HLM 216 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: World'S Columbian Exposition, Ragtime, Clef Club
27 views2 pages
1 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
● Black music started becoming mainstream
Ragtime
● White Americans finally found out appeal of African American music through ragtime
● Found through sheet music
○ Whites could play it and enjoy it
● Became catalyst for revolution changes in pop music, marked beginning of modern era
● Starts after Civil War
● Black musicians had played syncopated rhythms in midwest for years
● World Columbian Exposition (1893)
○ Ragtime pianists started to migrate to Chicago
○ There was work in saloons and restaurants
○ Scott Joplin
● Started using the term “ragtime” by the end of the century (1800’s)
● 1899: Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin was published
○ First commercially successful rag
● Ragtime became a household word
● Any competent pianist could play this because of sheet music
Syncopated Dance Music
● 1905-1925: Americans became dance crazy
● Danced to ragtime in early days
● New dances diversified
○ Includes popular songs set to a danceable beat
● Piano rags were scored for dance orchestras
● Animal dance
○ “Grizzle bears”
○ “Turkey trot”
■ Lingering close contact
● People acted violent to these dances, because it was “sleazy”
● COurt imposed 50 day prison sentence for dancing the “turkey trot” in NJ
● 1914: Official disapproval was issued by the Vatican
● Fox trot
○ Replaced many animal dances
● James Reese Europe
○ 1881-1919
○ From DC > went to NY
○ Clef Club
■ Organization for black musician, part union, part booking agency
○ 1912: arranged 150 piece in Carnegie hall
■ Impressed New York’s high society
○ Irene & Vernon Castle
■ Hired Europe to accompany them with his arrangements
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com