American Popular Music, 1890-1950

American Popular Music, 1890–1950 will cover the formative period of what has become the most influential popular music in human history.

Well past the Civil War, popular music known to most Americans consisted largely of marches, waltzes, ballads and other genres continuing from Europe. In the late nineteenth century, Black musicians fused African-derived approaches to rhythm and vocalization to a European template. The result was a music unlike any known in the United States – or the world -- before. The initial manifestation was ragtime, which evolved into 1) America’s musical theatre music and 2) with a jolt from blues singing, jazz, which started out as a kind of ragtime but evolved into swing, bebop and Rhythm and Blues. Meanwhile, rural white music became what we know as country music, which eventually joined Rhythm and Blues to become rock and roll.

This seminar will enlighten students about the evolution, importance and artistry of what to them can seem like a formless fog of “old-time” music associated with old cartoons and even older people.