http://music.msn.com/music/grammys2008/winnerslist?GT1=10948
Tell me how you feel about the winners and what you think about this music and American culture. Does this affect " American" music ( or doesn't)? What is American Music? Dvorak wrote a piece to which he thought was the sound of America but in a world where we are more of a blender than a melting pot, what can we define as our music? Did the historians get is right with Broadway composers like Gershwin or who could forget the "Beef's what's for dinner?" theme? Share your thoughts on what you think and the dificulties of maybe even teaching "American" music. Definetly looking foward to hearing different thoughts and opinions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Dvorak wrote the piece in the style of what he thought was the "American" sound. This does not mean that his music was "American." His music was not American at all, it was Czech. American music, I believe, can be described quite literally as music that is made, produced, and or conceived in America. Jazz = American. Musical theatre = American.
If one were to teach "American" music the main focus should probably be on Jazz, and from there one can branch out to rag and African rhythms and blues - all the elements that we Americans put together to make our own music. Musical theatre is another big American art form - of course one could teach about the different composers: Roger and Hart, Roger and Hammerstein, George Cohan, Jason Robert Brown, and etc. . .
I believe that the Grammy Awards do affect American culture. The whole concept is to nominate and pick what is considered the most "popular." Of course, we know this to be very subjective among people; however, knowing that Amy Winehouse won a big category will definitely affect what music Americans, in general, will listen to.
My apologies for not clarifying Dvorak's background ( fail to mentioned that, oops!).
Jazz is interesting because even that was influence by European music as well as African music and has evolved ( I choose to use that word instead of created because it is a mesh-mosh of two art forms) from the depths of Southern US. Also, the thought of the Jazz concept was developed before the slaves were even here, it just was not as organized and half the reason why it became organized was because it was there only way of communicating freely without causing trouble ( and sometimes it did).
I do say Musical theater is as close to an orginal American art form but even it has its' roots in Greek plays and European plays only it is sung. By the way, if you get a chance, there is a video with Juile Andrews talking about the history of Broadway by PBS. it is a REALLY AMAZING video that people should watch, especailly as an educator and this has influenced me to this opinion.
I have not liked Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" song but I am interested in listening what all the commotion is about.Or maybe it is her run-ins with the law that has made her a desirable singer? I could go on about how I truly feel about the Grammys but that would just be ranting. But I definetly agree that if it anticises my curiousity to go beyond the "rehab" song, then it definelty has an affect on society...which leads me to another post I will leave later on.
The piece is actually based on what Dvorak called "Negro Hymns" (pardon my political incorrectness). So as Chad said, it was his concept of American sound. Let us also remember that it was written in 1893 - in New York. I think by Chad's definition, that makes it American music. Musical theater really only existed at this time through two British artists - W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan. Up to this point "American" music existed through Slave songs and folk songs. I don't think this concept of a "melding pot" (or blender...same thing) was really adopted until the turn of the century with all of the immigration. The pastoral style and spiritual tunes used in the piece make it as "American" as it could be at that time. Does that mean that it is explicitly American today? No. So where is the issue?
American culture is so difficult because it is originally a "melting-pot" recipe. I think what defines something as American is something that can only happen here or feel the same way here, something that we as an American society all relate/connect with. Revolutionary tunes have been deemed American--not because they were composed in America, they were brought from Europe, but because they hold an American purpose. Something that is linked to our culture.
I agree with Chad. American music is (Western music or)an American sound, not the American way.
The Grammy's however, signify something else for me. I remember watching them as a child wanting to be a part of that world. However, a lot has changed since then. Considering that music is in a state of emergency, the Grammy's are left celebrating mediocrity, and the undeserved musical successes of todays singing sensations. That's not to say that all of them are talentless, but lets face it... a LARGE number of popular artist are either screamers or raspy whisperers. I think that is ridiculous, but thats another topic for another day.
I don't mean to quibble, but I cannot agree that America was ORIGINALLY a melting pot. It was not. America was originally a group of British settlers - not to mention the slaves. America was not founded to be a place of cultural diversity. It was created as an escape for a select group of people. It was around the turn of the century with the huge flood of immigrants that we created this ideology.
I do think that the Grammy Awards have an impact on what is classified as American Music and I am not happy about this. As Chad said, it's basically the most "popular vote." This is based on album sales and air time I am assuming, but as we learned from watching that documentary in ed lab, the music industry is all about what will get the highest ratings, what fits into the formula for a #1 hit? It also depends on how much money someone is willing to pay to get air time. If this is what we are going to classify as the American Sound, then I think we are failing as musicians and music educators. I feel that part of our role in music education to bring forward music that doesn't get much, if any air time, and find the beauty in that too. I am not saying that all the songs on the radio are horrible for American music. I am saying that there is a plethora of possible candidates that warrant some of our time and they simply can not be recognized because they do not fit into that perfect little cookie cutter mold of what a #1 hit would be right now. It may take a while to appreciate some of the struggling artists out there now. You may need to hear a song a couple of times before you even being to understand it, and with the radio stations being so "anti art," it may be hard to experience what that song may have to offer. Yes the Grammy's are fun to watch and yes there are some talented people performing there, but I don't think that we should allow it to identify American culture. It shouldn't be a popularity contest.
Post a Comment