Music Culture

Quick Overview

A taster of some of the topics covered within the lessons…

african

My kinda place, the home of rhythm and percussion! “The dust on my boots, the rhythm of my feet and my heartbeat… say AFRICA!”

African music is one of the most difficult genres to aptly describe due to the many many sub-cultures that fall under the label “African.” However, many rhythmic chants, phrases, beats, and even melodies as played by xylophone-type instruments, can be traced back to African roots. Over the centuries, what can be considered “traditional” African music has been ever-changing; this is simply down to the fact that music from here is so incredibly old it has lived through many “traditions” and tests of time.

new orleans

Widely known as the place that birthed, or at least contributed the most, to the Jazz style of music. Earliest forms of Jazz sometimes called “traditional jazz” is known as Dixieland. Dixieland Jazz is a product of New Orleans through and through; the incredible melding of cultures from across the globe have all contributed to this City’s unique musical heritage.

Blues has also significantly played a role in the formation of the music scene, the Mississippi Delta where blues flourished significantly in America, is just upriver from New Orleans.

folk

This can be separated into Traditional Folk and Contemporary Folk. Traditional Folk can be traced back as early as the mid 18th century, where it was predominantly orally performed music which was transcribed for posterity. Often, music of age with no known composer, or music that has been performed as a customary presentation over a long period of time is considered Folk.

In the early 20th century the Folk Revival movement took place, spawning what is known today as Contemporary Folk. This genre includes artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, as well as a wide array of culturally unique European music like Celtic Music.