Gospel Music Research Paper

[the black musician] improvises, he creates, it comes from within” (Gerard 28). Despite Malcolm X’s criticism of the classically-trained musician’s inability to improvise, the European-influenced creole musicians began to learn to create variation within ragtime’s syncopated form. Likewise, blues musicians adopted parts of the genre of ragtime and implemented it into their call-and-response based music. The merging of these two styles of music occurred as a result of external socio-political pressure of Jim Crow segregation, but ultimately helped establish an innovative and swinging genre of jazz

In fact, the contributions of Scott Joplin in promoting ragtime music are immense, that it is difficult to talk about ragtime without mentioning his name (Stephens 13). Thus, Scott Joplin is a famous ragtime musician who helped to popularize the music in the 1890s to the early 1900s. For instance, “Maple Leaf Rag” is a famous composition by Scott Joplin that

Ragtime can be defined as a musical genre most noted for its syncopated (“ragged”) rhythm. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, ragtime quickly became a known music genre to the public. This new music was composed of a blend

At first, I found this interesting, however once I thought about it this made sense to me. Many main artists were looking for backup singers who had strong, soulful voices that could bring a different dimension to their songs. This is exactly how gospel singers’ voices are.

“I’ve always been drawn to gospel music and the roots of African American music. It’s the foundation of rock and roll.” Hozier, an Irish musician, was right when he claimed that Gospel music laid the foundation for rock and roll, but how did gospel get such an influential role? What figures popularized gospel so that it became a known genre of music worldwide? Who transformed the once tame church music into the emotional music that is now heard? While gospel may have started with other musicians, Thomas Dorsey changed and defined gospel as we know it today.

According to scholar Christian McWhirter, “spirituals were originally sung by working slaves”. These African american men used God and showed many different aspects behind their music. It was was like the first real sign of unity in the

Most African American songs can be best represented as when all the Africans would get together, and make songs that made them happy, and the audience would be able to sing along or dance to the beat. African American musical traditions represented in early spiritual practices were viewed in a good way because before singing the leader would sing a line and the others would follow and repeat the leader. Or they would also use the call- and response technique. Although, many of the European Americans liked the music from the African Americans some of them were threatened by it or opposed it, they decided or come up with new ideas for music of their own. When there was a performance happening there would be hand-clapping, yelling, dancing, and singing, people would start joining into the music.

The history, popularity and influence of jazz on human culture make it the seminal American art form. The origins of jazz music are central to its identity and its importance in the American story. Firstly, ragtime

This kind of music was the source of inspiration for most of the black artists who also played a big role in influencing Michal Jackson and his numerous works. Soul music would be perceived as having an influence on almost every facet present in popular culture. It has its history from Back Power and Civil rights movements that were seen in the 1960s (Soul: a Historical Reconstruction of Continuity and Change in Black Popular Music, 21). Some of the popular genres include blues that are deeply embedded in the black tradition. Blues and specifically country blues has its origin or essence from socially isolated communities in the antebellum period (Soul: a Historical Reconstruction of Continuity and Change in Black Popular Music, 22).

Music can bring the brightest of joys that keeps us moving through our dull and boring lives. An example of this joy is Ishmael Beah’s life as a boy soldier in his book A Long Way Gone. As he tells you his story, he tells of his dance group with his friends, the times he heard music in the middle of war, and how music saved him from the madness that brewed within him. Music has the unique ability to create peace in a person’s life despite the difficulties surrounding them, and to bring a constant reminder of who they are as a person.

It was through Gospel solo recording artists such as Mahalia Jackson, Sallie Martin and Sister Rosetta Tharpe that Gospel music really gained popularity within and outside of the church. Eileen talks about the career of Mahalia Jackson (1912-1972): “Jackson was perhaps responsible more than any single person for bringing Gospel to the attention of the world… She recorded regularly from 1946 on and toured extensively at home and abroad making her first European tour trip in 1952.” Due to the recording and wide spread of the Gospel music among the working class, Gospel music ended up being successful and popular with young people and moved outside the church to be listened

This new musical style gives an inspiration to Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and other gospel singers to adapt gospel sounds to pop songs. In addition, some pop

Music carries each and every one of us to a new awareness. It can reach to the innermost part of an individual. Music can envelope our emotions from tears all the way to our joy. It captivates and motivates. As I attended a concert on Saturday, November 7, 2015, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed with power and feeling to their audience.

Music is not only used to capture peoples hearing but it is used to power peoples minds through the power of an individuals voice. Music served a critical role in the African American’s lives, as it was used to uplift their spirits as well as providing them with hope and strength to fight for civil rights and overcome segregation between white superiority and the unfair treatment of the inferior black. Music was defined as the voice of the people that lived through the oppression of the civil rights movement. During the civil rights movement, there were many different types of music genres sung, dependent on the culture, this included spiritual music; gospel and even folk music, which was performed by musicians, singers and even people of any musical talents. Through this, it brought about the uniting of people to join together and sing songs that helped them go through the oppression of the civil rights movement.

III. Finally, music offers many advantages to those who listen. A. Medically, certain music can help significantly in healing the mind and the body. 1. Music therapists are professionals trained to use music and/or musical instruments to promote overall health and well-being in their patients (“Positive & Negative…,” 2017).