the influence of African-American Music on popular music. Rap music actually comes from the ancient art form of poetry. The original intent for rap was to tell a story -- provide a narrative. ithin the context of African-American folk tradition storytelling is extremely important -- the griot is important. Griots are the keepers of the oral traditions -- the storytellers. According to Powell (1991) "To the accompaniment of drums or other percussive instruments, griots entertain and educate their audiences by reciting tribal history and current events. Their performances are…...

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Works Cited

Powell, CT. (1991) Rap Music: An Education with a Beat from the Street

The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 60, No. 3,

Progler., J.A.(1995) Searching for Swing: Participatory Discrepancies in the Jazz Rhythm

Section Ethnomusicology, Vol. 39, No. 1,, pp. 21-54

Essay
Music Inspired by the Playing for Change
Pages: 2 Words: 672

Music
Inspired by the Playing for Change movement, and especially the recording of the classic "Stand By Me," my group decided to focus on fusing Native American sounds with contemporary music. The motivation is clear: to keep indigenous themes relevant and respond continually to the social and political inspirations for creative expression. Using this approach to our music allowed us to transcend the concept of genre, which can be too limiting, especially with regards to traditional and folk music. ather than view Native American music as fitting into rigid stylistic structures and specific instrumentations, we believed it would be helpful to broaden and expand the concept of indigenous sound. We use the example of hip-hop in particular to show that music can and does respond to social and political realties, which are ever-present in the lives of Native Americans. Like hip-hop, the music of indigenous people is often rooted in protest.

Also…...

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References

Chretien, A. (n.d.). Moose trails and buffalo tracks. Chapter 9.

Marsh, C. (n.d.). Bits and pieces of truth. Chapter 19.

Wallace, R. (n.d.). Intercultural collaboration. Chapter 12.

Essay
Music of Linkin Park Over
Pages: 6 Words: 2180

Even the lyrics, which nonetheless maintain the same kind of bubblegum-angst present in nearly any widely successful "alternative" band, manage to surprise simply by the fact that the band seems to have gained a wider vocabulary, both in terms of individual words and the metaphors used. Put another way, burning "like the fire of a thousand suns" is simply a more enjoyable image than "one step closer to the edge / and I'm about to break," even if both convey generally the same theme within either song.
Following the release of A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park has, as it did previously, focused on charity work alongside the writing of the next album a promotional tour. Most recently, the band has played benefit concerts for victims of the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear fallout which hit Japan earlier this year, with the first being in Los Angeles alongside the band B'z,…...

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Works Cited

Anonymous. "Linkin Park Awards."AceShowBiz. AceShowBiz.com, 2011. Web. 23 Sep 2011.

.

Anonymous. "B'z, Linkin Park rock fans in Los Angeles to aid disaster-hit Japan." Mainichi

Daily News 01 Sep 2011. Web.

Essay
American Pie on February 3
Pages: 4 Words: 1260

Therefore, the "day the music died" was the day music and politics became fused. The Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassination, the Civil Rights movement, and other historical events also evoke imagery associated with death. "The day the music died" also marked the day merica's Golden ge died too. During the 1960s music became associated with sex, drugs, and violence: in stark contrast to the childlike "doo-wop" days of the 1950s.
McLean weaves in references to British groups the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to show how the British invasion altered the landscape of merican music. In addition to using musical references, McLean also writes about merican popular culture through film stars like James Dean, who also died tragically and whose iconic career embodies the central themes of "merican Pie." Like Buddy Holly and Richie Valens, James Dean was also a 1950s icon. His death also marked the "day the music…...

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American Pie" progresses chronologically from the "day the music died" until the late 1960s. In verse five, McLean mentions the Woodstock festival in 1969 and refers to "a generation lost in space." McLean also mentions Satan and the Devil to underscore his view that the 1960s was a time of debauch. The songwriter views the 1960s as being a generation "lost" to drugs. Music concerts and public events became spectacles and often erupted into violent protests. For instance, McLean refers to a concert the Rolling Stones played at, during which the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang overstepped their authority as chief security officers. McLean likens the event to a "sacrificial rite." Therefore, the songwriter describes the changes in American culture in Biblical terms, continuing to use imagery relating to death.

The title of the song is itself conveys the semiotics embedded in "American Pie." Pie is one of the only foods considered quintessentially American. The reference evokes mom's apple pie, an image of idyllic domesticity in the suburbs, of traditional gender roles, of sweetness, family, and the American Dream. The "day the music died" was the day that American woke up from its Dream. Gender roles were shifting rapidly so that women were no longer geared to be housewives. American culture seemed to be coming apart at the seams. The happy-go-lucky energy of the 1950s, captured in the songs of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper, had died when those musicians perished in a plane crash. Those were the "good old boys" McLean refers to in the central refrain of the song. Likewise, when McLean writes about driving his "Chevy to the levee," he also uses another icon of American culture: the Chevrolet automobile.

During the 1960s a wave of events took place that would forever alter the character of the American Dream and of the American consciousness. The Vietnam War was by far the most significant, giving rise to a youth culture to a degree that had never before existed. Prior to the 1960s youth culture was a silent voice on the cultural landscape. Artists like James Dean were among the first to reveal the power of youth culture in America. His death, referred to in the third verse of "American Pie," is akin to the deaths of the three musicians mentioned at the beginning of the song. Youth culture became rebellious and highly political. Activism was a new trend that led to disturbing protest movements that were often mingled with musical concerts like Woodstock. The Kennedy assassination also signified the "day the music died," as did the infusion of radical politics into popular music. McLean mentions Marx in verse three to refer to the wholesale shifts in American lifestyle and culture.

Q/A
I\'m looking for an essay musical that is [description, e.g., research-based, persuasive, historical]. What options do you have?
Words: 287

Here are some options for essay musicals based on your description:

1. "Hamilton: An American Musical" - This musical is a historical essay that tells the story of Alexander Hamilton's life and his contributions to shaping the United States as a founding father.

2. "Dear Evan Hansen: A Contemporary Musical" - This musical explores themes of mental health and social media in a modern setting, making it a persuasive and thought-provoking essay musical.

3. "Les Misérables: A Literary Musical" - Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, "Les Misérables" is a research-based musical that delves into themes of justice, redemption, and revolution.

4.....

Q/A
What iconic title is often associated with the distinctive sounds of Mississippi Gulf Coast Music and Blues?
Words: 299

1. The Roots of Mississippi Gulf Coast Music: Exploring the Origins of Blues

2. The Mississippi Delta Blues Influence on Gulf Coast Music

3. From the Juke joints to the Concert Halls: The Evolution of Mississippi Gulf Coast Music

4. Blues Legends of the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Celebrating the Artists who Shaped the Genre

5. Sonic Reflections of the Mississippi Gulf Coast: A Musical Journey through the Region

6. Honoring the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Fest: A Cultural Celebration of Music

7. The Socio-Cultural Impact of Blues Music on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

8. The Mississippi Gulf Coast's Contribution to American Music: Exploring the Legacy of Blues

9.....

Q/A
What iconic title is often associated with the distinctive sounds of Mississippi Gulf Coast Music and Blues?
Words: 616

Mississippi Blues: An Iconic Sound of the Deep South

The Mississippi Gulf Coast, a vibrant tapestry of rich history, cultural heritage, and musical traditions, serves as the birthplace of an iconic genre that has captivated audiences worldwide: Mississippi Blues. This distinctive sound, deeply rooted in the African American experience, has become synonymous with the region, and has left an enduring legacy that continues to resonate through contemporary music.

The origins of Mississippi Blues can be traced back to the late 19th century, when freed slaves and sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta began blending elements of African folk music, field hollers, and spirituals....

Q/A
How has musical theater evolved over time to incorporate diverse styles and stories?
Words: 562

## The Evolution of Musical Theater: Embracing Diversity in Style and Story

Over centuries, musical theater has undergone a remarkable transformation, mirroring the ever-changing cultural landscape. From its humble beginnings to contemporary masterpieces, the genre has embraced a rich tapestry of styles and stories, becoming a vibrant reflection of human experiences.

Early Influences and Operatic Roots:
Musical theater traces its origins back to the Renaissance era's masques and intermezzi. These theatrical presentations combined music, dance, and dialogue to entertain courtly audiences. In the 18th century, Italian opera gained popularity, exerting significant influence on the development of early musicals.

The Rise of Ballad Opera and....

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