Music in the United States
The United States of America is known as a melting pot of various cultures and customs. Therefore, with many different cultures, there is no doubt that the United States has many unique genres of music! The important concept to understand is that all of the following genres descended from the foundation of a simple musical notation; today, they are a mix of many different styles from other cultures located around the world.
Rock N' Roll
Rock N' Roll is considered to be a type of popular music, blues and R&B. The exact origins of Rock N' Roll have been debated by musicians and scholars over the years; however, in the typical blues tradition, Rock N' Roll took features from Afro-Caribbean and Latin music techniques. Rock developed as an urban genre, established in areas where a diverse populace resided (i.e. African Americans, Europeans and Latin genres were displayed in the urban society. Over time, Rock N' Roll resulted from the fused nascent sound with elements of country music. The King of Rock N' Roll, also known as Elvis Presley, dominated the charts with his distinct style in the American society. Throughout the 1960s, several important changes occurred through the British invasion where bands, such as The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin became very popular on a grand scale and had a profound effect on American culture and music for lasting years.Punk
During the 1970s, the punk genre- a rebellious form of rock- evolved. Punk was characterized by loud, aggressive, yet simple phrases and it formed as a reaction opposing the popular music of the era: disco and arena rock. The band, The Ramones, became popular during this time in American music history. Later on, alternative rock was derived from hardcore punk and garage rock.
Rap/Hip-Hop
Hip-Hip arose in the 1970s and is considered, today, to be a cultural movement in which the musical notation is separated. Hip-hop is comprised of two different styles: rap and “DJing.” Rap is the performance of swift, highly rhythmic and lyrical vocals, while “DJing” (or producing) is the fabrication of music through sampling, instrumentation, turntablism or beat-boxing, therefore finalizing the establishment of unique musical sounds through vocalized tones and rhythmic patterns. During the 1980s, other performers took the basic foundation of hip-hop and combined it with heavy metal, jazz, techno, funk or soul, in order to raise social awareness; this method of music gave rise to the birth of alternative hip-hop.
Classical
During the era of exploration, many English colonists settled in the new land, the future United States. With this knowledge, it is valid to say that the music culture of the colonists was instilled in the development of the United States. The European colonists established a classical musical tradition which was founded in the traditions of European art, ecclesiastical and concert music. This tradition became predominant between the years 1550 and 1825. Based on the classical tradition, many American classical composers attempted to work within the European structure until the 19th century.
Folk
Folk music in the United States depends on the ethnic groups living in various regions. Early on, the Native Americans tribes each established their own distinct (spiritual) folk music. During the 17th century, a wide range of musical styles were adapted in the U.S. The African Americans, who were imported to the U.S. as slaves, performed music which included genres of blues and gospel. Throughout the colonial era, the migration of English, French and Spanish music styles became a major focus for folk music across the globe, including polka, Ukrainian, and Polish fiddling, Ashkenazi Jewish klezmer and several different types of Latin music genres. Due to the contact of European and African styles, the Native American style of folk music has evolved in new directions. It is interesting to note that the 13 original colonies of the US were all former English possessions, therefore the English culture became well intertwined within American society, and that many American folk songs are pretty much identical to that of British patriotic songs in arrangement, however the American folk songs have new lyrics which were parodies of the original material.
Country
Country is basically a fusion of African-American blues/spirituals with Appalachian folk music, which was also adapted for pop audiences beginning in the 1920s. The roots of country are predominantely located in rural Southern folk music (i.e. Irish and British, with distinct African and continental European music genres). Balladry, Anglo-Celtic songs, and dance music were the earliest forms of the country genre; this form was commonly known as hillbilly music. Country music is usually identified by the accompaniment of string instruments, such as the banjo, guitar, and the ukulele.
Pop
The modern world of the United States is very promising with regard to popular music; beginning with the initiation of recorded music, American performers have continued to lead in the genre of popular music. The story behind popular music usually constitutes American ragtime or Tin Pan Alley; however, others view that popular music began during the time of the European Renaissance, through ballads and vibrant popular traditions. Today, authors will look upon a popular score, and will be able to trace the American popular music to spirituals, vaudeville, or even the patriotic songs of the American Civil War.
Blues
During the first decade of the 20th century, Blues developed as a music genre. Blues was established in the rural south and was a combination of African work songs, field hollers and shouts. Today, Blues remains a prominent genre of music.
R&B/Soul
Rhythm and Blues originated in the 1930s -1940s and is usually abbreviated as R&B. R&B comprised of large rhythm units and it was not customarily recorded and promoted because record companies believed that this musical genre was not appropriate for most audiences. Soul music is a combination of rhythm and blues with gospel; this genre began in the late 1950s. Soul is commonly charaterized by its use of gospel-music devices; however, there is a greater emphasis on vocalists and the use of secular themes. Ray Charles, James Brown and Sam Cook are "Noteable" figures whose recordings are considered of the soul genre.
Disco/Dance/Techno
Towards the end of the 70s, soul, funk, rock and other genres were highly dominated by disco(popular dance music). With disco, electro/techno music and funk emerging as new popular art forms, soul became less raw and slickly fabricated.
Inspirational
Inspirational music primarily has to do with the expression of religious faith, predominately sung by slaves on southern plantations. Today, inspirational music crosses all borders of cultural diversity; therefore, attending to each culture, there are bound to be songs illustrating faith.
Jazz
Jazz is typically characterized by swung and blue notes, improvisation, and call and response vocals. It is interesting to note that jazz was originally a type of dance music and has become a major feature of Western classical music. The foundation of the jazz genre is defined by West African culture and musical expression, African-American music (i.e. ragtime and the blues), as well as European military band music. A "noteable" person, who had achieved many musical aspirations in the jazz genre, was Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was renown with his ability to improvise and his capability of creating numerous variations on a single melody. Later on, Louis Armstrong was noted to have popularized scat singing, and improvisational vocal technique. Armstrong was famous for his contributions to the rise of the pop big band jazz, commonly called swing. (1)
The following map depicts the diverse styles and genres displayed across the Unites States of America.
(2)
(1)Wikipedia. “Music of the United States.” Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 1 Apr. 2009. 1 Apr. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_United_States>.
(2)Wikipedia. “File:USmusicmap.png.” Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 2 Feb. 2006. 1 Apr. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USmusicmap.png>.