Old trumpet on american flag garry gay

How Music Built America

By jsrygley
  • Jan 1, 1500

    Spanish Exploration Begins

  • Beginning of Church Presence in America
    Jan 1, 1500

    Beginning of Church Presence in America

    Catholicism arrives
    Gregorian Chants in Latin
    Used to control indigenous people
  • African music begins to arrive

    African music begins to arrive

    Became part of the economic engine
    Sense of community
  • Puritans Arrive in North America

    Puritans Arrive in North America

    Texts came from psalters
    "Book of Psalms Englished Both in Prose and Meter" by Henry Ainsworth
  • "Bay Psalm Book"

    "Bay Psalm Book"

    Replaced the Ainsworth psalter
    Allowed people to take the music out of the church and into the home
    Strophic form
    Lining out

  • John Lyon publishes a songbook for churches and families

    Available for subscription only
    1st music book published for the public, not just the church
    Borad appeal for its tolerance and diverse approach to religion
  • Lining out increases in popularity

    Lining out increases in popularity

    Gave singers more artistic freedom
    Traditionalists are not happy
  • Traditionalists try to reteach "by-the-book" singing

    Traditionalists try to reteach "by-the-book" singing

    Needed schools, teachers, students and books'
    First instance of the music business
  • Slaves begin to provide music for events

    Slaves begin to provide music for events

  • Opera

    Opera

    Opera is popular at this time
    Began to produce the first popular songs
  • Two types of ensembles are standard

    Two types of ensembles are standard

    Harmoniemusik/Band of Music
    Field Instruments
  • "Regular Singing" started being taught

    "Regular Singing" started being taught

    Brought about new music schools
    By-the-book style
  • William Billings publishes the "American Chorister"

    William Billings publishes the "American Chorister"

    Puritan restrictions beginning to lessen
    Strong pro-American stance; propaganda
    During the leadup to independence

  • Secular music starting to grow in popularity

  • Ballads come to America

    Ballads come to America

    "Broadside Ballads"
    "The Beggar's Banquet" by John Gay

  • Organs come to America

    John Snetzler brought organs from London to New England
  • Popularity of dancing increases

    Popularity of dancing increases

    Gavotte, Bouree, minuet were popular - high society
    Country dances - common folk
    Does not mix well with religion
  • Most tunebooks are being written by Americans

    Most tunebooks are being written by Americans

    "Sherburne" by Daniel Read shows changing harmonies in composition
    Didn't sound European

  • Camp meetings begin

    Hospitable to blacks
    Put religion above race
    Attracted thousamds of people
  • Alexander Reinagle arrives from Enland

    Alexander Reinagle arrives from Enland

    Immediately associated with music for home
  • First sheet music published

    First sheet music published

  • Music in America is varied at this point

  • Sheet music is growing in popularity

  • Opera begins to produce stars

    Opera begins to produce stars

  • Minstrelsy becomes popular

    Minstrelsy becomes popular

    Portrayed blacks in song, dance and humour
    Blackface
    Most popular form of entertainment at the time
    Thomas "Daddy" Rice
    Zip Coon

  • Music becomes important to the middle class

    Middle class wanted a more gentile, sophisticated home life
  • Love and chivalry become common song topics

    Love and chivalry become common song topics

  • Percussion and brass were added to military bands

    Percussion and brass were added to military bands

  • Rev. Richard Allen compiled "A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns"

    Rev. Richard Allen compiled "A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns"

  • "Star Spangled Bangled" is written

    "Star Spangled Bangled" is written

    Patriotism poem that became a song
  • Piano becomes one of the most popular instruments

    Piano becomes one of the most popular instruments

    Pianos specifically designed and created for the home
    Jonas Chickering was one of the first piano manufacturers
  • Quickstep style of music

    Quickstep style of music

  • Hutchinson Family Singers begin performing

    Hutchinson Family Singers begin performing

    Sang songs of reform and protest
    Anti-slavery "Get Off the Track"

  • Virgnia Minstels perform first show, in Boston

    Banjos, tambourines, fiddle, bones
    "Old Dan Tucker" by Dan Emmett

  • Billboard Magazine established

  • Stephen Foster teams up with Edwin P. Christy

    Stephen Foster teams up with Edwin P. Christy

    Improved show for a large audience
    Produced pop songs
  • Polka style of dancing is popular

    Polka style of dancing is popular

    Introduced in 1844 by Bohemian peasants
    Influenced "Oh Susanna" by Stephen Foster
  • Black entertainers are stars

    Black entertainers are stars

    Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield
    William Henry "Juba" Lane
  • "Gilmore's Band" founded

    "Gilmore's Band" founded

    Controlled artistic and business sides of it
    Stated the "Great National Band"
  • George Root writes "Battle Cry of Freedom"

    George Root writes "Battle Cry of Freedom"

    Denounced South and used as a recruiting song
  • National Peace Jubilee

    National Peace Jubilee

    Lasted 5 days
    Established the wind band's key place in American life
  • Edison invents the phonograph

    Edison invents the phonograph

  • Scott Joplin beomes the most famous and popular ragtime composer

    Scott Joplin beomes the most famous and popular ragtime composer

  • Witman & Sons founded

    Witman & Sons founded

    Publishing company
    Goal was to sell music
  • "After the Ball" by Charles K Harris is a hit

    "After the Ball" by Charles K Harris is a hit

    Harris published the song himself
    Created a boom in sales
  • The cakewalk becomes popular

    The cakewalk becomes popular

    African American dance performed by couples
  • 1st player piano was constructed by Edwin S. Voley

    1st player piano was constructed by Edwin S. Voley

  • Six booking agents formed the Syndicate

    Controlled most major theaters in NY and outside
    Coordinated tours, schedules, shows and content
  • Tin Pan Alley emerges

    Tin Pan Alley emerges

    NYC became music publishing capital, and "Tin Pan Alley"
  • Vaudeville becomes a new form of entertainment

    Vaudeville becomes a new form of entertainment

    Consolidated different types of acts into one show
    Consistent audience of immigrants
  • Ragtime arrives on the scene

    Ragtime arrives on the scene

    Features syncopation
    Whole new form of expression
    Purely American, unconventional,product of slave influencec

  • Song subjects begin to explore new areas

  • Minstrel shows begin to feature blacks

    Minstrel shows begin to feature blacks

  • Piano jazz becomes known as ragtime

    Featured syncopation
    New forms of dancing
    Improvisation in music
    Purely American
  • Black folk music emerges

    Black folk music emerges

    Simple, usually accompanied by one guitar
    Lyrics are direct and often personal
  • Realization that folk music is a living part of history

    Realization that folk music is a living part of history

  • Irving Berlin begins to gain popularity

    Irving Berlin begins to gain popularity

    Chief ragtime composer
    "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
  • First blues song, "Memphis Blues", published

    First blues song, "Memphis Blues", published

  • US Department of Ed. considers folk to be an endangered genre

    Begins collecting songs

  • Tin Pan Alley combines blues and dance music

    Made blues accessible across the racial barrier
  • Victor records the first jazz record

    Victor records the first jazz record

  • Music industry scrambles to record folk singers

    Music industry scrambles to record folk singers

  • Increase in jazz bands and new soloists

    Increase in jazz bands and new soloists

  • Radio stations start to broadcast folk singers

    Radio stations start to broadcast folk singers

  • "Lady Be Good" is first performed on Broadway

    "Lady Be Good" is first performed on Broadway

    Music by George and Ira Gershwin

  • Barn-dance programs are established on the radio

  • Experiments with microphones begin

    Experiments with microphones begin

    Increased audio quality, wider dynamic range, allowed recordings to capture quieter songs, could project in a live setting
  • Carter Family begins recording their brand folk

    Carter Family begins recording their brand folk

    Marks the time when folk begins to lose its purity and becomes more commercial
  • Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein write "Showboat"

    Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein write "Showboat"

  • Musicals become a symbol of the quality of American entertainment

  • Golden Age of Broadway begins

    Golden Age of Broadway begins

  • Busby Berkley begins directing musicals for Samuel Goldwyn

    Busby Berkley begins directing musicals for Samuel Goldwyn

  • Benny Goodman's reign as the "King of Swing" begins

    Benny Goodman's reign as the "King of Swing" begins

  • All theaters can show sound movies at this point

  • "Grapes of Wrath" concert held in NY

    "Grapes of Wrath" concert held in NY

    Woody Guthrie is introduced for the first time
    Held for the benefit of migrant farm workers
  • Woody Guthrie writes "This Land is Your Land"

    Woody Guthrie writes "This Land is Your Land"

  • Musicals continue to develop on both stage and screen

  • Pete Seeger forms the Almanac singers

    Pete Seeger forms the Almanac singers

    First urban folk-singing group
    Made folk music a living force
  • Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein write "Oklahoma"

    Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein write "Oklahoma"

    Created story and setting first
    Symbol of simpler country life, optimism and pleasure

  • After WWII, music business began targeting the younger generation

  • Marlon Brando and James Dean become cult icons

    Marlon Brando and James Dean become cult icons

  • Alan Freed first uses term "rock and roll"

    Alan Freed first uses term "rock and roll"

  • American Bandstand begins

    American Bandstand begins

  • Elvis signs to Sun Records in Memphis

    Elvis signs to Sun Records in Memphis

  • "Rock Around the Clock" becomes first commerical rock and roll hit

    "Rock Around the Clock" becomes first commerical rock and roll hit

    Bill Hailey and the Comets

  • The line between performers and songwriters starts to blur

  • Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album comes out

    Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album comes out

    Established new style of "cool" jazz
  • Solid body guitar is being used in rock and roll music

    Solid body guitar is being used in rock and roll music

    Allows for more versatility
  • Motown Records supports black musicians

    Motown Records supports black musicians

    Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson
  • Beach Boys form

    Beach Boys form

    Icons in pop music genre of the 60s
    Developed music as they grew
  • Beatles arrive in the US

    Beatles arrive in the US

  • British Invasion

    British Invasion

    Bands come over from the UK
    Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who
  • Bob Dylan becomes a figurehead for urban folk music

    Bob Dylan becomes a figurehead for urban folk music

  • Disco emerges

    Disco emerges

    Features a fast, clean guitar strumming rhythm
    Used keyboard/synths
  • Rock music gets louder

    Rock music gets louder

  • Peak of glam rock

    Peak of glam rock

    Queen, KISS, Alice Cooper, David Bowie
  • Rock concerts get bigger and more profitable

    Rock concerts get bigger and more profitable

    Many bands begin to tailor their music for stadium performances
  • Americana emerges as a style

    Americana emerges as a style

    Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Tom Petter
  • Punk rock emerges

    Punk rock emerges

    Sex Pistols and the Clash from the UK
    Velvet Undergroun and the Ramones in the US
    Back to basics rebellion