Listening Journal #1

Listening Journal #1

                When initiating a discussion of the development of American popular music, it is important to look at a wide variety of music from a multitude of traditions. One of the important traditions is “old time” music. “Barbra Allen” is a song from the British ballad tradition and is considered part of “old time” music. Ballads tell a story in a series of verses, and “Barbra Allen” fits this description. The song tells a story of unrequited love. Through the years, individual performers have altered the lyrics and embellished the melody to fit their audience. Coming from an aural tradition, it is common to have details change over time, but the main idea and verse format have stayed the same.

            “Old time” music also includes the string band tradition. “Soldier’s Joy” is one of the most important songs in the fiddle repertoire and has enjoyed popular success at various points in history. The song consists of alternating A and B sections, similar to a verse chorus structure seen in a large number of popular songs. Much like “Barbara Allen,” there have been a number of changes to “Soldier’s Joy” over time; lyrics have been added and the melody embellished at times. Though not found in the recordings by The Skillet Lickers or Tommy Jarrell, American string bands have used the banjo, and instrument coming from the African tradition. Even in the earliest days of American music, there has been a mixing of musical traditions. When exploring the “Old Time” tradition with students, it would be informative to explore both how it has influenced later music, and how “old time” music in America has its own influences.

            The banjo was an important instrument in the African American tradition, but has been widely adopted by country and bluegrass music as well. The banjo has its roots in Africa and has been traced back to the Akonting from Senegal. Bela Fleck, a virtuoso banjo player, documented the development of the banjo in his film “Throw Down Your Heart.”

I have used this video in my teaching of general music were I taught a world music unit and transitioned student’s learning of African and Latin traditions into a Rock ‘n Roll unit later in the year.

            Dink Robert’s version of “Coo Coo” is sung and accompanied by solo banjo. Robert comes from the Piedmont tradition and was a “songster” who played a style of music that predates the blues. Dink Robert used a particular style of plucking the banjo with fingers to create a polyrhythmic sound influenced by the African tradition. However, you can definitely hear the “seeds” of blues music in his melodic use of “blue” notes. The song has an alternating A B style similar “Soldier’s Joy” except the B section is a banjo response. The call and response aspect of this song is quintessentially African and finds its roots in the singing traditions of African slaves. Like “Barbara Allen,” “Coo Coo” is narrative in nature, but Robert changes perspective from one verse to the next.

            Call and Response is also found in the Lighting Washington version of “Long John.” This song is an example of a work song where music was used to coordinate manual labor. This tradition comes from the African slave’s work, but could also be seen in the work of prison culture. “Long John” is also narrative in nature; it tells the story of a legendary man who escaped law enforcement. The singing style is raspy in nature. This type of timbre is emotive in the African tradition and has influenced the singing styles of blues and rock singers in American music. Elvis Presley, the king of rock ‘n roll, helped to popularize a raspy vocal tone in a time where the smooth vocal style of singers like Pat Boone were more mainstream.

            The ballad tradition noted in “Barbara Allen” also found variation in the African American tradition. “Stagolee,” sung by Mississippi John Hurt, tells the story of “Stagger Lee.” Many of the African American ballads told stories of bad men who stood up to authority. This had a cathartic effect as the African population felt the cruelty of racism, but also reminded listeners of the danger of violence in the community. It contains the narrative verse style of the ballad, but it also has the three line verse and harmonies of the blues. Like Dink Robert, Hurt used a plucking technique that created a polyrhythmic, syncopated texture stemming from the African tradition. In later listening journals, we will explore the impact of African style on popular music. Polyrhythm, raspy tone, and the blues would greatly impact jazz, rock, and pop styles. Latin music and its rhythmic drive also influenced the development of American music.

            In particular, the Tango was extremely popular and influential. “La Cumparasita” is the best known tango composition and has been recorded by a variety of musicians. Carlos Gardel put his unique stamp on the song with a “bel canto” style of singing and an aggressive, but not overpowering guitar accompaniment. The lyrics are arranged in a verse and chorus typical of much popular music. Fransisco Canaro’s version includes the bandoneon, a reedy sounding cousin to the accordion, and habanera rhythms. Violins, double bass, piano, and drums set complete the typical tango ensemble.

            Besides the Tango, Afro-Cuban music has also been influential; there is an entire sub-genre of jazz popularized by musicians like Dizzy Gillespie. “Eigue Nigue” is a rumba and includes a variety of percussion instruments, a hallmark of Afro-Cuban music. The African influence is apparent in the polyrhythmic textures of the percussion instruments and the call and response vocal writing. The overall song structure includes three sections; the final section contains the call and response element. Unlike most of the songs thus far, “Eigue Nigue” is not narrative. Musical interest is built on rhythmic complexity rather than a story.

            The Latin musical tradition also includes the music of Mexico. A melting pot of its own, Mexico’s musical tradition includes influences from brass bands (banda), country music, and English ballads (corridos). The most famous style of Mexican music is mariachi. Considered the national style, mariachi originated in Jalisco and has a number of traditions. The popular uniform of the mariachi actually originated as an insult to the high class ranchers, but has become a symbol of the musical style. “Son de la Negra” sung by the popular Mariachi Vargas is an excellent example of mariachi music. The style, includes vocal shouts, major third harmonies, and guitar-like instruments particular to mariachi. The lyric text of “Son de la Negra” is based on the couplet and the rhythmic beat is a driving triple feel. The polyrhythmic nature of Latin music does have African influences owning to Moorish occupation in Spain. Mariachi music has recently become a popular and competitive option for string programs in the southwest. Adding a mariachi group to course offerings may be an excellent way to get students of Mexican descent to join school music programs. Including mariachi music in instruction in smaller ways may also help to legitimize an important musical style in the school context.

            Considered the first popular music composer in America, Stephen Foster was the composer of a great number of popular songs. His compositional style directly influenced Tin Pan Alley and later composers of popular music with his ability to write an effective “hook.” An example of his sentimental “Irish” style, “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” is also an example of the AABA melodic structure which became extremely popular in the early twentieth century. A study of Stephen Foster can be an excellent part of the music curriculum. His song structure and “hook” writing can inform student performance and learning of popular music. His tragically short life is also a “jumping off point” for a discussion of copyright.

            Though Stephen Foster was very popular, the first mega-hit was “After the Ball.” The lyric style includes a chorus in addition to the ballad-like verses that tell a story. The song was written by Charles K Harris who could not write or read music. He used a traveling theater production to help boost his song’s popularity much like Tin Pan Alley did with vaudeville acts. John Phillip Sousa’s performance of the song helped boost the song’s popularity. Harris declined an offer to buy his song and developed his own publishing company much in the same way small record labels blossomed in the rock era.