Musicians and Composers of World War II Essay

Another thing was the music of the 1940s, the 1940s was the decade of “the crooner” as the other form of entertainment the musical entertainment also played tribute to the war by many popular songs like “God Bless America”. This songs were sometimes were taken to war and it made solders said that the music took them home and they loved it.

Both Jazz music and World War II had a significant impact on each other. Jazz music boosted the morale of soldiers fighting abroad and also lifted the spirits of their loved ones back at home. Many jazz musicians were soldiers, and several others traveled overseas or across the country to entertain U.S. troops. Among these performers were Bing Crosby, Artie Shaw, and Benny Carter. Jazz music was not only evident in American culture, but also in European countries, particularly in Nazi-occupied areas where it was a sign of rebellion. I want to further explore how the war affected the accessibility of jazz during the time, as well as how the war helped shape the musical direction

Many artists were drafted into service to fight the wars and killed. Because of the political movements in Italy and Germany, some composers fled their native lands mainly to the United States. Those composers found the employment in American colleges and schools of music (Zorn and August 2006). The changes in the commercial aspect of music distribution along with new means of music communication occurred in this period. There were many organized concert series in large and small urban centers. Music for motion pictures became one of the important music outlets. Yet writing music for the new musical genre, films was on the periphery if the musical mainstream, films reached the biggest number of audience. Begging in the first half of the twenties century, recordings and radio became a big deal. Those were heard in all kinds of surroundings; at home, the market, the office, the factory, the playground, and even the sports field (Wold, Martin, Miller, and Cykler 1990,

The Allies and the Axis, two opposing alliances battled each other from 1939 to 1945 with an estimation of over 60 million causalities. With the surprise aerial attack from Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, many musical artists were underway with recording war-themed songs. “Music played its role, whether as an instrument of blatant propaganda or as a means of entertainment, and uplift, music pervaded homes and concert halls, army camps and government buildings, hospitals and factories.” World War II had a colossal effect on the growth of jazz music, which also performed a part in the United States’ war effort. “Jazz and jazz-influenced popular music were a rallying cry for U.S. servicemen, and helped as well to boost the morale of loved ones at home, who by listening to patriotic and romantic songs on the radio and on their phonographs were encouraged to wage war on the home front.” In 1943 Bing Crosby recorded the infamous “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” track with its intention of praising the soldiers fighting for the American citizen overseas in Europe. Christmastime in the United States is revolved around spending time family and friends. Once World War II was underway, the typical rituals performed around this time were broken. Crosby’s song recognized the belief that even if things have changed, the loved soldiers, fathers, anyone in context overseas

World War II brought about numerous hardships, but through these hardships many people found happiness through music, entertainment, recreation, and leisure activities. Patriotism ran high and influenced the pop culture, including the music industry during and around the time of World War II. Many songs addressed the war directly giving information of the war

Music amid World War II unprecedentedly affected America, both on the home front and on troops serving abroad. Dissimilar to World War I, which happened in the pre-radio period, by December 1941, for all intents and purposes each American family unit, 96.2 percent, possessed radios. At no other time had recordings of tunes and live musical exhibitions been show to such a large number of a great many Americans, both to those supporting the war at home and to troops serving all through the world. For some Americans, this mass appropriation of music had a binding together, devoted impact by raising the assurance of the troops abroad and rousing and motivating the Americans at home to completely bolster all parts of the war exertion. Some African

The 1930s were a great time for music and new kinds of it. For example, “Though the jazz age had ended, during the 1930s jazz continued to mature as a musical form.[...] Big bands began transforming it into danceable swing music” (Cynthia, Baker 1). Jazz was transforming into something people liked more and more. It was exciting because people could now dance to the music. Music continued to transform and new forms came into existence, “Another style of music that developed during the decade was distinctly western in form”(Cynthia, Baker 2). A new style was invented that would grow into one of the more famous genres that continues to be popular today, Country Western. This shows growth because the Western United States was developing its own

Music is a way of uttering how one feels through melody. For many centuries people have listened to music to fit the tone. Even in World War One, when many were being killed, there was music written about the war. In 1914 the great war began, many creating and recreating songs to fit the war time. Many made songs to reveal the connection of the to nature and people of that time, These songs would include “I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,” “Oh Moon On a Summer Night (Tell My Mother Her Boys All Right),” “When Yankee Doodle Learns To Parlez Vous Francais,” and “Throw No Stones In The Well That Gives You Water.” and many more. Find out more detailed and analyzations of these songs in the following paragraphs.

It is an extremely difficult time for the Music Industry which began in the 1930 and

In this essay, I will be discussing the music of Jewish composers who were unable to showcase their pieces, due to the massive animosity towards their race, despite having composed several outstanding pieces of music. Although they were persecuted severely during the Nazi era, they too contributed to the international music community. For many of the Jewish composers, the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and Austria was an increasing danger to their safety in the country. They had to make difficult choices to survive –To stay in Germany and remain oppressed in their very own country, or to leave, and be detached from their own cultural roots forever.

Music played a major role in the way people lived during the World War II era. It affected the way people coped and the way people grieved. While this era was a very serious and bleak time, people still found joy in music. World War II was the first war to happen in the age of electronically mass distributed music. The role of music during this time helped keep positive spirits among people all around the world. On a different note, the Germans played music to their soldiers to motivate them to continue to fight. Music was used as propaganda throughout the countries involved to gain public support.

Throughout history, music has always played a large part in military actions. Sometime the music was pro-war directed, but most of the time, it was directed to the ending of war. It is also interesting to note, that until the early 1960’s, most of the wartime music was up-beat and offered encouragement to our troops. Enter the Vietnam War, or conflict as it has been called, and everything changed Starting as early as the Civil War, music was used to influence the war. In fact, one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite pro-war songs was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, which would be countered by “Dixie” from the confederate states.

With this concept in mind, the Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur, or the Militant League for German Culture, was created in 1929. Originally headed by Alfred Rosenburg, the Nazis took over the institution when Hitler rose to power and it became known as the Reichskulturkammer in 1933. The RKK was created to combat cultural influence that did not further “Germanness”. A division of the RKK became known as the Reichsmusikammer, or the RMK, that was used to censor music all throughout Germany. The only problem with the RMK was that it was entirely run by men with almost no musical background. It can be agreed that all Germans were very fond of music and its impact on the soul, but not all took the time to learn how to create and play music. The first of many cultural restrictions targeted music specifically and crippled the creation of music in German society.

The major war of World WarⅡhad a bigger impact on the music that surrounds us more than most realize. The war caused many gradual changes such as, the change into musical groups instead of Big Bands, musician royalty payment, and the limit to materials used in musical instruments. Between 1941 and 1951 bands have became smaller because of expenses and obstacles from the war. During the musicians protest there was the want for royalty payment for albums and artists. Lastly, the war caused a limit in the materials used to make musical instruments.

Composers rely heavily on ritornello form. More freedom in the form although a sinfonia proper is later developed.