Alie Teitz
Mrs. Brochu
American Studies F/G
5 February, 2016
Bassed on a True Story
Ever since the 4th century, music has been at the root of almost all cultures. It began with the chants of the Gregorian Monks, which were monophonic, meaning there was no harmony or accompaniment. These were choral pieces used strictly for religious services. As music spread throughout the world, polyphonic sounds, which were more complex intertwining melodies and background parts, were developed, and new instruments were invented. It wasn’t until the 1500s that more well-known instruments such as the violin and the cello were developed. The modern versions of the instruments typically used for jazz weren’t contrived until the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Although the history of music is an enduring one, musicians explored areas they had never dared go before in the 1920s. Unlike its more sophisticated predecessors, jazz featured improvisation and a larger focus on soloing. This …show more content…
The radical way of life during the 1920s was reflected in the music and when this music then spread to the classical genre, it bridged the gap between the two styles. This merger spread worldwide and can be heard in the music of French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, who were also famous in the 1920s, similar to Copland and Gershwin, due to their use of jazz influences. This trend continued throughout the 20th Century and spread even to popular music today with the use of saxophone solos in pop songs including Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” (2011). Music defines cultures and eras, whether it’s the jazz of the 1920s, the folk music of the 1960s, disco of the 1970s, or the pop of the 1990s. Everywhere people can seen with headphones in or with the radio playing in the car and to live without music is to live without one of the greatest gifts mankind has to
Mrs. Brochu
American Studies F/G
5 February, 2016
Bassed on a True Story
Ever since the 4th century, music has been at the root of almost all cultures. It began with the chants of the Gregorian Monks, which were monophonic, meaning there was no harmony or accompaniment. These were choral pieces used strictly for religious services. As music spread throughout the world, polyphonic sounds, which were more complex intertwining melodies and background parts, were developed, and new instruments were invented. It wasn’t until the 1500s that more well-known instruments such as the violin and the cello were developed. The modern versions of the instruments typically used for jazz weren’t contrived until the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Although the history of music is an enduring one, musicians explored areas they had never dared go before in the 1920s. Unlike its more sophisticated predecessors, jazz featured improvisation and a larger focus on soloing. This …show more content…
The radical way of life during the 1920s was reflected in the music and when this music then spread to the classical genre, it bridged the gap between the two styles. This merger spread worldwide and can be heard in the music of French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, who were also famous in the 1920s, similar to Copland and Gershwin, due to their use of jazz influences. This trend continued throughout the 20th Century and spread even to popular music today with the use of saxophone solos in pop songs including Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” (2011). Music defines cultures and eras, whether it’s the jazz of the 1920s, the folk music of the 1960s, disco of the 1970s, or the pop of the 1990s. Everywhere people can seen with headphones in or with the radio playing in the car and to live without music is to live without one of the greatest gifts mankind has to