Introduction
Music in the United States represents a very bright and original layer of the cultures of the different communities. American music developed in line with the culture, race, and experiences of the people. America is a country of immigrants in which representatives of various peoples of the world live and work – Anglo-Saxons, Irish, Germans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Jews, and African Americans. The emergence of music among blacks in America shows the role of race, culture, and experiences in music creation. African Americans have a rich history in music creation and performance. They are currently renowned for their role in the creation of music genres like jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. The influence of race, culture, and experience in music formation, especially among African Americans, is the focus of this paper.
Problem/Question
The trends of the modern musical world are based on genres that are closest to the origins of certain communities. The music refers to something specific and becomes clearer and more categorized. At the same time, more and more music categories have branched to different genres, subgenres, and directions (Bagley et al. 426). However, in the course of the musical history of any country, including America, this development is significantly influenced by culture, race, or experiences, which changes over time and thereby forms diversity, as it has been evidenced in the African American history and the music genres they have created. Therefore, the goal is to establish how race, ethnicity, and culture affect the development of music in America.
Thesis: The African Americans have influenced the development of music and made it so diverse and unique representation of the groups.
Overview of the application of the evidence
The evidence will be used to provide my essay with a foundation and justification for assessing the topic. Sources are crucial sources of information on different factors. The secondary sources that will be used in my essay will provide vital information that will help to show the relevance and validity of my assessment. Anyone who reads an essay expects that the author relies on reliable sources to support their arguments. The use of primary data is not available at this point. However, secondary sources manage to provide the authors with the material they need to write. The evidence will be applied to support the arguments that I will make in the essay. I plan to make specific arguments that align with those that have been made before by researchers and authors of secondary sources. The sources I have identified in the annotated bibliography are vital in supporting my argument that race and ethnicity have affected the development of music, leading to unique representations of races in different genres of music.
Alternative Scholarly Arguments
The primary argument in the essay will be that race, culture, and experience are influential in the creation of music in America, and the identity of African Americans is evident in the art. The argument is based on the existing trend where specific music genres are credited to groups that are believed to have begun the genre. For example, jazz is music that is attributed to African American communities (Library of Congress). The type of music has become popular in all races, and musicians of all races are now creating it and being part of its evolution. Counterarguments to this are that music is a transient art that evolves with humans, dissociating it from races or ethnicities. The argument has been made by some authors who believe that music has changed due to socioeconomic factors. While this may be true, one has to acknowledge that music remains a critical component of the identities of communities. Music is important in society because it is a form of communication and expression. The music genres by African Americans are significant to society, but they originated from the race, and this fact should be accepted and embraced.
Significance of the Essay
The essay is important due to its focus on the role of race and ethnicity in the development of music in America. The focus on the origin of music in America remains limited among researchers and scholars despite music being a crucial aspect of society. The essay argues that the creation and evolution of music and genres are due to the changes that races and ethnic communities in the country experience. Music like hip-hop and R&B came from African Americans at different periods in history (Allen & Randolph 47). Other communities, like Caucasians, are responsible for pop and country music. These origins are essential in defining music and genres as they ensure that one can understand the various components of each form of music. Therefore, the essay is essential since it shapes the understanding of music based on its origins.
Summary
Music is a representation of culture, race, and experience, and its creation and evolution are dependent on the races and ethnic communities that create it. America has a diverse population with rich cultures from around the world. The experiences of African Americans in the country influence the culture, leading to impacts on the development of music and its evolution. Music from blacks represents their unique cultures and experiences, leading to changes in music creation, as has been evident in the past. The evolution of the music, including its composition by individuals from other races, shows the level of diversity in the population.
Works Cited
Allen, Tennille Nicole, and Antonia Randolph. “Listening for the Interior in Hip-Hop and R&B Music.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019, pp. 46–60.
Bagley, Mark J.O., et al. “The Evolution of Niche: Variety in Knowledge Networks in the Global Music Industry.” Industry and Innovation, vol. 29, no. 3, 2021, pp. 425–462.
Boxill-Clark, Cleopatra, “In Search of Harmony in Culture: An Analysis of American Rock Music and the African American Experience” Master of Arts in Humanities | Master’s Theses, 2020, 13. Web.
Case, Anne, “Exploring Music, Imagery, and Racial-Ethnic-Cultural Identity with Youth in a Community Music Program: A Community Engagement Project.” Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, vol. 462, 2021. Web.
Donaldson, Rachel. “Race, Place, and American Music.” Journal of Urban History, vol. 45, no. 4, 2019, pp. 875–880.
Ewell, Philip A. “Music Theory and the White Racial Frame.” Music Theory Online, vol. 26, no. 2, 2020, doi:10.30535/mto.26.2.4.
Killin, Anton. “The Origins of Music. Evidence, Theory, and Prospects” Music & Science, vol. 1, 2018, p. 205920431775197.
Library of Congress. “The Painful Birth of Blues and Jazz.” Library of Congress Blogs, Web.
Sonnett, John. “Musical Relationships: Intersections of Race, Gender, Genre, and Listening Situation.” Cultural Sociology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2020, pp. 44–68.
Venrooij, Alex, et al. “Race and Genre Ambiguity in the Critical Reception of Popular Music.” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 92, no. 2, 2021, pp. 568–596.