W.E.B.’s The Souls of Black Folk acts as one of the most profound and important pieces of literature in the contexts of American racial tensions and sociology. This pioneering book provides invaluable insight into the struggles of African-Americans in the early twentieth century through the means of individual essays divided into chapters. In these essays, Du Bois brings to center stage a spectrum of issues that African Americans faced in everyday life, such as the color-line, “The Veil,” and the continuation of racism and inequality. The Souls of Black Folk offers the reader a primary source of the African American condition during Du Bois’s lifetime, and helps with understanding their career struggles as well. African American musicians
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Burleigh is a prime example of double consciousness. Du Bios describes the idea of double consciousness as having two identities: one as an African American and one as an American. Harry Burleigh experienced this in various ways throughout his career. For example, through the suggestion of his Conservatory director and mentor, Antonin Dvorak, he incorporated African-American spirituals in his own compositions as a means to preserve them. Here, he also leads his identity not only as a composer of new music, but also as a singer of these spirituals through his compositions. Du Bois’s incorporation of spirituals at the beginning of each chapter helps the reader better understand what type of music Burleigh was basing his compositions on. In The Souls of Black Folk, spirituals are described as being "some echo of haunting melody from the only American music which welled up from black souls in the dark past." Burleigh’s music can also be described as an echo of the past, as it incorporates melodies and the lyrics of the spirituals but joins them in a classical setting. For example, Deep River, written for solo voice and piano, and was the inspiration for many other spirituals written later on. (https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185369/) While the piano setting and quite difficult vocal part give the song a classical feeling, the lyrics maintain the significance of the original …show more content…
Whereas Still’s approach to synthesizing African American music with classical music was more literal, Price took a more classical
Burleigh is a prime example of double consciousness. Du Bios describes the idea of double consciousness as having two identities: one as an African American and one as an American. Harry Burleigh experienced this in various ways throughout his career. For example, through the suggestion of his Conservatory director and mentor, Antonin Dvorak, he incorporated African-American spirituals in his own compositions as a means to preserve them. Here, he also leads his identity not only as a composer of new music, but also as a singer of these spirituals through his compositions. Du Bois’s incorporation of spirituals at the beginning of each chapter helps the reader better understand what type of music Burleigh was basing his compositions on. In The Souls of Black Folk, spirituals are described as being "some echo of haunting melody from the only American music which welled up from black souls in the dark past." Burleigh’s music can also be described as an echo of the past, as it incorporates melodies and the lyrics of the spirituals but joins them in a classical setting. For example, Deep River, written for solo voice and piano, and was the inspiration for many other spirituals written later on. (https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185369/) While the piano setting and quite difficult vocal part give the song a classical feeling, the lyrics maintain the significance of the original …show more content…
Whereas Still’s approach to synthesizing African American music with classical music was more literal, Price took a more classical