(Primary Source)
This is an excerpt from a newspaper article written in 1896 titled, Music is Better than Medicine. The article brought up the topic of how music affects the human nervous system and the various benefits and peculiar impacts it has brought in the past decades among people. It describes many scenarios in which patients become more at ease when exposed to music, and due to this evidence, it states how music is beginning to be implemented into society at the time for uses other than entertainment: "...music is being more and more systematically employed in our lunatic asylums..." After reading this, it occurred to me that this was probably written in a period when the concept of music therapy was gaining recognition throughout not only America, but the world as well.
Though, despite it's title, the article didn't just claim evidence of how music can soothe the soul. To be more accurate, it honed in on the profound link between music and it's subconscious impact on human feelings. The article mentioned how in one instance, a woman had a condition in which she could not stop laughing if she was exposed to even the simplest of tunes. So in essence, I believe that I have learned something new in regards to the origins of why we sometimes feel the way we do when listening to a melody that we come across on any given day of the week.
Though, despite it's title, the article didn't just claim evidence of how music can soothe the soul. To be more accurate, it honed in on the profound link between music and it's subconscious impact on human feelings. The article mentioned how in one instance, a woman had a condition in which she could not stop laughing if she was exposed to even the simplest of tunes. So in essence, I believe that I have learned something new in regards to the origins of why we sometimes feel the way we do when listening to a melody that we come across on any given day of the week.
(Primary Source)
To the right is a piece of music taken from The San Francisco call paper in 1897. The composer of this piece, as seen in the upper left hand corner, was a 14 year old girl named Estelle Baker. Estelle, although by no means was a famous composer, had written over 60 pieces of music, many of which were published and sold with great success. Some of her publications were sung in theaters, and others were just appreciated by those around her. However, there was one aspect about this small-time girl that made her so special. And this was her approach to the creation of music as a whole.
Estelle was a person who stuck to simplicity. She never felt the need to build elaborate chord/harmony structures because she often felt that they weren't needed. She genuinely wrote for her own enjoyment and only composed when an idea flowed into her mind. Unlike many artists today, Estelle went about the publication process by writing lyrics first, and she claims that the melody simply comes along. What amazes me though is that she had very little education in the music department. Because of this, I am convinced that it was her love and drive for the arts that sparked the successes that she had during this time. The reason I bring this young composer to mind is because I think that we need more of her in today's music industry. We need composers and artists who don't see their "jobs" as just jobs. They need not be influenced by society's standards of what is "in" and what kind of music may be perceived as "acceptable." Estelle Baker teaches us that we need to embrace originality and stay true to ourselves, and this is something that I will continue to remind myself of in the future.
Estelle was a person who stuck to simplicity. She never felt the need to build elaborate chord/harmony structures because she often felt that they weren't needed. She genuinely wrote for her own enjoyment and only composed when an idea flowed into her mind. Unlike many artists today, Estelle went about the publication process by writing lyrics first, and she claims that the melody simply comes along. What amazes me though is that she had very little education in the music department. Because of this, I am convinced that it was her love and drive for the arts that sparked the successes that she had during this time. The reason I bring this young composer to mind is because I think that we need more of her in today's music industry. We need composers and artists who don't see their "jobs" as just jobs. They need not be influenced by society's standards of what is "in" and what kind of music may be perceived as "acceptable." Estelle Baker teaches us that we need to embrace originality and stay true to ourselves, and this is something that I will continue to remind myself of in the future.
This is a photograph of what was known in the late 1800's as Tin Pan Alley. Essentially, this was a street in New York City that stretched from Broadway to Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. It was filled with music publishers and songwriters who all shared a common interest in making music. It is worth noting that many immigrants from Eastern Europe contributed to the growth of this street. In fact, one of the most widely-known songwriters in American history spouted from this lively place, Irving Berlin. The photograph depicts this place as being very "old-school" and I think that it is pretty interesting to know that so many great contributors to music grew their roots in this very place.
This is a picture of an All-African American acapella group known as the Frisk Jubilee Singers. They were first organized in 1871, and they sang songs known as 'slave songs', making them widely known in introducing spirituals into the United States. This group truly expanded their horizons as they traveled to England and performed for the queen in which she complemented them on their beautiful voices. In addition, they became the first black choir to perform at the White House. Through singing, the Jubilee Singers told stories of the African American past, and although they were sometimes sorrowful, this group opened the eyes of many white Americans to the harsh realities of a black life.
Carnegie Hall was established in 1891 by a man named Andrew Carnegie. Located in New York City, this concert hall is known for it's exquisite acoustics an riveting architecture. The main reason for it being built was to satisfy the public's desire for a high quality and dependable place for musicians from everywhere to perform in.
Charles "Buddy" Bolden was a musician from New Orleans that brought great influence in music throughout America. He played the cornet, and he was known for his crazy improvisations. Through mixing genres such as blues and spirituals into his performances, he and his band originated what we know as jazz today. His influence in "creating" this new genre of music affected so many across the country, inspiring them to pick up an instrument and pursue the path of music.
This chart shows how Jazz, Blues and ragtime really originated during the late 1800's. This was due to the big inspirations that emerged at this time. From then on through the turn of the 20th century, the genres began to increase in popularity.