Five Important Moments in America’s Musical History— The Rest of the Story, by Sara Towe Horsfall cultuRal moments often change what music means to a society. ouR past includes (1) eighteenth-centuRy development of hymns as chuRch music; (2) the wild populaRity of nineteenth-centuRy blackface minstRels (including stephen fosteR songs); (3) the gentRification of music enteRtainment on vaudeville, which set the stage foR ouR modeRn music industRy; (4) the continued populaRity of the LittLe Red Songbook and folksingeRs such as pete seegeR; and (5) alan lomax’s extensive nonpRofessional RecoRdings, which give us a glimpse of music among the RuRal afRican ameRicans and otheRs aRound the countRy in the eaRly twentieth centuRy

doi:10.4324/9781315633374-10

Chapter

Five Important Moments in America’s Musical History— The Rest of the Story, by Sara Towe Horsfall cultuRal moments often change what music means to a society. ouR past includes (1) eighteenth-centuRy development of hymns as chuRch music; (2) the wild populaRity of nineteenth-centuRy blackface minstRels (including stephen fosteR songs); (3) the gentRification of music enteRtainment on vaudeville, which set the stage foR ouR modeRn music industRy; (4) the continued populaRity of the LittLe Red Songbook and folksingeRs such as pete seegeR; and (5) alan lomax’s extensive nonpRofessional RecoRdings, which give us a glimpse of music among the RuRal afRican ameRicans and otheRs aRound the countRy in the eaRly twentieth centuRy

Chapter

Five Important Moments in America’s Musical History— The Rest of the Story, by Sara Towe Horsfall cultuRal moments often change what music means to a society. ouR past includes (1) eighteenth-centuRy development of hymns as chuRch music; (2) the wild populaRity of nineteenth-centuRy blackface minstRels (including stephen fosteR songs); (3) the gentRification of music enteRtainment on vaudeville, which set the stage foR ouR modeRn music industRy; (4) the continued populaRity of the LittLe Red Songbook and folksingeRs such as pete seegeR; and (5) alan lomax’s extensive nonpRofessional RecoRdings, which give us a glimpse of music among the RuRal afRican ameRicans and otheRs aRound the countRy in the eaRly twentieth centuRy

ABSTRACT

The good thing about the past is that we can see things better retrospectively. The bad thing is that important things are often forgotten. In terms of music, both are true. There are several outstanding musical events in America’s popular music past that are today unknown, or unappreciated. Understanding these gems leads to greater appreciation of our multifaceted and unique cultural heritage. Five such events are examined here: hymns, minstrels, vaudeville, the “little red songbook” or protest music, and folk music. As musical forms they may be familiar, but their role in the development of our musical culture may not be fully appreciated.