Applied English for American Society and Culture through Music
Chapter 7 Essay Question Preparation

Professor Doan's Question: "As we approach the end of the 19th century, there is a very danceable and highly syncopated music as well as a popular music publishing business. What name do they go by, who were the principle people active in them, what was the music like, and when and why did they come to an end.

Ragtime: This music became popular through the music of Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Jelly Roll Morton and piano rolls. It is light hearted, it makes you want to move and smile, and is entertaining. It was derived from march form and used chromatic tones. The previous waltz and polka dance forms are superceded by the two-step and fox-trot.

Ragtime declined after World War I. Rags were becoming too complex for popular appeal as well as being over commercialized which ultimately diluted it's impact.

Tin Pan Alley: This music became popular through the music of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and song plugers.

Tim Pan Alley made music a business.

Tim Pan Alley music mostly had verse-chorus form.

It was unusual that there were a high number of Jewish songwriters - especially between the wars.

It was as if they became our conscience in America while in Europe they were being asked or forced to leave and in some ways Europeans were trying to rid the Jews from their conscience.

Tin Pan Alley Composers:

Irving Berlin: He was known for songs that were easy to sing (God Bless America and issues of anti-semitism).

Jerome Kern: He composed songs with more complex harmonies. He also wrote for movies.

Cole Porter: His music was difficult to sing but never-the-less had witty, sexy, and sophisticated lyrics.

Tin Pan Alley began to decline as popular taste changed after 50 years of dominance.

Sentimental songs did not seem to work after World War II. There was more of a mood to celebrate that the troops were home. The economy was booming. People began to enjoy music with Latin rhythms and songs from the country offered something new.

Ascap's 1940 strike of radio to force them to pay higher fees for the use of their music backfired.

BMI came forward and promoted younger artists and regional tastes.