Cultural Influences On American Music

European stream influenced American Pop Music on Melody, harmony and verse structure. Church hymns was first influenced by European. William Billings and Lowell Mason are two great examples. The church music they composed had some instinct features that are similar to European Music, such as strong melodies, four-part singing and chord progressions.

The history of rock and roll is a rich and complex one. It has been around for a very long time and has greatly influenced American culture in many ways. Rock and roll has shaped various genres of music today and has helped create completely new ones. Not only has it created new styles of music but it has even influenced the way people dress, and dance too. It is a unique combination of various styles of music that has been melted into one just perfectly to create what we call today.

When first looking at this chapter what came to mind was A Tribe Called Red. Thinking about Native music they are the first people I think off. They show how Natives Americans can be modern while still using traditional music. I also thought about powwows

Commonly thought of as one of the most influential genres in black culture in the United States, Funk Jazz originated in the mid-1960s and was popularized throughout the 1970s & early 1980s. Characterized by electric sounds, a strong backbeat and an early use of analog synths, Funk-Jazz is a combination of Southern Soul, Funk & R&B influences mixed in with jazz. Musicians such as Lonnie Smith, Roy Ayers and Jack McDuff were instrumental in laying the foundation that set in motion events that would bring this genre to the forefront of pop culture. To this day, Funk-Jazz continues to thrive in many forms worldwide.

Almost all aspects of American culture were changing and music was at the heart of it all. Ranging from the folk movement led by Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Dave Van Ronk to the release of "Revolution 1" on the Beatles' White Album. Music gave the generation of the social change new inspiration and an outlet to express their dissatisfaction with the established morals of society. Rock n’ roll became popular, lyrics were becoming more sexual, and everyone wanted a piece of the rebellion. Artists like Bob Dylan and Elvis were a huge influence on the music scene of the 60s and bands such as The Beatle, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors were out to change the world. The Rolling Stones were not afraid to express their sexual desires through their music.

First of all, the idea that any foreign country could have a significant impact on American musical tastes had been pretty much unthinkable before 1964. Long before rock 'n ' roll--in fact, pretty much from the advent of recorded music, American popular music ruled the world. Jazz and swing music, which originated in the US, were hugely popular in England and Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. While the British and French had their own home-grown jazz and pop stars, some of whom might have an occasional trans-Atlantic hit, none ever had any sustained impact in the US.

Rock ‘n’ roll has made an extreme impact on the American culture for individuals and their growth in society. Plato, a famous philosopher, says, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” (“A Quote”). Rock 'n' roll is a form of music that has made many opportunities possible for the American people. This category of music has also opened doors for future generations and America's evolution. Rock ‘n’ roll in American culture has been beneficial in the progression of life styles because it has advanced the relationship between music and technology, created distinct social changes in cultures and adolescents, and formed new inspirational music genres.

Jazz and the culture surrounding its history has evolved into one of the worlds most widely known art forms and eras of American music. It is distinguished by its variety of musical characteristics; as well as its evolution in New Orleans, its early performers, the instruments that make it, where it was performed, and the infusion of African and European musical elements. This paper will examine the origins of this unique musical identity along with its characteristics and the cultural history surrounding it.

We can understand America’s culture through the lens of music. We can identify how it became a major part of American culture and how it still affects us today. Many people ask them self’s today how music became a huge part of American culture and how did it all begin. Where did it originate and who came up with the type of genres that were popular and are still a big hit in today’s music. I know for a fact that a popular and loved genre of music that is still a tremendous impart in our lives today is the famous Jazz music.

Throughout its history, music has permeated the significant events of American history. Its effect on American society and the way the American people cope with each event has only grown as popular music evolves and new genres reach more and more individuals. People can remember where they were and their exact surroundings to amazing detail when asked about life-changing events in history. Older generations will remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their children will remember when Kennedy was assassinated and when man walked on the moon. Their grandchildren will remember much of the turmoil of the ‘70s and ‘80s and their great grandchildren grew up in the world impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. Even one’s surroundings during the start or end of a relationship or personal events such as graduation, getting a driver’s license, or getting married can all be paired with the music that was popular at the time.

Afro-American music has a rich history in the United States and is vital when considering American music in general. There is a disagreement among scholars whether Afro-American music and its distinctive styles have positively affected race relations in the United States. Its history is so large that there is no doubt that there were, and continue to be, both negative and positive effects among the population. It is important to examine the entirety of black music in the U.S. from its African roots and subsequent slave music, to blues, ragtime, jazz, R&B, soul, and finally modern hip hop when examining its influences on society. It is no doubt the most significant and influential musical tradition for American music at large and had a large influence across the world.

Finally, there was Arts and Media which played a great role in influencing the american culture. Hip-hop and rap music became very well known and influential due to the popularity of artists such as Eminem, Jay-Z, The black eyed peas, and Kanye West. Although Hip-hop and rap became very popular, traditional “pop”, and “boy bands” maintained their popularity. Adult contemporary music and country continued to remain strong. R&B and emo music also had an uprising in the music industries during this time period. Some of most popular dance moves were the cha-cha-slide, lean back, 1, 2 step, walk it out, chicken noodle soup, soulja boy, the stanky leg, and many more.

Often labeled as America’s classical music, jazz has spread like wild fire since it’s origin in the early 20th century. Jazz was birthed by post Civil War African-Americans that finally had the freedom to express their African heritage combined with their new American culture. Initially, jazz was seen as inferior music in America and it was only played and heard in heavily African-American communities. However, the reach of jazz has grown to an international scale. This global outreach has musically connected cultures that now have a common ground where they can allocate ideas and traditions.

The events at Altamont shocked the world and helped popularized the Rolling-Stones and the way concerts can go out of control. The views of this film establish an image of the aesthetics of the culture of the time period were drugs had a major influence on American culture. People’s actions at concerts and the way they danced, dressed and behave gave the perspective that some of these people weren’t in the right state of mind to think first before they acted out. Music has an importance and has always developed a connection with people that sponsored different feelings on events and topics going on in America. This period in general has been known to be a love revolution. After the success of Woodstock, which happened four months earlier, people

Country music is constantly changing, an example of this is how women are now viewed in country music. The American form of music became popular in the 1920’s, and continued to grow, artists of this era include the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and Vernon Dalhart. One of country’s most well-known female singers is Dolly Parton, becoming a major country star in the 1970’s. Dolly was one of the first female artists to challenge the gender stereotypes in country music, this major success led to her long career. She has contributed over 35 hits to country and popular music, including her album Coat of Colors released in 1971, by RCA records was the album that changed her career. The 8th solo album made it onto Time Magazine 's 100 Greatest