Music in America

Music in America

by Jenna Chang

   

      Music intertwines with aspects of social and cultural identity, including social class, race  ethnicity, geography, religion, and language.

The relationship between music and race is perhaps the most potent determiner of musical meaning in the United States. American music is a blend of virtually every culture brought over to the US and is redefined as the generations pass. America is also the birthplace of many different and popular types of music that appear in popular culture today. Some of the most prominent types of music include, hip-hop, pop, R&B, ballad, jazz, and rock. One of the first types of music ever to be created in the US was jazz. Jazz sounds originated from West African culture while the development of Jazz originates from the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the most famous jazz players was Louis Armstrong. Hip-hop, one of America's most popular modern genres, was actually a cultural movement in which music was a significant part of. Hip hop arose in the early 1970s in The Bronx, New York City and often focused on political and societal issues. Run DMC was one of the most popular hip-hop groups in the early days. R& B, which stands for rhythm and blues was developed by in the 1950's during the Civil Rights Movement. Rock, known for its loud energetic sound was created by blending the sounds of country,folk and blues. Bands such as the The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling stones, played a significant role in the development of the genre. Music brings people together, makes people happy and simply entertains people all over the world regardless of the country or people.