Study Questions 1_16

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Apr 3, 2024

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STUDY QUESTIONS for MUSIC 241 American Music, Winter Semester 2024 Tuesday 1/16: A) The Postwar Era (1946-1954) and B ) Post-WWII Art Music Lecture Recording A) The Postwar Era (1946-1954) 1. What was the socio-economical context of America immediately following WWII? (a) What new record-buying audience emerged during this time? Post-war economic boom, Television, Decline of big bands. Race Relevations: 1948 Truman ends discrimination in armed forces. 1954 Brown vs. Board of education. 1955 Rosa Parks bus incident. 2. Who introduced Top 40 radio programming and why? DJ Todd Stortz wanted to sell records. However he didn’t know what people were listening to. For lostenres on the radio, he couldn’t exactly question the people on what they were listening to since radios are a one way not a two way trancomunication. 3. What was payola (1959-1960) and which media did it involve? When record companies started paying DJs to play music whether it is good or not. That is what payola was known as. It means “pay for play” It srtaed on TV and ended upcoming to the recording industry. TV shows such as Tic Tac Dough or The Price is Right. (a) Who were Alan Freed and Dick Clark, and what was their involvement in payola? Alan Freed one of America’s msot popular DJs. He had the largest DJing event. He was controversial before payols sonce he refused to play white covers of african american songs. He wanted to play rhythm and blue artist music. Dick Clark hosted the television show for years and years that he got the new year’s eve celebration in New York anmed after him. He would bring people onto his televtision show and they danced on there. All the teens in the audience were not allowed to wear dresses from the knee up. He came out of payola unscaved even though he had received money to play on the show. 4. Briefly describe the introduction and impact of the following technological advancements of the period: (a) magnetic tape recording: 1948 was the release of the first tape recorder. Magnetic tape can be rewinded. Played from another recorder and recorded. It can be taped so it goes in a loop. 4 different things right after the other can be recorded.

(b) solid body electric guitar: Les paul created this. Made it a splid body of food and added pickups that sends signals into the amplifier. This revolutionized music. Artists who played this instrument became superstars. (c) FM radio: Discovered in 1939 and was a way to transmit without interference. FM radio waves can travel across the earths surface using towers. (d) television: Everyone was on the radio since people could not see who the artist was. The artist needs to be visually attractive with costume and visuality on stage. People wanted to see the people singing in action rather than just hearing. Add a face to a voice. 5. Name two singers from the swing era who dominated the popular music scene of the 1940s and 1950s. (a) Frank Sinatra (b) Nat King Cole 6. What kinds of music were included under the label 'rhythm and blues' during the post-war period? Connotation (African American music). Syncopation, call and response. Gospel music. New style called “sole”. Latin American rythyms. 7. The jump band style, exemplified by Louis Jordan's "Choo-Choo-Ch-Boogie," evolved from pre-war big-band jazz. What changes did it introduce in each of the following areas? (a) Instrumentation: Base player and Trumbone. (c) Rhythm: Jazz. 8. In 1951 Jackie Brenston recorded "Rocket 88." (a) Why is this sometimes considered "the first rock and roll record"? It was swing music. This saxophone solo sounded more like distorted, rock and roll. This music was made for dancing since it urged people to get up and dance. *9. What is the Latin "tinge" heard in Bo Diddley's 1955 hit song "Bo Diddley"? Latin tinge is the musical influence from Latino communities was making its way into American popular music. Salsa was becoming its own genre which is why there wasnt a lot of latino usic being heard during this era. 10. In which ways had hillbilly music changed by the mid- to late-1940s? By the 1940s, artists didn’t like to be called hillbillies. They no longer agreed with this mentality that several artists from the south were growing up in. Hillbillly officially changed to country. Race Records offically changes to Rhythym and Blues.

(a) who were some new stars emerging from of country music? Kitty Wells, Patti Page, Eddy Arnold, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Hank Thompson. 11. Briefly describe the origins and connotations of honky-tonk style. Named after places where music was performed. (a) What are some musical characteristics of honky-tonk that appear in Hank Williams' hit song "Your Cheatin' Heart"? (b) Why is Hank Williams considered to embody the 'hardcore country' persona? i. How does he reflect this in ”I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry." Twangy Vocals and themes about heartbreak played a big role in honky-tonk style. Simple instrumentation is typical of honky-tonk music, frequently emphasizing the usage of steel guitars, fiddles, and acoustic guitars. In keeping with this theme, "Your Cheatin' Heart" highlights the fundamentals of honky-tonk culture. Authenticity and emotional depth played a role in comparison to Hank Willaims and the hardcore country persona. That reflects to the song “I’m so lonesome I could cry” because of sparse arrangement and poetic lyrics. *Homework : Ask your parents, or in some cases grandparents, about one or two of their music experiences in the 1950’s. My grandparents music experiences during this was consisted of more traditional and soothing sounds as they had grown up in India and had ryhtmitic slohks and praying music with the same beats non stop. Lecture Recording B ) Post-WWII Art Music 1. Why is Aaron Copland (1900-1990) often viewed as the most significant "American" composer after Ives? He was of russian jewish heritage. He adopted a nationalist agenda. He felt that his music should speak to the people of America. He reached out to all American traditions. Ones that he didn’t really grow up with. All contributed to that american patchwork quilt. (a) How does his "American-ness" come across in works such as Appalachian Spring (1944)? American hymns and folk songs serve as the inspiration for Copland's incorporation of folk elements into the score. The Appalachian region's folk music traditions are reflected in the use of straightforward, diatonic melodies.The song expresses themes like optimism, hope, and the spirit of the pioneer that are connected to the American experience. It conveys a feeling of fresh starts and the development of an own American identity.

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