Essay On The Role Of Music In The Civil War

In the book “A Long Way Gone” music plays a role as a healer and a saviour.

General Lee once remarked, “Without music, there would have been no army” (Kehoe). The New York Herald concurred with Lee in 1862 when a reporter wrote, “All history proves that music is as indispensable to warfare as money; and money has been called the sinews of war. Music is the soul of Mars...” (Bowman). It is evident from these quotes the important role music played in helping soldiers from both armies cope during the war. The Civil War would have been immensely different without the considerable influence that music had on both the Union and Confederate armies. Music played a significant role in motivating soldiers to overcome their hardships in both the Union and the Confederate armies by entertaining and comforting, bringing back memories of home and family, and strengthening the bonds between comrades and helping forge new bonds.

During the Holocaust, Jews in the ghettos and concentration camps used music to keep hope alive and to fuel spiritual resistance, despite the Nazi’s use of music as another weapon in their murder and dehumanization of the Jewish people. Even as the Jews struggled to endure the horrible conditions of ghetto life, musical performance continued, both in secret and in Nazi sanctioned performances. Music encouraged hope in the camps as well, and offered comfort to many Jews during their final hours. However, the Nazi’s sought to use ghetto music as a propaganda tool and concentration camp music to dehumanize and pacify their victims. Nonetheless, many Jews found comfort and hope within the music that they continued to make and listen to, despite the horrors that surrounded them.

Music during the Civil War affected the moods of people, showed pride in your certain region, and shows the experiences of the time. Music could make you sad or ready for a battle with singing a song particular to your army. These songs show us how people felt during this time.

Perhaps one of the strongest demonstrations of the power of music in “Sonny’s Blues” is the street revival. Everyone has seen these types of revivals before. Every song has been heard by the crowd, but when the music starts everyone stops, watches, and listens. “As the singing filled the air the watching, listening faces underwent a change, the eyes focusing on something within; the music seemed to soothe a poison out of them; and time seemed, nearly, to fall away from the sullen, belligerent, battered faces” (57). The music from the street revival helps lifts the hopelessness from the crowd and provides a sense of relief. Music is able to bring people from all walks of life together. It gives them a sense of calm and ease, an assurance that something is there to help. Music listens.

Music has always been an important part of American society and it was no different during the Civil War. Instruments such as bugles, drums, and fifes were used for marching orders, signals,to tell the soldiers to wake up, eat meals, and perform camp chores.Music was also a way to communicate at long distances. A tune called "Cease Fire" that fifers and drummers would play to tell the soldiers to stop firing at the end of a battle while a tune called "Parley" was used to signal to the enemy that a surrender or peace talk was desired. Drummers would play beatings and say turn right or turn left as well as to load and fire their muskets. Unfortunately, it was difficult for a soldier to hold a fife because it required two hands. Instead, cavalry

The War Between the States was complex. If you wish to understand the events, you should refer to a textbook. Music of the time, however, helps us delve into people’s thoughts and opinions on the war, slavery, and many other important issues in our country’s history. Prior to the civil war, American music followed its European roots. During the civil war, American music began to develop in its own way, largely influenced by the music of the African-Americans. The war produced many well-known songs. These songs were important in their time and they are still known to many people today.

Music was always very important to American society being no different from the civil war

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

There were plenty of people who raised their voices and sang along to songs when the Civil War was occurring. Soldiers, however, were the most favored singers to the people they were surrounding. The main reason was that it rose up the people 's spirits and gave them more optimistic views about the war, especially since it created that "sense of national identity" that brought people together; to the Confederates this was crucial since they were a developing nation. The soldiers from both the North and South also sang for their own benefit. Music helped ease their boredom and it served as a way to pass the time, since it "entertained and comforted." The songs that were sung by soldiers were a way for them to think back to any memories from back home, like family or childhood memories. Another thing music did was strengthen "the bonds between comrades and helped forge new ones." Comrades, or soldiers, could connect

Music was a vital part of the war. The Civil War had also been referred to America's “great musical war.” There was a rank for musicians. They played at recruitment rallies and kept up the troops' morale. Their main job was to relay orders from higher ranking officers. The branches of the military determined which instrument made the calls. The drummer boys, fife players, buglers and the songs that they performed played a significant part in the war.

The music that was present in World War II was extremely versatile and happy, which helped keep spirits high among everybody. Styles such as swing, blues, and jazz were popular music styles at the time. By the end of 1941, 96.2% of Americans owned radios. This granted greater access to music and information on the war. This is in contrast to World War I, where most citizens of the world were not as connected to the war through radio. In a way, the mass distribution of music was unifying for the American citizens and troops. However, many African-American musical artists used music to highlight the hypocrisy of the Americans fighting for freedom at that time because there was still a lot of segregation and discrimination in the United States and in it’s military.

It can change the way we carry ourselves or even the way we dress. Songs had a powerful grip and effect on society. Music can give us information or state an opinion. (White)

Before hearing this lecture, I had no concept of the types of music in concentration camps, much less a sense of the music within World War II. The lecture taught me how music and the arts are something that can’t ever be stopped. Even though it’s not mandatory for human life or a lucrative career it has permanently etched a place inside of culture and the continuation of history.

In 1973, exactly twenty-five years prior to my birth, my parents were just in elementary school. They told me stories about their lives back then but none contained any traces of music. The only stories about music back in those years were from my grandmother. Back then, my parents grew up in Viet Nam in a poor family with no televisions so they couldn’t really listen to any music growing up. Although my parents could not listen to music on television like how we can now; they were able to come to live performances by local artists held at the district’s performance center every other month because the shows were free. My grandmother told me that the music back then was really different than how it is now. The songs served many purposes to the citizens, it was an encouragement to soldiers at war, it was the rhythm that put kids to sleep, it was the comfort food for everyone who listen. Grandma told me the style