Hey Mr. Dj Put a Record On!

We've gotten to a point where the music industry has started to expand and become really big. The advancement in technology has definitely help boost people's ability to listen to their favorite music. Magnetic tape and speed records made by various record companies are just a few. But the biggest influence on the music industry is the radio. Since every household at that time had a radio its virtually impossible to not be exposed to music. Now the type of music being broadcast out to the crowd is a different story. If a certain song is played over and over again like a broken record people will tend to remember that particular song. And sooner or later the song and its artist will become popular. The ones who control the contents being played are the radio djs. Most of the time they are bribed by record companies to play a particular song more often. Comparing this to the radio stations we have nowadays do you think that something similar to the bribery scandals in the late 1940's still exist today? (Think about how often a particular song would be played on the radio.)

Swing Era

The Swing Era played a huge role in the rise of African American music in the United States. White people always looked at black people as inferior to them, yet black people had better/more talents and more ways to entertain themselves and eventually entertain others. White people also always stole the black people's ideas. Since all these things happened between both races, why did the whites look at the blacks as different from them when it clearly seemed that the whites needed the blacks in almost everything they did? And if it weren't for black people, would the music that we listen to today still exist in our daily lives?

Swing

the idea that record companies used "hot" and "sweet" to identify a certain style is another way they used it to divide race in the music industry. Hot jazz was more oriented to the black jazz players who had a thicker beat and let the music do more of the talking. In sweet the whiter side had more singer based with a few solo's here and there. The idea to only appeal to certain audience is odd to use but it was not far fetched in the early 1900's. The music industry distancing itself from black players and music may have set back much of the styles progress. one player comes to mind when talking about race and swing and that would be Duke Ellington. Playing the cotton club for rich white folk who would come to "experience black life. What the cotton club was really doing is portraying what it might have been for African Americans during that time. They had no idea of what it really meant to be a minority they were just profiting from the new style and doing it well.

It'd be nice to see some giving back...

We discussed the how the war effort for World War II had a dramatic impact on the music industry. Its heart warming to see how musicians sacrificed their income to support the troops at the time. With the creation of volunteer organizations as a way to help support the war, it is interesting to see that musicians would jump on that as a way to help their country. It seems that today musicians would be too concerned about their profits to sacrifice them for a chance to give back to the men and women that protect our country. This may be contributed to the fact that Americans are less supportive of the conflicts that our troops are fighting in over-seas. It might just be me, but I feel that whether or not we actually support the conflict is irrelevant to the fact that our troops deserve our support for what they are doing. The efforts that musicians back in the World War II era gave to support our troops would be a rare sight in todays society.

Swing/WW2 Music and Video Games

Alright, time to be a nerd. Before this class, I knew a lot about the music of this time. I attribute this to some of the video games I've played, and yeah I know it's nerdy. However, games such as Fallout 3 have music from these times, or sometimes they create new songs using the style of swing and World War II's music. I thought this was interesting, because when the music was played I thought immediately of that. So maybe a new argument could be made that video games are educational. But I don't feel like getting into that.

Music & World War II

WWII brought about a tremendous increase of technology. It was the first war during the age of mass electronically distributed music; for the first time people were able to listen to music from there homes, and roughly 90% of American households own a radio. This allowed for the music that was being published and produced at the time to get ample exposure to the public. There is a whole category of music that emerges during WWII. Nationalism was on the rise and country's used music as a means for war propaganda. Music and popularity of the radio had a tremendous impact on WWII as musicians could relate to the public mass about the hardships of war

comparing the U.S. then and now

What interests me the most is that back in the day of WWII the people made numerous sacrifices whole heartedly. What's even cooler is that it wasn't just the main masses but people from all parts of the social scale; the movie stars and other elites took 'precious' time away from their careers and their success to give to many young boys who would never return home. it seems the nation as a whole understood that the true sacrifices that the newest generation of the time were making; that if the boys were lucky enough to make it home they would always have to feel the burden of their physical and emotional scars the witnessed in war.

This time however, the nation is fighting two wars and not really anyone knows or cares about it. Stars today are so self-absorbed that hardly any recognition goes towards the war effort or its soldiers; and if they did its a childish argument blaming the government or other groups.

Whats really curious, if no one is in for this war, why does it continue? many argue the government keeps it going, but other points in america's history where the mass disliked the way the country was heading and they protested and forcefully made the government pull out, (example: Vietnam) so does this mean the masses are satisfied with wars that seem to have no progression? We are in the technology age yet the people have never been so uninformed,

so my simple question is, what happened? When and why did the American people change?

Autry and Bush

I found it interesting that many people praised Gene Autry for continuing with his song after Roosevelt made his "Infamous" Speech. Although I applaud him for doing so I also noticed a parallel with the way George W Bush acted after he was informed of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Upon hearing what was happening to his fellow countrymen Bush continued on with his work, at that time reading a story with a grade school class. This was met with many people being appauled by the fact that the President did not imediately act. What I do not understand is why people thought so highly of Autry when he showed that the attack on Pearl Harbor would not scare the US into submition but Bush remaining calm upset people while trying to convey the same point.

When Swing Was King

I think the beginning of the big bands in the swing era really added a different and exciting touch to swing music. The different instruments and beats really gets the listener's feet tapping. I believe the highlighted solos of different instruments throughout the songs, best demonstrated in "Sing, Sing,Sing" really added so much individual style and a certain musician impressionist in each song. It really makes you appreciate each and every instrument as well as each musicians talents.

Song Themes

One thing that was mentioned in todays lecture which seemed to stick with me was how a war can effect the themes in music for that period. For example there were an astonishing number of songs that came out of the Vietnam war which for the most part focused on the issues and the feeling of protest which are still widely known today. What struck me though was that the songs that were in support of defeating the nations enemies during WWII were basically forgotten and turned out to be flops during the time they were released. I wonder what factors may have gone into this difference in public acceptance.

Swing Era

Though World War Two was interesting the the sense that everyone came together and helped the war effort, I feel that the Swing Era was more interesting.. The feeling that Swing music gives me, and I'm sure gave many people when it was first performed, is like no other kind of genre of music. This was what ignited a kind of energy and revitalized the youth of the '20s and '30s, which to me is just amazing considering that there was a depression in the U.S. Of course, every new genre of music such as rock n' roll seems to be hated by the adults, but imagining that kids went out and danced and went a little crazy because of music that does not even have vocals fascinates me. I love music without vocals, I love bands that emphasise the talents of the musicians, and I love music that makes people happy; therefore, the genre Swing as well as its entire era gets in A+ in my book.

Music of WWII

During World War II the use of technology was a great way for troops to communicate with their home land. The development and advancement of the radio contributed to the surge of music and radio stations directed towards benefiting our troops. American troops had regular access to the radio in all but the most difficult combat situations, not only did these troops know specific songs but they knew specific recordings. This gave a nature to American troops music during WWII, they would listen to the radio between combats on Arm Forced Radio.

A Song That Will Live in Infamy

The best thing about World War II music is the very fact that there is an actual "genre" of music that is comprised of music solely produced for the support of the troops and the war itself. Throughout history, as we have probably learned numerous times, there was a gigantic war effort once the U.S. entered WWII. And, at least in my opinion, the best effort was shown through the music of the time, which was endorsed by big name celebrities. It reflected the morale of society: no one wanted to lose faith in the country. I don't know if it was the fear of speaking out against the war effort, or just the overall support of WWII itself, but I do not see the same effect of the current war on society today. True, there is no draft, or rationing for supplies, however, there are still troops overseas, and I am sure that they would enjoy a good old fashioned USO dance to come home to once in a while! It seems to me that musicians during WWII were more conscious of the war and more willing to put forth time, effort, and money to contribute in any way possible. In those times, people like Cole Porter, Bing Crosby, The Andrew Sisters, and many more musicians produced songs about life in WWII, such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Even as the years went on, and wars erupted and fizzled out, such as the Vietnam War, there were still musicians who cared enough about war to compose songs about it. Granted, these songs were mostly protest songs, written by artists such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many others. Even though songs such as "Blowin' In The Wind" outwardly protested war, they were still a reaction. As mentioned in lecture, today, you don't find many songs about anything concerning war or the country's state of being, or even movement of support or protest in popular culture. Do you think this is because celebrities are uneducated about the affairs of the world, or do you think they simply don't care?

Music of WWII

I was most intrigued by the Hollywood Canteen when we talked about music of WWII today in class. The fact that anybody in the service could go here to escape or have a nice night of entertainment for completely free is shocking to me. I think that Katie brought up a good point today saying that sadly, if the Hollywood Canteen was around today, it would most likely not happen because of the more selfish environment we live in. I don't think any famous musicians would offer to perform for free at all because of the way celebrities are fueled by money now-a-days.

http://www.hollywoodcanteenla.com/history

I learned some really cool stuff on this website about the Hollywood Canteen and how it was closed for over 50years and then re-opened in 2001 (a little fun fact for you) at a new location, however.

I have not seen the whole movie but I have seen parts and it is a really interesting movie! Check out the trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyLMNe7NsA4

The Hollywood Canteen closed in 1944 after the movie was put out and it was said to have held "almost three million servicemen."

during WWⅡ

It is interesting that musicians supported the war and created songs to motivated soldiers during WWⅡ because nowadays we can see only anti-war activities and songs of musicians. Did the government force musicians to support the war at that time? Were there any musicians who created anti-war songs?

Lets Get Pumped Up

During WWII music was a sense of motivation. These discs were sent overseas in effort to boost the morale of the troops. The discs were called victory discs. Even though these bands were creating music, the band leaders and their bandmates began enlisting into the military. This caused a scarce number of musicians to create these v-discs. If the band leaders did not enlist do you think their would of been a greater number of songs being created? Do you think if more musicians entered the war do you think that morale of the American troops would be down and cause them to fight differently?

I'm a little bit country!

When I found out today about Gene Autry and what he did following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech, I thought to myself " What a great individual!" The reason I say this is because when Pearl Harbor happened everyone was in shock and didn't know what to do. Gene Autry proved to Americans that there was no stopping "America's Tune." Also Gene Autry was the stepping stone for your typical "Country Man." His imaged helped drive the popularity and culture of country music. I really feel that if it weren't for Gene Autry and the Grand Ole Opry, there would be no country music.

Escape Songs

During WWII much of the music was labeled as "escape music", similarly to how the Great Depression influenced Tin Pan Alley music to create escape songs as well. Do you think our country tends to avoid difficult epidemics through the use of music instead of facing the issue at hand; are any modern day songs showing similar patterns to escape from the war we're in now?

Why no help?

During WWII, musicians and celebrities greatly supported the war, and tried to help out all that they could. They would give profits to the war, help out soldiers, write songs, and much more. It all showed their devotion to the U.S. However, nowadays, this is a bit unheard of. We do not even know if any musicians would give their time or money to the war, because now, supporting the war is not something many musicians do. Maybe, it is just the difference in the types of wars, but I know that the war in Iraq, for example had little support from musicians. I can think of many negative songs written about the war and George W. Bush, but no positive ones. Nowadays, loyalty to our country does not exactly seem like a "cool" thing to do. What has affected such a decrease in loyalty to America's wars? During WWII, patriotism was greatly appreciated and looked up upon. Now, you hardly ever see musicians trying to do what they can to help the war, because they just do not want to support it. What is it about our society now, that causes such a change in mind?

Good timing Country

During the age of WWII music the radio played a central role in exposing different artist's work to countless new listeners. during the early 40's the ASCAP strike forced radio DJ's to play more country music over the air. The timing was just right for country music to blow up because of what it represented. How does the country genre differ from the crooners escapism genre? In what way's can they both be considered escape songs?

WWII Music

Popular music in the WWII era is often criticized as being too escapist. Popular music generally references events of that time period, so why is it that WWII music "ignored" the war? Why did musicians make more escapist music?

"Does Beyonce's Blackface Make You Mad?"

"Does Beyonce's Blackface Make You Mad?"

If you haven't seen/heard about Beyonce's newest ad campaign for L'Officiel (French fashion magazine)-I encourage you to check out the link I posted, or google the topic. The title of the blog post is actually from the website that the link is to. Any thoughts on this???

Swing Music

Throughout the years 1935 to 1945, swing music was at it's peak and it gave the soldiers in the war inspiration to fight. Many famous musicians and celebrites provided help and fun activities for soldiers such as Duke Ellington and Bob Hope. I believe the younger generations were really into the hot swing, such as Fletcher Henderson, and Chick webb. The sweet swing was more for the older more prodominetly middle to upper class whites. Now a days the music is so much more sexual and dirty, sweet music would never sell in this era. The type of dancing grinding now acts as the dirty dancing from the mid 1900's. Swing music has influenced many different artist today and was a important style of music in Amercan Culture.

Anti-japanese sentiment not welcomed into music

V disks or "Victory disks" are one thing I had never heard of before attending lecture today. I like the whole concept of artists making special recordings for soldiers to listen to and be motivated by. I can imagine that soldiers getting special records from famous recording artists would really make them feel appreciated. One thing I found interesting was that soldiers and listeners in general at this time did not like the songs depicting the Japanese as evil. I feel like it would be a natural reaction to hate the people you are fighting against and I'm surprised anti-Japanese songs were not more popular at this time. Having said that, it makes me proud that our country never sank to that level. I feel like really catchy songs can live on forever, so it is fortunate that these songs never caught on. If they had, they might still be around today, causing anti-Japanese sentiment to live on in song.

Minstrelsy vs. Cotton Club

Why is it that minstrelsy lost popularity in the early 1900's whereas venues such as the Cotton Club, which also portrayed the "exotic" nature of black culture, flourished? Were there major differences between the two in terms of its racist depictions of blacks? Since the Cotton Club was not open to the general public, like a minstrelsy show would have been, did people visit the club just to see the black performances or just to show that they could afford it (status symbol)?

Swing it!

(picture credits: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html)

During the lecture on Monday, I have learned more about swing music. I used to think that swing was just jazz. It was only after the lecture that I know how swing music have a very distinct and unique style. Highlighting a solo in the arrangements makes it easier for people to remember the song and sets it apart from other types of jazz music. One example would be "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller. The solo at the start of the song has become so distinct that almost everyone knows it.

It was also interesting to learn about "The Cotton Club" and how the club had became a more elite nightclub in order to cater to the whites who are wealthy. As most customers go to the club to "experience" the black culture, racial stereotypes are being played in the shows to give the customers what they want. Would things have been different if "The Cotton Club" did not played racial stereotypes in their shows? Would the place still be popular?

To end off my blog post, I am going to share a YouTube clip.
This clip is from a Japanese movie called "Swing Girls".
It is about how a group of high school students form a big band swing group. It is amazing to see the influence swing music have on the pop culture. (especially when this is a Japanese movie! Music really have no boundaries!)





Songs played in this clip:
- Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller
- Mexican Flyer by Ken Woodman
- Sing Sing Sing (with a swing) by Louis Prima


Zi Xuan

The Swing Era

I really enjoyed the lecture on Monday about The Swing Era - the period of time, which was happening in 1930s and 1940s. At that time jazz became the main, popular music in the United States. However, swing music was so defined that it was often thought as a music genre itself. It had influence not only in music industry. Swing Era affected film, literature, painting... Would you consider it to be art? 

Jazz era

I find it funny how the music of jazz was viewed as "devils" music, and how parents did not approve. As we watched the movie Jazz kids in class, the dancing and music seemed completely appropriate and old school. It actually had an innocent vibe. The dance seemed tasteful and adorable. Ironic how today its viewed this way, when during its prime it was frowned upon. This makes me wonder if at some point in the future, rap music will be view as innocent. Will the vulgar lyrics seem "not to bad" at some point? Decades from now how will our grandchildren view our media?

Ray

I enjoyed watching the movie in class. It was amazing to see what a man can do with only four of his five senses. It was very inspirational to see that Ray can do what he does and it made me feel like I should be able to accomplish what I want to do. Not only was he inspirational but his music was great to. I really enjoyed his music considering that is not what I am used to listening.

Ray

I adored watching the movie. Even though we have not finished, it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. First of all, it feels good to hear such a great music. Ray Charles is really unique person. The movie itself is very inspiring. In my opinion, Jamie Foxx did a great job. Seems like all we see is Ray Charles himself. Amazing resemblance, gestures and voice.

Ray

I'm really enjoying the movie Ray. Ray was so obviously talented not to mention inspirational!!! He went through so much in his life and remained positive and determined to follow through with his dreams. He was disabled but never let that slow him down. I think his story is a great way to motivate disabled children today, to have drive and be determined to do whatever it is they want. In today's society most of the people in the media are horrible influences on our youth! I wonder who in the media today would be a motivator like Ray? Is there any disabled singers today with inspirational stories quit like Ray Charles?

Ray Charles

Ray Charles was an amazing musician that was able to overcome his loss of sight and become an extraordinary piano player. Some believe that when someone loses one of their senses the others become more dominant. Do you think this was the case for Ray and his aspirations to become a musician? Did losing his sight hinder Ray's dream to play music or did it give him the ambition to become the great pianist and songwriter he was.

Ray Charles

Concerning Ray, do you think his disability got him farther in the musical world? Also, he seems to have a way with being able to lie, such as to the bus driver, and make it seem as if it is the truth. Did this ability help him out a lot, or did he only do it when necessary? One final note, I like how when he was feeling the wrists of the women, when he came to the pleasantly plump lady, he was kind of disgusted. Good part.

What If...

From Monday's lecture we were introduced to the emergence of the Blues and Country music. We saw how and where they began. And during that time period the recording music industry was growing exponentially. That is until the Great Depression hit which had a great impact on the music industry. What if the Great Depression never happened? Do you think that this event was a significant part in music history? Why or why not?

Ray Charles & Mom

I thought it was interesting how the movie kept referencing back to Ray Charles' mother. It's very interesting to see how his mother has shaped him; teaching him to survive and overcome his disability. When his mother quit her job, she emphasised on how important education was. Ray, although blind, learned to read braille, which is not only commendable during the time period, it also makes you wonder where he learned to read braille from? Another thing that I would like to mention what the parallel between the mother and his behavior. When Ray quit his first job, you cannot ignore how the director referenced back to the mother.

Country Music Today

In lecture we discussed country music and how it was a more underground genre of music. What factors do you think contributed to country music's entrance into the mainstream?

Would you hate?

After viewing the award winning film "Ray" as an audience we saw lots of discrimination throughout the film. There were times in the movie where we saw Ray taken advantage of by his own band. That being said Would we have discriminated against someone with a disability in this time period? Due to the segregation in our culture between the diasbled and non-disabled we would discriminate. I feel that it would be worse back then. The reason I say this is because not many people were educated, nor did they care much about disabled people.

Ray Charles

In the movie Ray, we see Ray enter into drug addiction. Many musicians have gone public with their addictions and their struggles, usually with no public backlash. Is it true that people are more accepting of musicians with public drug addictions because of their talent?

Ray Charles

Ray Charles is one of the great artists not only because he overcame his disability but also developed the new style of music that is called soul music, combining R&B and gospel music. I want to know more about his childhood that created the basics of his music style and character. Was there any discrimination against him? And how did he learned to play the piano? Did he had his own teacher of piano or learn by himself? If there was a teacher, how did the teacher teach him to play the piano? I think it was really tough to teach him because he cannot read notation and even see keyboards he plays.

Ray Charles

Ray Charles was a pioneer in the genre of soul music fusing together rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles together in his early recordings with Atlantic Records. Do you think that if he wasn't addicted to drugs during his career, such as heroin, that his music could have been even more amazing than it was? Or do you think that the drugs might have even helped him a little and become more creative as he pioneered rhythm and blues.

Sight vs Vision

After watching part of the movie Ray today I found some of the themes which were presented interesting. One in particular that caught my interest was when Ray gave an explanation of how he uses sound to make his way around to the bus driver he says how he hears things differently. There is no doubt that the man was talented and that he learned piano before he lost his sight but it brought up the question of if he would have had the same inspiration or even talent used in his songs which lead him to be so successful, or not.

Ray

Ray Charles Robinson was the first musician to combine gospel music and the blues. At this time this was a controversial decision on his part. Many people considered this to be a sin and referred to it as "the devils music". Why do you think people reacted this way? And does this bare any similarities to music we have previously learned about?

Response To Article #5

After reading article #5, Hillbilly and Race Music, I have discovered a few interesting things in the reading. The first thing that I discovered was the fact that Columbia Records never imagined that Negroes themselves might be involved in the market for Negro Records. Could Columbia Records be naive enough to believe that? Another thing that I have discovered in this article that is actually kind of cool is that this talent scout Mr. Peer, who worked for Columbia Records, created the term "Hillbillies". He created this term when he was working on records with artists that were from the south and who were mountaineers. My question related to this article is, why would Columbia Records carefully hide the fact that colored singers were being used to create songs?

Ray

Ray Charles was obviously an incredible artist. He overcame any struggles with playing music with poise, and always kept in mind that even though he is blind, he is not incapable of doing anything. However, he also had to keep his guard up against people who could take advantage of him with things such as money and business negotiations. Do you think Ray Charles would have been a good representation for the disabled community of the time for evincing independence and motivating others to do what they loved to do, even if it challenges their disabilities? Who would be some similar examples in the world today?

Da Blues

Blues is an incredible style of music. Every song has meaning and a story behind it. The words are chosen carefully and put together in a groovy fashion. There were many great black blues artists like Ray Charles; were there any famous white blues players back then? Someone else mentioned in their post about whether Ray Charles gained a lot of fame just for being blind. I was wondering the same thing. Ray was obviously very talented but, there were many other talented blues players out there, was he really that much better than the rest of them or did he gain a lot of recognition for being blind?

What makes something "country"?

When we discuss country music (what it was in the 20's), I find it remarkable how different it seems from the country music today. The country music on the radio now really does not seem to have many of the specific qualities that used to make a song, a "country" song. I mean no offense to any country music fans, and you can correct me if I am wrong, but I feel as if many mainstream country musicians out today just sing about cheesy, cliche things, with a southern accent. However, I know that bands do exist out there that seem very similar to how the 20's country was described. I have heard and seen bands with banjos and accordions as their main instruments. If we were following the old musical elements a country band had, these bands would be labeled as "country", but now if anything, they are labeled as something along the lines of "bluesy folk". So, it makes me wonder...what caused this shift? When did country music becomes less related to the "folk" music genre? The country music now, and the country music back then seems very dissimilar. I would love to know when this happened exactly, when the general specifications for being labeled as "country" changed to what they are today Was there a specific reason, like a new musician that changed it?

Ray Charles Robinson

Ray Charles is one of the most popular Blues singer in history. When he was seven years old, he lost his vision but before that, he liked playing the piano. His vision issues still didn't stop him from being good at what he does. Being blind helped him a lot, his disability worked in his favor even though he was "picked on" because of it. People appreciated the fact that he had a disability and yet was good at playing the piano, he didn't let something like that get in his way and become famous. And up to this point, he's still famous and known and is a role model to a lot of people.

But my question is, did the fact that Ray Charles was blind play a role/help him become famous?

Is he famous just because he's blind? How much better was he from an average not blind piano player?

"What I Say" - White sex cleaner than black sex?

When Ray Charles needed another few minutes of material to fill his set one night, he improvised what would later became the hit, "What I Say." Due to the sexually suggestive nature of the song, after it was recorded, it was originally banned by several radio stations. Though when it was covered by white artists, the song was allowed to air. Why do you think this occurred? Can you think of any other songs by African American artists at this time period that were not allowed to air, but received radio play when covered by white artists? Do you think this encouraged black musicians to keep their songs clean at this time in order to obtain the exposure and royalties provided by radio play? Do you think that the music created at this time by artists such as Ray Charles was so heartfelt and important to them that they wouldn't alter their songs for anything, even if it meant less radio time, and ultimately less money in their pocket?

Blues

I am new to blues music, so I am still learning about it. I think this genre of music expresses a lot of feelings. Blues artists put their heart and soul and let it out through sound. I could say that blues music has healing power for both: listeners and players. In my opinion, it is honest and very improvisational. It is also very emotional. Somewhere I read that blues might be called a celebration of lament and I agree with it as well.

The Blues.

(picture credits: http://www.itsablackthang.com/jazz-blues-art.htm)


In the last lecture, I have learned how classic blues have played a major role in shaping the tastes of white Americans. Did the music that the blacks played affect how the whites viewed them at that period of time? Could it be that the blacks are finally gaining recognition from the whites?

Blues is also a medium for expressing displacement, loneliness, personal hardships, financial woes and therefore, conveys a lot of emotions. The blues is popular because like Tim Pan Alley songs, it helped to provide a form of escape and release for the audience. Could it be that the blues has been inspired by Tin Pan Alley songs? What is the significance of this type of music on subsequent music genres?

Zi Xuan

Blues

Blues were obviously huge in the music industry during the 20's an 30's. In class we learned how Blues artists wrote songs that were about how they felt or anything relevant to their lives. How come some of the music that is a huge deal to this present day does not have that same intensity that those songs had in the past?

Disability and famous musicians.

This is way too late, but I wanted to still participate regardless. My apologies.

How much influence did Beethoven have on disabled individuals that wanted to become musicians? Many people became famous even if they had obvious difficulties. If it wasn't for Beethoven, would society actually accept disabled talented people?

Disability and Music

Sorry for this post going up so late, and also past the deadline.

I was just wondering, do you think that Cole Porter's disability affected the quality of his music? As in, did his experience affect his ability to compose music as well as he used to?

Tin pan Alley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWq_6tZpJMI&feature=related

I was searching through some Tin Pan Alley standards and found this song originally by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen, covered by The Beatles.

Overcoming disability

In Class we discussed some of the artists who had overcome their disabilities and progressed through their career as artists and songwriters. Disability is most looked upon with a negative connotation in our society. I would like propose that we look at disability as an obstacle. We all have our "obstacles" in our lives which may not qualify as "disability." Maybe if we try to look as disability as obstacle it may help relate to those who have to overcome their disability.
At the same time, would doing so, put less value on the "overcoming" of ones disability? Physical or mental disability would definitely require more than obstacles that we face in our daily lives.

Disability questions

My questions are: In terms of modern American society, do people with mental handicaps or physical handicaps get treated worse or looked down upon more? Another one is, could disability be considered something equivalent to a race? Will it ever be possible to accept disabled people to the point where they don't stand out in our society? Or will they forever be a focal point for the people?

where can we draw the line?

Having a grandmother who is handicapped she made a comment to me the one day when we were at target... and this is a direct quote

"Why the fuck are there so many parking spots?"

Now as humorous as that sounds, it's an honest question that still has yet to be answered to me. At our local Target there are double digits of handicapped parking stalls. Is this necessary? to some extent i suppose, but in all honesty there is such a slim chance that many people will be shopping at the same place at the same time. My grandmother would park extremely far away when she had the van that you could pull the cart into, because when she was going to lower the ramp, someone who was very much NOT handicapped would pull into the space next to her. I understand that these spaces are there as a convenience, but when does this convenience just become a means for more people to cheat the system? Perhaps, if we changed some of these handicapped spaces into expectant mother spaces or some other form of helpful parking spot maybe then people would feel worse about talking the few spots that are there.

Disabilities In Music

After contemplating after class about the recent lecture on disabilities, I realized that it really got my mind going on how amazing it actually is that their are and were artists that created musical tones and lyrics while having certain disabilities. It amazed me that not only are these artists and song writers making music while having disabilities, but that they are overcoming the adversity of having these disabilities while doing so. Composing a symphony is challenging enough in its own, but doing so while deaf like Beethoven is unreal.

Virtual Staring

The article "Staring At the Other" brought up a concept that I had never thought about before. With the advancement of digital media we have access to a seemingly endless supply of photos, including ones displaying people with physical abnormalities. With these images on our computers or other devices, the viewer is able to engage in virtual staring. This basically entails the viewer to be able to stare at the image without the social repercussions that may ensue had the staring taken place face to face. What got me thinking is this; yes obviously staring at someone in public, especially one who is considered "disabled", is seen as rude. But is this "virtual staring" seen as just as unacceptable? In my mind it is just as bad if not worse. In staring at these "weird" or "crazy" pictures we are trying to build our own selves up by telling ourselves that at least we aren't freaks like those in the pictures. In addition, virtual staring seems cowardly because the viewer probably looks at these pictures at home or somewhere where they will not be frowned upon by others.

I've definitely been a participant in virtual staring. After reading this article, however, I now realize how low and rude even doing that is.

Disability

Garland says in her article that your mother always told you not to stare. I feel that this is a very accurate statement because my mom was the same way. Disable people are around us everyday. Some are very noticable and others you probably would never unless you were told. My friends sister is disabled because she was deprived oxygen during birth. I never have seen her as different because she hurts and feels pain just like the rest of us. I always enjoyed being around her because she always could make me laugh. Why do you think people put down others with this disabilities? Is it because they are insecure of themselves? I think society needs to take more steps in helping them become more of society than pushing them to the side.

Disability as a Social Construction

The attitude towards people with a disability is something that has changed over time. In many cases throughout history i feel as though people with disabilities were considered liabilities, often not worth being taken care of. In other cases disability has been put up on stage as something worth gawking at. In the early 20th century "freak shows" which displayed disabled persons were common at carnivals and the circus. With that in mind, do you feel that disability is, like we know race to be, a social construction? If so, where is this social construction of disability being used to discriminate against disabled persons?

Disabilities in music

The lecture today in class really opened my mind up to how music could be related to disabilities. I found myself during the lecture today thinking more deeper into how musicians today write their music and if they have disabilities of their own that we, the audience and fans, cannot physically see. I wonder if they struggle with learning disorders or something like dyslexia, where it would be hard for them to read lyrics they wrote, write new lyrics/songs, or even have trouble rhyming. It just really mad me think how disabilities could be present in some of these artists today and how truly gifted they really are, even without such disabilities.

Disability in Music

In class we discussed how people are more willing to accept disability if it can be "seen". Disabled musicians like Beethoven and Ray Charles are applauded for overcoming their struggles, whereas a musician suffering from a less accepted or lesser known disability may not be seen as inspirational. Musicians with physical disabilities are forced to be open about their disability because it can be "seen" by the public. How would people react to a musician with a less accepted disability? Would their struggles be appreciated or made light of?

Disability and History

Today in class we discussed disability studies, in the presentation there was a quote by Doug Baynton concerning disability and history's perception of it. I found this very interesting, when I began to think about it I could not recall learning about very many people who were disabled in history classes I had taken. Could this also have something to do with the discussion concerning visual disabilities as opposed to "internal" or non-visual disabilities? Who are some well known people throughout history who have had to deal with a disability of some sort?

Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley as a genre made me think about how the music bussiness worked a long time ago, and how it is quite similar to today. I actually was thinking about another post which described Tin Pan Alley and the lack of variation compared to today and how noone could really be original. I do agree to this to an extent. Sure, there cannot be that much variation when multiple composers are working next to each other and listening to each other's creations all day, but what is the different between that and what is played on the radio every single day now. Whenever I decide to listen to the local radio stations there are only a few different variations of song. There is the clubbing dance kind of song, the rap song about drinking and partying, and then there are the songs that relate to all teenage little girls. Every song falls in those three categories. Rihanna, T pain, Taylor Swift. It is all the same. We are definitely lucky that we do not have to settle for that, but then again I'm sure people didn't have to back in the early 20th century either. Music wasn't played everywhere like it was today, so I'm sure people heard tons of music that was unique. Maybe there may not be tons of evidence of those cool rare finds because they did not have recordings available to leave behind.

The Connection Between Vision and Disability

Disability studies is something that never really crossed my mind much but after the lectures and these articles, I realized that it really should have crossed my mind. I think its interesting that Rosemarie Garland-Thompson talks a lot about the significance of staring and the visual aspect towards those who are disabled. We talked a little in class about how important it is whether or not you can physically see someones disability. The judgement that is passed by just looking at someone can be mind-boggling and I think it is something that is very common but should be changed. Especially because I feel as though the only disabled people being judged are those who are seen as "freaks" and their disability is able to be seen by the human eye.

Disability Studies

It's really difficult to define what is disability and who is disabled, and while I'm thinking about this topic, I remembered a Japanese man. Does anyone know Ototake Hirotada? He was born in 1976, with no arms and legs. Everyone must think he is a severely disabled person from physical perspective and cannot spend normal life, but he went to public school as ordinary people and graduated from one of the famous universities in Japan. Now he is working as a journalist and has two sons. He says "Disability is inconvenient, but it's not a misery". He is a disabled person, but I cannot think he is disabled at all and feel like there is no need to define the border between disabled and non-disabled.

Toshiki Sunasaka

Tin Pan Alley's Influence on songwriters

Tin Pan Alley must have been an interesting place to work, with all of the creative writers so close to each other. Do you believe working in Tin Pan Alley really influenced the writers to create their greatest hits? I wonder if any of the songwriters worked together on songs to make popular hits? Tin Pan Alley music on the rise during the great depression I feel had a major impact on the lives of americans, giving them inspiration, and the ability to climb out of the recession. How many songwriters from the Tin Pan Alley do you think played there music in public areas for exposure? I feel I wouldn't be able to have a 9 to 5 job trying to think of lyrics and melodies to a song. Does anyone want that kind of high risk, high reward job?

Tin Pan Alley

after learning about Tin Pan Alley in class i felt the proximity to each other in composing music for the same audience seemed stale to me. the idea that we live in a world today where every genre and sub genre is at our finger tips and all we have to do is search for it. With regards to the men who played with in ear shot of at least a dozen players at a time, one would think to make creative music one must be secluded and find his own inspiration not from hearing a melody from his neighbor and changing a few chords to make a buck. the very idea having to listen to one style of popular music and not have the luxury of a more diverse listening selection that we often take for granted.

The Visibility of Disability

In class today we briefly discussed what it means to be disabled, and one idea I found interesting was the Visibility of Disability aspect, because it hits close to home for me. My father has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a somewhat rare illness that makes him tired all the time. Though unless you were living with him to notice his frequent naps, you would probably never notice his disability. Because he doesn't have a visible condition, the insurance companies have followed around and harassed my dad on numerous occasions in hopes of finding a reason to take away his social-security benefits. If he were instead required to be in a wheelchair all the time for his illness, I'm sure he wouldn't have to deal with this nuisance. I feel like when disabilities are out of sight, their severity can often be underestimated. It's a shame that people should need a visible aspect to their disability for it to be taken seriously.

Disability Studies

During the late 19th and early 20th century, freak shows and side shows were put on for people to come and stare at others with disabilities. "Freaks were spectacular public displays of novelty that entertained viewers who gladly paid to stare," states Rosemarie Garland Thompson author of "Staring at the Other." These side shows and freak shows were a way for society to view people with disabilities without feeling the social anxiety of staring. Garland demonstrates this idea by stating, "The freak show validated curiosity and authorized public staring at bodies that departed from the ordinary by embellishing differences to make money." Modern day technology has made available to us the display of people with disabilities through TV shows such as Mermaid Girl, Little People Big World, and even fictional movies such as The Ringer. However, do these public displays of disabled people show us insight to their lives, or are they just a form of a modern day freak show allowing the rest of society to stare?

Word Play

In this day and age it has become the focus of so many people to maintain a sense of being pc, or politically correct. Much of this is done by knowing which words are acceptable and which have a negative connotation. Some of these unacceptable words were discussed in class but I think that it would also be important to know what would be considered acceptable.

Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley must have been a crazy place to be. It sounds like an interesting time, but ludicrous (not the rapper). It would have been great to be there and see the many music houses being established but if the street really sounded like clanging tin pans I would need some Advil at hand. None the less it's a time when music was evolving yet again, and many great writers emerged such as the ones shown in lecture. I was surprised at some of the songs that were written at the time, some of which have had remakes since then. I wish today's music would take some pointers from this time. The music from the late 19th and early 20th century may not be my favorite, not bad by any means, but this to me was real music. It has much more meaning and heart to it than a lot of the music today. Fergie should take some crooning lessons to fix her loud and irritating voice wow.

"Staring at the Other"

Based on the assigned article, it mentions how staring is such a strong form of non-verbal communication. It states how staring at someone can be signs of curiosity, surprise, adoration, and so on. Although this is not completely on topic with the article, do you think the way a musician stares (at a concert or other performance) or communicates non-verbally has an impact on his or her overall performance?

Disabilitiy Studies For Teachers

The article "Reassigning Meaning" brings up some valid points. One important point that is discussed in the article is that no matter what as long as there is a line dividing the Disabled and Non-Disabled no matter how you alter or change the word "Diasbled." My sister is deaf and has been discriminated against her whole life. Every job she has applied for she has been turned down because of her inability to hear. She has also worked at places that wouldn't let her train people to do important jobs because of the difficulty of communication. So instead of trying her out to see that she is actually an intelligent person, they just assume because she is labled as "disabled" that she isn't as smart as your average human. However she could probably take care of her finances better than 90 percent of the people who flip burgers at McDonalds day in and day out. Did I also mention she grew up in a hearing household and can read lips just as fast as Usain Bolt can set records? I'm getting off topic here... My point is just because someone is "Disabled" does not mean it is ok to discrimnate against them, however as long as there is discrimination towards certain types of people there will always be that line that seperates the "Disabled" from the "Non-Diasbled."

Response to Article #5

After reading article #5, Hillbilly and Race Music, I have discovered a few interesting things in the reading. The first thing that I discovered was the fact that Columbia Records never imagined that Negroes themselves might be involved in the market for Negro Records. Could Columbia Records be naive enough to believe that? Another thing that I have discovered in this article that is actually kind of cool is that this talent scout Mr. Peer, who worked for Columbia Records, created the term "Hillbillies". He created this term when he was working on records with artists that were from the south and who were mountaineers.

- Eric Schaffer -

Tin Pan Alley

First of all, since I am not American, for me, Tin Pan Alley was really new. It was the popular music industry which gave us amazing songs such as: "High Hopes", "Over The Rainbow", "Summertime" and so on. Tin Pan Alley was centered in New York City. It was not just a place. It was a mix of the popular music of that time. I think, that it was the thing which joined people together no matter of their race, music taste and any limitations.

Clang Clang Clang!

The lecture on Tin Pan Alley was really interesting because prior to this lecture, I have no idea what it is and how it came about. I was surprised to know that some of the songs I listen to actually belongs in the Tim Pan Alley era.

The thing that I find most interesting is the structure and lyrics of the song. Personally, I feel that the songs are structured in a particular manner so that people will be able to catch the tune of the song quickly.  I also feel that by having lyrics that people can relate to, it becomes easier for people to sing along with the song.

Although Tim Pan Alley songs are also known as escape songs, I feel that there is nothing wrong with music helping people to escape from the pressures of life. In fact, I feel that this is what music should be. It should be something that people can relate to, something that inspires or trigger a thought in people and something that cheers people up.

I find it amazing that Tin Pan Alley music has been able to remain an essential part of the music industry and that the songs are still constantly being covered by various artistes. It shows how strong the rhythm and the lyrics of the Tin Pan Alley songs are. It is also interesting to see how a musical instrument can play a big role in the start of a new music era. Would Tin Pan Alley music exist if the piano was not gaining popularity in America? What about the lyrics? What did the composers have in mind when they are composing the lyrics? Did they write with the intent of helping people escape from the pressures they face?


Song of the day: Kenny G - The Way You Look Tonight
(Posting this up because it's one of the songs that I recognize in the lecture power point...)




Zi Xuan

tin pan alley

I really enjoyed this topic in class. The time period seems so interesting and exciting. Popular singers we discussed such as Tony Bennet, Bing Crosby, and my personal favorite Frank Sinatra seem so classy and talented. The lyrics produced and their singers where so tastful. We need more of that taste now and less of this ignorant, provocative music being distributed. Wonder if this singers and preformers were still alive, spreading their talent if our youth would be different? Would the influence have an effect?

Jazz

One of the major contributing elements of jazz is that there is a lot of improve within the songs themselves. So one night you could hear a song that would have different sounds from the night before. Why do you think this is? Is it because someone wants to add their own flare to a particular song or could it have something to do with the emotional state of the performer at that particular time?

Discussion questions on Jazz

During the time of Minstrelsy, people made fun of African Americans and they were kind of discriminated. However, they developed the new style of music called Jazz and had a great influence on a lot of artists and society. My question is how people's attitude towards African Americans had changed because of Jazz music? Did they start to respect African Americans and did the discrimination decrease?

Jazz music and it's influence on modern music

I believe Jazz music has influenced many different artists and songs in today society. Who do you think were jazz role models in the ealry 1900's on young artists today? Also which artists now using vjazz well be role models for future jazz artists. Do you feel like jazz music has a major influence on other types of music such as rythm and blues and hip hop? If you could choose one of your favorite jazz musicians who would it be?

Jazz and Prohibition

Jazz music became popular during Prohibition and its popularity arose mainly from its involvement with parties involving alcohol. Had jazz not been so closely connected to alcohol during Prohibition would it still had been as popular?

Jazz Era

Jazz emerged in New Orleans in the early 20 Th century. It lead away form the Minstrelsy era into an era of swing and energetic music with style and passion. It was a completely different type of music to emerge and it quickly became popular. Jazz would be performed at speakeasies during the prohibition where people could drink and dance and have a good time. During the Jazz era came the advent of the radio allowing jazz and music to be far more accessible to listeners. What kind of long term effects did the advent of the radio have on the popularity of the Jazz era and the music industry?

Jazz

I honestly can say I never really listened to Jazz music. I think of it as a African American dominated. I know its stereotypical but its my opinion. It seems that they pioneered this type of music. If African Americans had very little to do with Jazz do you think that it would sound different or would it sound the same?

Reassingning meaning

The writer states that a person who qualifies as disabled is done so mostly by a "social distinction." The writer also asks the questions "We're all disabled in some way, aren't we?" Most of the time a "disabled" person is identified through their physical characteristics. However, many of us have learning or mental disabilities (ADHD, Dyslexia) that are not easily "pointed out" by others. Does that make us less disabled than those whose are easily noticeable? Is it that those with "not-so-noticeable" disabilities pretend to fit in more on than the others?

African Americans and music.

African Americans in a way have had influence on the music, all the way from Minstrelsy shows to the Jazz Age.
African Americans, during the time of Minstrelsy were mocked and had no power. There were songs and shows that completely made African Americans seem inferior at the time. An especially popular song is "Old Folks at Home" by Stepehn Foster. Although this song has some clear racism in it, it was considered an "authentic song of the Negro race" by W.E.B. DuBois and also became the state song of Florida. This song was created for the minstrely, so it definitely was made to make African Americans seem powerless. However, why is this song so accepted? What messages in this song make it acceptable enough to be praised by DuBois and become the state song of Florida?
During the Jazz Age, the music was such a new and different style. This music was risky and rebellious for many reasons. African Americans at this time, also had a very large influence on the music, as seen with new dances such as the Charleston. For this reason, it seems that African Americans were more accepted at the time, but why is it that the AFM would not allow them into their organization? If African Americans had much influence on the music at the time, it is a bit ironic that an organization that helps out musicians wouldn't be there to help African Americans when they were the ones that influenced the music so much.

DQ on Jazz

Throughout the last couple lectures, we've seen that there has been quite some change for African Americans and the music world. In what ways would you say the attitudes towards African Americans changed in terms of entertainment? Was there more respect for them because of their abilities? Also, we are aware that Jazz was known as the "Devil's Music", how do you think African Americans were associated with this?


Gabby H.

Jazz Discussion Questions

During the Minstrelsy era, the audience was composed primarily of working class white Americans, who came to these shows as a form of entertainment. Why do you think upper class whites felt it was inappropriate or beneath them to take part in Minstrelsy shows but not Vaudeville shows during the Jazz era?

During the 1920's the invention of the radio emerged during the Jazz era. How did this and the stock market crash of 1929 effect artists and the music business; the sale of records.

Technology Boosts "Staring" Accessibility

While reading "Staring at the Other" article I cannot agree more upon the fact that modern technology has changed the ways people "look" at one another. Staring at someone in public is deemed as rude and impolite. But when you stare at people through the internet, photos, t.v, films, etc, aka virtual staring, its not as rude and impolite anymore. The reason for that is because it is not face-to-face therefore the one being stared wouldn't have the same awful feeling if they were to be stared at out in public. Also the starer wouldn't have to experience any confrontation if they were busted for staring. How do you feel about "virtual staring"? More specifically, do you think that that has brought our society in a positive or negative direction? &Why?

Discussion Question on the Jazz Age

In the lecture on Monday, I have learned about what gave rise to jazz and how it became so popular. Due to the prohibition (banning of alcohol) which led to more people visiting speakeasies, people were exposed to this new genre of music. Is it possible that people are attracted to jazz only because it was something that was linked to the prohibition? What is the significance of the prohibition on jazz music?

As most jazz musicians are African-Americans, could this genre of music be a way for them to exert more power in the society? How do they exert more power from the music that they play?


Zi Xuan

All That JAZZ

As the Jazz age emerged in New Orleans, different dancing styles also came about which some were depicted as "risky". The main 3 specialized styles were hot, sweet, and latin style dances, with each one specializing in a certain kind of music. My question is, which one of these 3 styles were used mostly? Also, did each income class partake in all 3 dance styles, or did each class specialize in on one style?

Staring at the Other

After reading some of Rosemarie Garland-Thomson's article, it got me thinking about how much of an effect our eyes have on others and like she says "staring is an embodied and relational visual exchange that carries complex cultural and historical meanings." So why do you think it is that when we stare or look at someone, it is automatically in our nature to pre-judge them before knowing them? Who created this idea of whats normal vs. what is not and who decided that visual encounter with someone was what characterized them as a person?

Blackface Minstrelsy

The issue of applying blackface started in the early 1800s. Face, painted with black cork, while playing minstrel shows, portrayed African-Americans in a negative way. That's how caucasians thought they are and how stereotypes were shaped and developed. Nowadays, people paint their faces black when it is Halloween, as a joke. However, the history left deep footprints, which cause a lot of different reactions.

"Disabled"

In "Reassigning Meaning", the reading claims that the "disabled" people in this culture received this name because they were medically diagnosed with a psychological or physical disease. These people are the ones who have to live with what you can call a "lack of" certain abilities. In this present day, many people claim they are "disabled" when applying for jobs, even though they are medically diagnosed as "functional". Some employees use this to bail themselves out of trouble or to receive compensation in different situations. This is something that can be labeled as "immoral" or "insulting" to people who are medically diagnosed as "disabled" and have to deal with it everyday. Do you feel these actions that employees go through with are "wrong"? Why or why not?

Racism from Minstrelsy to Vaudeville

A big change from Minstrelsy to the Vaudeville era was that black face was no longer involved in the shows. Did this change mean that there was no inherent racism in the Vaudeville performances, or was it simply toned down? Were the African American and Caucasian performers seen as equals at this time? I would find it hard to believe that all racism was eliminated in the transition from Minstrelsy to Vaudeville. If there were any other racist aspects of the Vaudeville shows, what were they?

The Jazz Age

In the previous lecture on Minstrelsy, the African American of the time was portrayed as a silly, ignorant, or humorous character. However, as Americans progressed into the Jazz Age, and they were publicly seen jazz performers of African American descent, were their obvious talents with instruments taken seriously by those who once viewed African Americans as a mere comic relief?

Speak-Easies and Jazz

Despite the popularity increase that playing at a speak-easy would bring a musician, did this mean they were payed less than musicians who played at other venues?

All wrapped up in JAZZZZZ!

After learning a bit more about the Jazz age and how African American people were discriminated against there are a few questions that stir in my mind. For starters Duke Ellington is probably known as one of the best Jazz musicians of all time, did he ever recieve full compensation for his work? Or did race still come between his music and chance for earning compensation? Also was there a group of people who boycotted jazz music due to so many African American Musicians?

The Role of Technology in Jazz

We discussed in class the effect that newly developed technologies, such as the phonograph and radio broadcasts, had on the spread of jazz music. These technologies allowed this music to be shared audibly instead of the traditonal channel of sheet music. What else is significant about these developments? Since people no longer had to know how to read/play music in order to enjoy these songs did this attract more people to jazz and other music? Why or why not?