The Concept of American Music - Essay Example

? The Concept of American Music American music interferes essentially various spheres of people activities in the US being one of the most amazing and significant aspects of American culture. The sense is that American music reflects and comprises in all its numerous genres and styles various influences and tendencies, which were brought into American culture by immigrants. Probably, the most important and powerful factor that has affected American music in general, and rock and pop music in particular, is defined as African-American identity (Nicholls 134). However, there are also a lot of various aspects in European, Latin, etc. music traditions, which have also essential effects on American music. In the paper we analyze all the implications of the statement ‘Rock and pop music in the United States is African-American music’ and investigate the issue of American music origin and its present trying to point out whether it is determined mainly by African-American tendencies and whether there are other crucial factors, which affect American music to a considerable extent. American Music Controversy and Diversity It is commonly accepted that African music has made a significant influence on development of overall American pop and rock music beginning with 19th century (Nicholls 123). The most major effects could be easily discovered if consider spirituals, slave songs, jazz, blues, soul, and rock and roll music tendencies. Originally all these integral parts of American music culture were developed by African slaves in the US and only later they became common within all American social and racial stratums. However, another inseparable part of American music, country music, is supposed to emerge due to both African and European impacts as well as Hawaiian and notably Native American traditions. Pros and Cons When searching for arguments that support or disprove that American music is affected significantly by African motives, it is worth to consider American folk music first of all, which brought to life American popular music later (Nicholls 47). Originally, it comprised such styles as gospel and blues, which have undoubtedly strong connections to West African culture and further have been modified and extended due to English, Spanish and French motives (Nicholls 135). Generally, American folk music involves such traditional instruments as drums, shakers, which are included to percussion group of instruments, and flute, all of which have strong associations with African traditions. However, it is also worth to mention that British tendencies had also a significant impact on American folk music development enriching it with such techniques as drone, which is constantly repeating motive through the whole theme, and numerous ballad songs. Moreover, complex rhythms, or polyrhythms, which are associated with American music, are also inherent characteristics of African music and were integrated into the US music traditions by black people (Nicholls 109). At the same time African culture seems not to bother a lot about melody and this tradition American music derived from European counties. Another fact that confirms strong relationship between African and American music concerns the issue of syncopation, which is heavily used in modern American pop music. Syncopation means that common rhythmic accent is moved from strong to weak beat and is an original African invention. Another initially African feature, which is clearly presented in American music, is about call and response technique (Nicholls 47). The method implies that several musicians play their phrases in such way that one of them sounds like a response to other parts. On contrary, there are some important British tendencies, which affected American music and directed its further development. 1960s are associated with British invasion in the US music and presented times when American blues and blues rock musicians were influenced significantly by mainstream music tendencies in Great Britain. The other thing, which clearly confirms strong African influence on American music, is jazz, which is widely accepted to be an invention of black people (Nicholls 48). The most specific feature of jazz lies in its improvisation, smears and instrumental growls, swing and fusion, which are not intrinsic of European music in majority of cases, but are strongly associated with African motives. Concerning American rock music determinants, they include not just African influences, but also comprise Latin and Caribbean musical techniques. At the very beginning rock music was presented with black artists mainly and became a mainstream in American culture with Elvis Presley rock and roll performances in 20th century (Nicholls 267). Further development of American rock demonstrates strong influence of British tendencies, which are presented with the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. Conclusions American music interferes different spheres of people activities in the US and represents one of the most amazing and important aspects of American culture. The sense is that American music replicates and comprises in all its numerous genres and styles different influences and tendencies, which were brought into American culture by immigrants. In the paper we analyzed all the implications of the statement ‘Rock and pop music in the United States is African-American music’ After careful consideration of numerous factors, which have influenced American music in whole, and its pop and rock genres particularly, we conclude that African music experience affected the US culture significantly. American music derived a lot from such African techniques as complex rhythms, syncopation, smears and instrumental growls, etc., which made underlay mainly American blues and jazz. At the same time there are a lot of British, Latin, Hawaiian, etc., tendencies, which also contributed essentially in American music development and could not be neglected when determining major factors, which affected American music. References Nicholls, David (edt.). The Cambridge History of American Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Read More