Speech 2010- 2011

Margaret’s Workout

The first piece I will begin working on for the 2010- 2011 season is the dramatic Interp, “Margaret’s workout.” It is about a middle aged women who’s husband has lost sexual interest in her as she has grown older. When he tells her of this she begins to go crazy and joins the local gym. One day while in the middle of an aerobics class she begins noticing all the younger, more attractive women in the class. She reaches her peak of insanity, pulls out her curling iron and starts smashing the mirror with it. With glass flying everywhere she causes a giant commotion, and even causes her self to bleed from gashes from the glass. From there she is brought to a hospital and has a therapist. Margaret is narrating the story from her perspective and is presenting her story in front of an “AA” type of group for mentally insane people. I am interested in doing this piece because it fits my acting style and has a few dry, sarcastic lines within it that fits my personality.

Introduction

The nineteenth century was one of tremendous growth for the United States. One major aspect of this growth was culture. Because the United States was still a fairly young country that was experiencing a lot of physical change due to the adoption of more land as states, it lacked a central culture that made Americans Americans. As time elapsed though, one part of United States culture began to flourish and shape Americans. This piece of the puzzle is known as music.
Slavery was still legal and very much in use during the nineteenth century. Part of the growth that occurred during the time was in values. There was huge dispute between the north and south over slavery. The Civil War was product of this major argument of the time. Not only did the values of north and south contradict, but so did those of the slaves themselves as well. This is very apparent in the music of the time. Music of the nineteenth century exhibits the differences in cultural values and ideals during the time period of slaves and white American citizens.
Due to the pain and suffering they experienced daily from their masters, slaves valued their freedom above all which can be seen through their musical background. They sang songs as a group when the worked in the fields that spoke of freedom and how God would one day release them from their horrible oppression. Many forms of music spurted off from slave music including the genre today that is know as the Blues.
An important part of life for free, white men in the United States during the 19th century was social standing. Only the richest and most privileged of families had enough money to attend social events like concerts. Music was a symbol of status for whites. These cultural values can be seen in the music of the time itself.
Life was very different for slaves and free men of the time. Despite the fact that they lived in the same country, on the same land, they lived extremely different lives and valued different things. Their cultures were fundamentally different and this can be seen in the differences of their music.

NEW thesis and outline

Thesis:

Music of the nineteenth century exhibits the differences in cultural values and ideals during the time period of slaves and white American citizens.

Outline:

I. Introduction

II. Slaves valued their freedom which is very apparent through their music.
a. cultural values
b. music:
i.spitutals
ii.work songs
c. analysis

III. White Americans of the time valued power, and social standings which can be seen through their music.
a. cultural values
b. Music:
i. musicians
ii. songs
iii. music halls
iiii. types of songs
c. analysis

III. There was many differences in the music of slaves, and free whites which is very apparent through their music.
a. cultural differences
b. differences in lifestyles
c. differences in music
d. analysis

IV. Conclusion

My Strengths & Weaknesses

I have a few weaknesses while writing this paper. First of all, my original topic was "Music during the 19th century", but after researching the topic I have altered my topic a a little bit. My thesis is "The most significant and influential basis of music during the 19th century in the United States is derived from the thoughts and feelings of slavery and freedom", so I am going to need to find more background information on slaves and Africans in general in order to write a clear, and concise paper that makes sense. Therefore, one of my main weaknesses is that I don't have all the necessary information to write my paper yet. I have plenty information on music, but I just need to find so more on the other aspects of the thesis. Another weakness I have is that a majority of my sources are from the internet. I found a lot of books in the school library, but I have yet to read any of them which is poor planning on my part. This week I will need to skim the books for useful evidence and information that I can include in my paper. One big advantage I have while writing this paper is that I have a lot of background writing formal essays in this format for debate. In debate they are a little more choppy in the structure and less eloquent, but they are along the same line which will help me write this essay.

Thesis & Outline

Thesis:

The most significant and influencial basis of music duing the 19th century in the United States is derived from the thoughts and feelings of slavery and freedom.

Outline:

I. Introduction

II. Africans
a. life style
b. culture: music/ dance
c. analysis

III. Slaves
a. suffering & pain
b. spriutals/ work songs
c. analysis

VI. Combination of European & African cultures
a. difference in music
b. differnece in morals
c. influence on music of the day
d. analysis

V. Conclusion

Musical Theater

Musical Theater

The very first musical production in the United States was the show Flora which was preformed in Charleston, South Caroline on February 8, 1735. It was a ballad opera which had originated in England. Ballad operas remained to most popular type of stage production for a few decades until the United States was introduced to the burlesque. At that time a burlesque production was a parody of famous plays, performers, or dancers. They did this through dialogue, song, pantomime, and dance. Hamlet was one of the first burlesques in 1828. John Poole starred in this production of Hamlet. Burlesques were also for the most part foreign importations; and so were the extravaganzas and spectacles that crowded the New York stage just before and immediately after the Civil War. The accent on female pulchritude, usually in flimsy attire, was such an important element in later American musical productions. This importance dates from one of these foreign importations: Ixion, in 1869, in which Lydia Thompson and her English blondes shocked New York by having girls appear in skin-colored tights. The Black Crook was the very first American produced and written musical and when it premiered in New York City on September 12, 1866, it was an instant hit and was considered to be the most successful theatrical production to be put on in the United States at the time. The Black Crook introduced some of the ritual subsequently identifying American musical comedy: chorus girls, ornate production numbers, elaborate costuming, songs provocative with sexual innuendos, large dance numbers and so forth.

"American Musical Theatre: An Introduction." TheatreHistory.com. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. .

America the Beautiful

"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song.The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster, Samuel A. Ward. Bates originally wrote the words as a poem, Pikes Peak, first published in the July 4th edition of the church periodical The Congregationalist in 1895. The poem was titled America for publication. Ward had originally written the music, Materna, for the 1600s hymn “O Mother dear, Jerusalem” in 1882. Ward's music combined with the Bates poem was first published in 1910 and titled America the Beautiful. The song is one of the most beloved and popular of the many American patriotic songs. From time to time it has been proposed as a replacement for The Star- Spangled Banner as the National Anthem. These are the lyrics:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!
O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

"America the Beautiful -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. .

Gospel Music

Gospel Music

Gospel Music is believed to have originated from African American slaves. It was a way of expressing faith and praises through joyful music so very much distinctive of them. Gospel songs contain many different themes that arouse many different emotions in all its listeners. The songs also have very strong passion that was powered by the slaves willful creation of their own worship hymns in spite of their hardships. The “white gospel” was the white man’s version of the gospel; it was also known as the southern gospel. This form of song was believed to have originated in the late 1800s from white evangelical Americans, yet the style of the song came from the hymn. Usually southern gospel music does not include instruments at all or sparingly, but not always. The contemporary Christian music was derived from southern gospel music. Bluegrass gospels are a subgenre of the southern gospel as well. These bluegrass gospels grew popular because of its secular artists, including Elvis Presley and other evangelists including Billy Graham and Jimmy Swaggart. But history has it that southern gospel music has been developed from the Holiness churches that arose in the first decade of the 20th century throughout the south. This phenomenon created new kind of music for this new forms of worship—in addition to those traditional hymns that were created in the 18th and 19th century. Southern gospel music is called such so as to distinguish it from black gospel. Mostly, southern gospel and its roots are attributed to the published works and “normal schools” of Aldine S. Kieffer as well as Ephraim Ruebush. And like black gospel, southern gospel also has numerous notable artists and performers.

"Southern Gospel Music." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

Slave Music

Slaves: Music

African Americans used to meet on a regular basis and sang many songs together. They did this with out any hymnbooks and these songs were for the most part made up on the spot. They referred to these song as “spirituals”. These Christian songs usually were about what the Bible says and how to live with the spirit of God. One song called “Dark Days of Bondage” is about the faith the slaves had that God would not leave them alone during their horrible life. Another type of common slave song is called the “quiet” song. It can be sung by one or multiple people and they were used for expressing the singers personal feelings and to cheer on one another. The meaning of both spirituals and quiet songs were often covert. That being said only Christian slaves understood them. They usually reflected the singer’s relationship with God. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are spirituals about the Underground Railroad. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” refers directly to one station called the Ripley Station which was open to fugitive slaves. This song was a call and response chant. The Lyrics to “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are the following:

SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT

Lead: Swing low, sweet chariot
Chorus: Coming for to carry me home
Lead: Swing low, sweet chariot
Chorus: Coming for to carry me home
Lead: If you get there before I do
Chorus: Coming for to carry me home
Lead: Tell all my friends, I’m coming too
Chorus: Coming for to carry me home

Song Official Site of Negro Spirituals, antique Gospel Music. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

The Star- Spangled Banner

The Star- Spangled Banner

The Star- Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States of America, was written during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. The lyrics to the song are actually the four verses of the poem “Defense of Fort McHenry” by poet Francis Scott Key. This poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song that was written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society which was a men’s social club of the time. This is song is one of the hardest songs to sing due to the fact that its range is one and a half octaves. Despite having four verses, only the first is commonly sung today. The forth may be added on during formal occasions. Although it was written in 1814, it was not made our national anthem until March 3, 1931 by a congressional resolution which was signed by President at the time, Herbert Hoover. An interesting fact is that much of the idea of the poem and even some of the wording is arguably derived from am earlier song also written by Francis Scott Key which was also set to the tune of the same exact song. This song was known as “ When the Warrior Returns”. Key’s brother-in-law was the one who actually suggested that “Defense of Fort McHenry” be set to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song.” The song gained much popularity during the nineteenth century and was often played at public events such as Forth of July celebrations. On July 27, 1889 the song was even made the official tune to be payed at the raising of the flag.

"The Star-Spangled Banner -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner>.

The Famous Concert Hall- Boston, MA (1752- 1869)

Concert Hall- Boston, Massachusetts

Located in Boston, Massachusetts from 1752 until 1869 was the Concert Hall. It was at the corner of Hanover Street and Queen Street. Besides musical gatherings, many other events happened here including meetings and dinners. The Hall was built by Stephen Deblois in the year 1752. The building was worth three thousand dollars at the time. The hall had a small organ that was played often by John Snetzler from 1763 to 1774. A journal written by John Rowe was found and in this journal are many entries written about different occasions he attended at the hall. One entry from March 16, 1769 states, "Spent the evening at the Fife Major's concert at Concert Hall; there was a large and genteel company and the best musick I have heard performed there." Josiah Flagg performed many concerts at the hall including one on May 17, 1771. A duet was said to be sung that night by a anonymous gentleman who sung in many concerts with Mr. Flagg all across the country. The program for this event was printed in The Massachusetts Spy the day before. Besides the duet, this notable program at the Concert Hall included four vocal pieces, three overtures, two concertos, three symphonies, and a violin solo. The bulk of the program was composed of works by such lesser composers as Stanley, Schwindl, Abel, and Ricci, but also included music by Stamitz, Handel, and J. C. Bach. One non- musical event known to have taken place at the Concert Hall was a show by Ventriloquist Jonathan Harrington on March 1831. Another in March 1834, the was by the "500-pound 8-year-old, Rose Rich. In September, 1835, "161-year-old" Joyce Heth appears in a show at the hall. She was said to be "George Washington's former nurse."

word count: 304

"Concert Hall (Boston, Massachusetts) -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 07 Jan. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_Hall_(Boston,_Massachusetts)>.

List of Future Post Topics

Ideas For Future Posts

1. more composers

2. more musicians

3. slave songs

4. more civil war music

5. instruments

6. The Star Spangled Banner

7. connection from back then to now

8. how music helped strengthen communication

9. music halls

10. musical theater of the time

11. more types of songs

12. the journey of music from Europe to the United States

13. songs that united the country

14. how people listened to music

15. musical gatherings- concerts, etc

Music of the Civil War

Civil War Music

A lot of artifacts from the Civil War have been lost along the way from then to now. Although, one thing remains the same: we have hundreds of songs from the time period. There are several different types of Civil War songs. Some were sung by soldiers when the were sad and thinking about their families back home. Others were written to be marched to and were to lift the morale of the soldiers on either side. Slaves also wrote songs during the war. Loved ones left back home wrote songs in memory of their family members off or lost at war. No matter what kind of song it is, it gives us a good indication of what the author was feeling at the time and if helpful to historians, whose job it is to interpret artifacts left behind in history. In the war drumbeats served two purposes. The drums were used to tell soldiers what to do and issued commands to the soldiers. The other purpose of the drum was to help the soldiers march orderly together. These drum calls were often partnered with fife. This form of music was very popular during the Civil War with generals because the shrill tone of the fife was able to be heard well over all the other loud sounds of the war on the battlefield. One other musical instrument crucial to the war was the bugle. Along with the drums, they too were in charge of sounding commands to the soldiers. They sounded in the morning as a wake up call, at night to alert time for bed, and numerous other commands on the battlefield such as retreat or advance.

word count: 282

"Civil War Music : History of Civil War Music." Civil War Music : Civil War Songs, Music, Fife & Drum Music, Photographs, and more. Web. 04 Jan. 2010. <http://www.civilwarmusic.net/history.php#>.

The Blues

The Blues

The blues is a genre of music that was created in the African- American communities deep in the heart of the south in the United States towards the end of the nineteenth century. Some songs that are considered blues are work songs, field hollers, spirituals, and simple rhyming ballads. To be considered blues, a song has to follow the blues form. It has to follow the twelve bar blues chord or the blues note chord. These songs are played or sung in this way for expression and are usually flat or gradually bent in relation to the pitch of the major scale. Lyrics, bass lines, and instruments are also specifics of the blues. The blues got its name from “the blue devils” which is meant to mean sadness or melancholy. Blues sung by African- Americans in the late 19th century usually repeated one single line four times. Most African- Americans sung these blues in call and response style. They were sung in complete melody with out accompaniment and they were not sung with any particular musical structure. The blues also rooted from spirituals. A spiritual is a religious song with its roots in the camp meeting of the Great Awakening. Both spirituals and the blues giving the feeling of sadness and misery to the listener. In contrast, the blues are more specific the performer, whereas spirituals are more broad and are about sadness in general. The two can not easily be separated despite these difference meaning most spirituals are considered to be blues as well.

word count: 257

"Blues -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues>.

"Origins of the blues -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 04 Jan. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_blues>.

The Ballad and Parlor Music

The Ballad and Parlor Music

The most popular form of music was the ballad for majority of the 19th century. A ballad is a song that tells a story which can be both fact or fiction as long as it has a central narrative. Some are about famous battles through out history, famous heroes or villains, or some can even be a tale of romance and adventure. These ballads were spread through out the United States by travelers and then were pasted down through families from generation to generation. At first they were only spread orally and then later in the century they began to be written down and published. Ballads were published as broadsides at the time; which are single sheets with print on only one side that can be easily distributed. When a New England publisher began printing and selling broadsides of three hundred different English and American songs in 1814, it quickly caught on in other cities and became very popular. Having these broadside ballads it made it easier for for American citizens to know and memorize the words to these both old and new songs.

As the middle class grew in the United States during the nineteenth century, so did the taste in music. As more and more people were able to afford a piano, then called a painoforte, less people were drawn to the common fiddle which were commonly used in ballads. They liked the piano better and the songs that came with it. Musical gatherings became small parties in the parlor of homes where families and guests would gather around and listen to young women sing parlor music accompanied by the piano. Parlor music is far more polished and romantic than a ballad. They were more formally composed and sold in sheet music rather than in broadsides. Parlor music became the most popular form of music by the late 19th century.

word count: 319

"Popular Music in 19th-Century America: From Broadside Ballads to the Birth of the Blues." American History. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. <http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/popular_music_in_19thcentury_america>

Forms of Music During the Nineteenth Century

Forms of Music During the Nineteenth Century

There were three major forms of music in the 19th century; Chamber and Piano music, Symphony, and Program music.

Chamber Music: Chamber music is a work that was written to be preformed by a small ensemble, usually one to five musicians, and is well suited to be preformed in mid-size rooms or chambers. Quintets became very popular in string and wind instruments during the time period. The piano also gained popularity, and became a common featured instrument in these ensembles. The piano quickly became a symbol of gentility.

Symphony: The structure of a symphony was well established by the aforementioned composers and remain largely unchanged. It originated in the Classical period of music. For a piece to be considered a symphony, it has to consist of four movement:

1. Sonata Form
2. Slow and lyrical
3. Minuet
4. Allergo

Beethoven is the well know master of the symphonic form and his nine symphonies have influenced all symphonies written since his time.

Program Music: Some composers including Hector Berlioz took and transformed the symphony into another direction. They wrote pieces that resembled a symphony but was driven by a story punctuated by an idée fixe. This idea of a narrative driven symphony was taken further by Bedrich Smetana and Franz Liszt with the Symphonic or Tone Poem. This form totally abandoned the four movement structure of the symphony merging all the sections into one. Smetana's Ma Vlast consists of different sections that are inspired by several areas of his home country, Czechoslovakia.

"19th Century Music History: Styles & Forms, Instrumental." Web. 03 Jan. 2010. .

word count: 255