Colegiul Național ‘’Avram Iancu’’, Câmpeni

Lucrare de atestare a competențelor lingvistice

BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-PAST AND PRESENT

Profesor coordonator: Bădău Ramona Elev: Cotișel Adriana

An școlar 2013-2014

Colegiul Național ‘’Avram Iancu’’, Câmpeni

Lucrare de atestare a competențelor lingvistice

BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-PAST AND PRESENT

Profesor coordonator: Bădău Ramona Elev: Cotișel Adriana

An școlar 2013-2014

Table of contents

1. The roots of american music...........................................................................

2. Musical genres-past........................................................................................ 2.1.Blues........................................................................................................2.2.Gospel.......................................................................................................2.3.Country music..........................................................................................

3. Past musical growth relating to the present...................................................3.1. Creating new boundaries.....................................................................3.2. Starting from scratch............................................................................

4. The result- music in today’s world................................................................

5. Music of the Past vs Today's Music- bands and singers...............................5.1.The Beatles..............................................................................................5.2.Beyonce Knowles...................................................................................5.3.Stevie Wonder........................................................................................5.4.Ella Fitzgerald.........................................................................................5.5.Louis Amstrong......................................................................................5.6.Witney Houston......................................................................................

Conclusion...................................................................................................

Bibliography................................................................................................

Foreword

Music is important because it enables people to communicate ideas to others, often with minimum resistance. People use music to express themselves and share their feelings, attitudes and opinions with others. Messages of comfort, praise, hope and appreciation are often conveyed in music.

In my work certification I have tried to include ideas that led to the production of music and to his evolution. In the first chapter called ‘’The roots of american music’’ I have presented the definition of music as it was seen since the beginning and beside that I have showed how music has blossomed in a variety of styles for any occasion and any emotion. Music styles such as ‘’blues’’ ,’’gospel’’, ‘’traditional country’’ were genres who first devided music.

In chapter two called ‘’Musical genres-past’’ I have presented some musical genres such as ‘’blues’’, ‘’gospel’’ and ‘’country music’’, including the period when they occurred and how they influenced music. Also I have included one famous singer for each music style.

‘’Past musical growth relating to the present’’, chapter three, contains informations about the evolution of music. I have presented the changes that occurred during the time dividing them in two parts named ‘’Creating new boundaries’’ and ‘’Starting from scratch’’. These parts show how music evolved and some events that influenced the process of evolution. Moreover, I have presented how the name of musical styles was changed and the reaction of music listeners.

Chapter four called ‘’The result-music in today’s world’’ presents music as it is nowdays. Lyrics, singers, bands, musical instruments were changed and this process led to more controversy between those who appreciate real music and those who produce music without having talent.

Last chapter called ‘’’Music of the past vs Today’s music-bands and singers’’ contains presentations of famous singers and bands from both past and present. Singers as Beyonce Knowles, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder who belong to different periods have left their mark in music with their songs.

In conclusion music is a field in a constant evolution. All this information I have included in my work certification are on Black American music, the real music producers.

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The roots of american music

The term ‘’American roots music’’ may not be a familiar one and requires some explanation. At the beginning of the 20th century the term ‘’folk music’’ was used by scholars to

describe music made by whites of European ancestry, often in the relatively isolated rural South. As the century progressed, the definition of folk music expanded to include the song styles-particularly the blues-of Southern blacks as well. In general, folk music was viewed as a window into the cultural life of these groups. Folk songs communicated the hopes, sorrows and convictions of ordinary people’s everyday lives. Increasingly, music made by other groups of Americans such as Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Cajuns came under the umbrella of ‘’folk music’’. It was sung in churches, on front porches, in the fields and other workplaces, while rocking children to sleep, and at the parties. The melodies and words were passed down from parent to child, though songs-and their meaning-often changed to reflect changing times.In the 1960’s, awareness of folk songs and musicians grew, and popular musicians began to draw on folk music as an artistic source as never before. ’’Folk music’’ then became a form of popular music itself, popularized by singer/songwriters such as Bob Dylan, who helped pioneer the intimate, often acoustic performing style that echoed that of community-based folk musicians. Music writers, scholars and fans began to look for new ways to describe the diverse array of musical styles still being sung and played in communities across America, though most often not heard on radios. The term ‘’roots music’’ is now used to refer to this broad range of musical genres, which include blues, gospel, traditional country, zydeco, tejano, and native American pow-wow.Songs are an important cultural form though which people assert and preserve their own histories in the face of changing social conditions. Spirituals sung by African-American slaves; protest songs sung by 1960s youth; Texas-Mexicans singing the corridor; and ‘’union songs’’ sung by labor organizers all suggest how music has been both an intrinsic response to historical and cultural conflict and an expressive vehicle that encouraged collective action. Contemporary singer-songwriters from many different ethnic backgrounds continue to use music as a way to call attention to injustice. Roots music has long been a vehicle for offering the disenfranchised a voice. American roots music draws on the lived experience of ordinary men and women, who were and often still are defined and limited by cultural constructions of race, class and gender. Just as music reflects how Americans have struggled against oppressive social and economic conditions, music is also a means of celebrating and giving dignity to identity. Music performance was often a place whites and blacks could come together and transcend the social limits imposed by segregation. Historian Pete Daniel of the Smithsonian

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Institution points out that travelling black and white musicians often came into contact and influenced each others’ musical repertoires and playing styles. However, particularly in the South, racial segregation continued to keep musicians and audiences apart according to an entrenched racial logic. With the advent of radio, a broad range of Americans were exposed to a diversity of musical styles, as there was no way to ‘’segregate’’ the airwaves. Responses to racism and racial segregation were reflected in American roots music.

Among all of America's diverse peoples, there has long been reciprocal connections between religion, song, and the reproduction of "community." In the South, religious music of the 18th and 19th centuries influenced the separate but related development of African American and Anglo sacred music. All night "sings" were events that drew members of a community together to hear Spiritual music in the South; black male members of Gospel quartets formed bonds of reciprocity that continued throughout their life cycles. As Bernice Johnson Reagon notes, "the quartet provided one more community-based structure where people could gather and create out of their own experience." Within black and white traditions, religious music often was a source for the shaping and performance of secular songs. As historian Bill Malone has pointed out, "Country music has been subject to no greater influence than Southern religious life, evolving in a society where religion was pervasive." Both black and white Southerners generally received their musical education in a milieu that stressed religious music. Songs such as "Amazing Grace" and "Farther Along" were common to both groups.

Particularly in the first half of the 20th century, poor rural whites were "objectified" by scholars and collectors as embodying a pure, authentic American culture linked to "Anglo," northern European sources. While African American folk song collections had been published as early as 1867, the notion of African Americans as authors of part of America's folk heritage did not gain widespread acceptance until later. Due, in part, to the efforts of John Lomax, blacks - particularly rural Bluesmen - came to be viewed as folk "heroes" and white folk scholars began in earnest to collect songs from African American communities as well as Anglo. For example, John Lomax was interested in the hypothetical conjunction between African American music and the origins of our national folk tradition, which he imagined was preserved among black convicts who had been isolated for many years from mainstream culture inside Southern prisons.Unequal power relationships, shaped by differences in race and class and often gender, have characterized the development of "folk" music from its roots in local communities to its spread to wide and diverse audiences. Middle-class and elite, most often white, urban musicians, scholars and fans have been drawn to music made by relatively disenfranchised African Americans, whites and Latinos. This relationship has brought rural and "ethnic" music and the musicians themselves to the city, where they reached wide audiences, but were not always fairly compensated or credited by the promoters who helped popularize their music.

Major historical events had significant impact on both the nature and the popularity of roots music in America. For example, the social and economic changes brought about by WWII had an enormous effect on Blues and white Country music. Before the war, both had been largely regional, developing different styles in different areas, and reaching mainly local audiences. Huge shifts of population combined with economic changes driven by technology and mass media made this music popular with broader audiences. The move from a rural to an urban environment exposed music to new and diverse influences. Musical styles, instrumentation and lyrics were modified accordingly. Similar dynamics followed historical transformations such as

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the Great Depression, the Dustbowl, westward expansion, the student movements of the 1960s and the globalization of America at the end of the century.

Musical genres-past

1.BLUES

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States around the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll is characterized by specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues chord progression is the most common.The blues genre is based on the blues form but possesses other characteristics such as specific lyrics, bass lines, and instruments. Blues can be subdivided into several subgenres ranging from country to urban blues that were more or less popular during different periods of the 20th century. Best known are the Delta, Piedmont, Jump, and Chicago blues styles. 

The first publication of blues sheet music was in 1908: Antonio Maggio's "I Got the Blues" is the first published song to use the word blues. Hart Wand's "Dallas Blues" followed in 1912; W. C. Handy's "The Memphis Blues" followed in the same year. The first recording by an African American singer was Mamie Smith's 1920 rendition of Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues". But the origins of the blues date back to some decades earlier, probably around 1890. They are very poorly documented, due in part to racial discrimination within American society, including academic circles, and to the low literacy rate of the rural African American community at the time. The social and economic reasons for the appearance of the blues are not fully known.The first appearance of the blues is often dated after the Emancipation Act of 1863,between 1870 and 1900, a period that coincides with Emancipation and, later, the development of juke joints as places where Blacks went to listen to music, dance, or gamble after a hard day's work.Blues lyrics often deal with personal adversity, the music itself goes far beyond self-pity.

The blues is also about overcoming hard luck, saying what you feel, ridding yourself of frustration, letting your hair down, and simply having fun. The best blues is visceral, cathartic, and starkly emotional. From unbridled joy to deep sadness, no form of music communicates more genuine emotion.

Covered by a wide range of artists including The Yardbirds, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, and the Grateful Dead, Reed is one of the most influential musicians to ever pick up a guitar. The quality and thoroughness of this compilation is as much a tribute to the excellent work of Rhino records as it is to Reed himself. Too many blues greats are undermined by shoddy and inferior ‘greatest hits’ packages that have more holes than a rack of bowling balls, butThe Very Best Of Jimmy Reed hits

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all the high points, and there are plenty. Reed died at age 50 in 1976 from complications related to alcoholism, but his place in music history had been long ago secured.

Jimmy Reed – Blues Masters: The Very Best Of

Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones (August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963), was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music,and gave herself the title of "Queen of the Blues". She is a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame,

and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.She was at once one of the most beloved and controversial singers of the mid-20th century - beloved to her fans, devotees, and fellow singers; controversial to critics who still accuse her of selling out her art to commerce and bad taste.

Dinah Washing

’’Music can change the world because it can change people.’’ Bono

2.GOSPEL

At its most basic level, gospel music is sacred music. It is a unique phenomenon of Americana which had its earliest iterations toward the end of the nineteenth century. It is folk music which suggests that it and its secular counterparts are greatly influenced by each other. Just as much of the contemporary gospel music of today sounds like R & B and Hip-Hop, so did most of the early gospel music sound like the Blues.Gospel, meaning "good news," derived its name from it close connection with the gospels (books in the New Testament). As we look at the common themes in the gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, we find many references to God’s goodness and mercy.

In order to reach the widest possible audience, there are no "style" restrictions on gospel music; only the thematic content remains constant. Coming out of an oral tradition, gospel music typically utilizes a great deal of repetition. This is a carryover from the time when many post-Reconstruction blacks were unable to read. The repetition of the words allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate in worship. Gospel music over the centuries has ministered to the downtrodden and disenfranchised. To sing about a God who comes in the nick of time to deliver his people from uncomfortable circumstances is a consistent theme, which has been at the core of gospel music. This music has been enjoyed for many decades and it continues to grow in its variety and sound.

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Gospel music has a history which can be traced to the 18th century. During this time, hymns were lined and repeated in a call and response fashion and the Negro spirituals and work songs came on the scene. Because the enslaved Africans attended their masters’ worship services, the seventeenth century influences on Negro spirituals and work songs were traditional hymns the enslaved Africans heard in worship. Worship services served several purposes; not only were they a means by which the Africans could be monitored, but they also served as a reinforcement of the slavery indoctrination. Quite often readings were from St. Paul where made to being good servants and loving, obeying, and trusting one’s master. At this time it was also illegal for more than a handful of blacks to congregate without supervision. This meant that the blacks were not free to worship on their own they had to attend worship services with their master. At these services they would grow closer in their understanding of Christian doctrine and role that music played in that experience. The worship music (hymns) of the whites masters became the backdrop for the music the enslaved Africans would use at their eventual worship meetings.As we listen to gospel music today with its sometimes downtrodden themes, it continues to be curious how such beauty and richness can emanate from troubled times.

In the tradition of the black church, call and response in singing and in speaking has been and continues to be a foundation on which the gospel is delivered. Through this participatory delivery system beliefs are reinforced. There is an expectation that when there is agreement with either the spoken word or song because of either its content or its contexts that verbal affirmation will be given. Those who are witnessing, speaking, or singing are encouraged by the responses and those who are about to experience issues are empowered to be victorious.Gospel music can stir many different emotions. The audience for this spiritually moving idiom continues to grow as do the types of venues where it can be heard. No longer bound to the walls of the American church, gospel music captures the creative and spiritual imaginations of increasing numbers of

international audiences. For gospel singers and listeners, making a joyful noise unto the Lord is what the music is about and it invites the participation of all to come together, honor the past, look forward to the future, and through song, renew our faith.

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician, and actor. One of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King".Presley is one of the most celebrated musicians of 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, blues and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He was nominated for 14 Grammys and won three, receiving the Grammy Lifetime

Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

Elvis Presley

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’’If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.’’ Richard M. Nixon

3.COUNTRY MUSICCountry music is a genre of American popular music that originated in the rural regions

of the Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from the southeastern genre of American folk music and Western music. Blues modes have been used extensively throughout its recorded history.Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms and harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas.

The term country music gained popularity in the 1940s in preference to the earlier term hillbilly music; it came to encompass Western music, which evolved parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots, in the mid-20th century. The term country music is used today to describe many styles and subgenres. In 2009 country music was the most listened to rush hour radio genre during the evening commute, and second most popular in the morning commute in the United States.

Country music is the music of people’s real lives, and those real lives often used to be very difficult, which is why so much classic country contains themes of hard work, toil and sorrow. But now, except for in the most rural areas, the culture has experienced a paradigm shift away from family-owned agriculture, and that shift is apparent in the subject matter of contemporary country. It’s still the music of people’s real lives — it’s just that those real lives are more and more about partying with your friends and cruising around town showing off in your truck, as opposed to losing your crop to an early frost, or burying your brother because he

died from tuberculosis.

James Charles "Jimmie" Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American country singer in the early 20th century, known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling. Among the first country music superstars and pioneers, Rodgers was also known as "The Singing Brakeman", "The Blue Yodeler", and "The Father of Country Music".When the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1961, Rodgers was one of the first three (the others were music publisher and songwriter Fred Rose and singer-songwriter Hank Williams) to be inducted. Rodgers was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and, as an early influence, to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. "Blue Yodel No. 9" was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rodgers was ranked No. 33 on CMT's 40 Greatest

Men of Country Music in 2003.

Jimmie Rodgers

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Past Musical Growth Relating to the Present Music has evolved slowly within many

different cultures over thousands of years. It’s growth has always been dependent upon cultural expansion, innovation, and societal acceptance or rejection. With the growth of the “music industry” in the recently industrialized and increasingly globalized human societies, there has been a shift in the sub-currents which guide musical expansion, growth and innovation. The modern “music industry” has spawned many conventions which, in turn, lead to new, progressive conventions or anti-conventions. Eventually, through various processes of cultural rejection and acceptance, anti-conventions become conventions which spawn new anti-conventions… and so the cycle repeats. Although this cycle is reminiscent of traditional musical growth, it is fundamentally differentiated from tradition in its current industrialized context. The adoption of capitalism, and its inarguable ties to industrialization in modern societies, has created a will among its constituents to profit from all that can be sold. Modern musical progression has unfortunately been caught-up in this modern-day “gold rush.” Traditionally, musical composition and creativity in the utilization of compositional techniques has been a symbol of excellence and accomplishment. Musical growth has always been slowed by the even-slower growth of societies. Social acceptance and expectations were key to the allowance of specific musical progressions (i.e. churches declaring tritones or compositions written in evenly divided meters as evil, totalitarian rulers ordering strict punishments to composers that strayed from acceptable boundaries, etc.). Finally, the imminent birth of democracy and individual liberties was to be a revolution in musical progression and the beginning of the end of such cultural boundaries…or was it? Throughout the nineteenth century, musical creativity flourished, finally relieved from the binds of the Classical Era, leading the way to the somewhat absurd extremes of the twentieth century. At the turn of the twentieth century, the progression of musical composition seemed to be thriving at an almost unstoppable rate of expansion.

Creating new boundaries

As industrialization began to break production thresholds in the beginning of the twentieth century, musical instruments, scores, and transcripts became increasingly accessible to capitalist constituents (the common man, woman, child, or family within capitalist societies), thus feeding the indulgences of amateur hobbyists musicians and the emerging industrialist leaders that capitalized on the venture. Under the guise of practicality, these industrialists paved the way for the eventual creation of the “music industry.” More individuals began creating music

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and writing songs than ever before. Revolutionary recording technologies were being developed. The use of electricity and electronic components in recording technology and instrument

design, construction, and implementation fundamentally changed the evolution of music indefinitely. The promise shown in the early twentieth century was phenomenally rich and plentiful, however, bittersweet and not without certain irreparable changes.With the increase in recordings being produced, and the seemingly endless demand for new music, record company executives needed something to advertise to the masses. This product needed to be catchy, easily understood, and quickly and efficiently emotionally relevant. They turned to folk musicians, of which there was no shortage of eager and willing participants, to fill this demand. These advertising campaigns proved to be a capital success, leading to startling growth, expansion, and influence. The masses were hooked. Audiences fed upon the shallow emotions portrayed in the folk music, to which, they could easily relate. Love, despair, loneliness, spirituality, and societal themes became prevalent in almost every production. Quite immediately, the music industry became a service provided to consumers and musical progression became dependent upon demand, rather than scientific study. Ironically, for the very first time musical composition had finally broken through its boundaries and evolved into something unexpected.

Starting From ScratchFolk music, now dubbed “popular music,” had begun its own evolution. Pulling largely

from classic compositional techniques, simple and easily recognizable, and repackaged in a contemporary wrapper, this evolution was viewed as a continuation of compositional evolution. Blues, Jazz, Country, Soul, Rock…new forms of music? These genres cannot be regarded as new; all of these styles are derived from compositional techniques that have existed for hundreds of years.

Blues was formed as a style of music that was almost instantly playable by any musician, expressly amateurs. Its basis being, a system of dominant and secondary dominant chords. Jazz was a sloppy combination of blues and poorly executed classical techniques.

Rock and Roll was glorified beyond reasonable extents as a revolution in music, when it was really just a childish and simplified take on the blues, using electronic instruments as toys to display childhood angst during the self-indulgent social shift of the 1960s and 1970s. This genre provoked a more severe and even simpler rebellion labeled “punk rock,” that seemed to almost embrace the pure hatred of conventional music and selfishly ravage musical composition in the name of trite and impatient childhood angst. These shifts spawned two related genres in the 1980s: electronic rock, a take on rock and roll, however, embracing simple melodies and the excessive use of electronic instruments, and “metal,” embracing a mixture of punk rock and traditional rock, yet lacking in lyrical content consistent with the growing trends in most genres.

Sadly, traditional musical composition became largely uninteresting to society as self-indulgent amateurs captivated the masses.

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The Result-music in today’s world

Music in today’s world has changed for the good and the bad. Today’s generation is different from yesterday’s therefore the music industry has changed for just that purpose. Music today accompanies youth, teens, and also young adults. There is a whole broad spectrum of how music has changed. It has change lyrically, financially, and overall music has changed in general. Music today is powerful and has a lot more meaning than just sounds and words. Music is so powerful that it has the power to manipulate and influence individuals in a positive or negative way. There is so much meaning behind music the lyrics nowadays. Music can tell an artist life story, things they have been through, and even their opinion on certain views. Artists take music more then just a way to get money (even though the money’s nice) but a tool to vent .Go back in time a few decades, to the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Lots of the bands from these eras have become internationally famous, and their music has become classic. Artists like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nirvana, and so many other successful bands. All of these bands became famous, because they had something that’s hard to find today- real talent. Many of the bands of the past wrote music that had real depth to it. Their lyrics were meaningful, they wrote their own music, they played multiple instruments, they didn’t use auto tune or synthesizers, and many other factors. Using something like auto tune was considered an insult back in the day. Today it’s almost on impulse, and everyone is using it so it’s not much of an indignity anymore. It’s more of the new regular, which makes it obvious that some mainstream artists of today lack the real talent of the music of the past.

The story of black music is also the tale of the enduring social struggles of American history. Blues and gospel, the secular and sacred songs of everyday black folk, are both bound up in sorrow, loss, despair, hope, redemption, resilience and dreams. While remaining recognizable over many decades, the spirit and musical forms of these styles have influenced much of the American music that has followed.

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Music of the Past vs Today's Music- bands and singers

1.The Beatles

The Beatles is one of the most important bands in the history of music. The band was formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England. The main members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. They not only changed what rock 'n roll music was about but also help change what society was going through in the insane sixties. The Beatles first really came about in 1955 when Paul McCartney joined up with John Lennon's band, The Quarrymen. Lennon played lead guitar, McCartney was on rhythm guitar with Stu Sutcliffe on bass and several fill-in drummers. A short time later thirteen year old George Harrison joined them and took over the lead guitar job from Lennon. Peter Best became their regular drummer in 1960. Also around this time they changed the band's name to "The Silver Beatles", then shortly after that to just "The Beatles".The group went through several names. They adopted names such as the Johnny and the Moondogs, The Silver Beetles, The Beatals, The Silver Beatles, and eventually The Beatles.

After 1966, the Beatles retreated into the studio, no longer bound by the restriction of having to perform live. Their image as pin-up pop stars was also undergoing a metamorphosis and when they next appeared in photographs, all four had moustaches, and Lennon even boasted glasses, his short-sightedness previously concealed by contact lenses. Their first recording to be released in over six months was Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever, which broke their long run of consecutive UK number 1 hits, as it was kept off the top by Engelbert Humperdinck 's schmaltzy Release Me. Nevertheless, this landmark single brilliantly captured the talents of Lennon and McCartney and is seen as their greatest pairing on disc.

Releasing album after album and motion pictures, The Beatles were indeed on top of the world. But in August 1969 Lennon announced that he wanted a divorce from the group, the band was finished. He insisted, however, that the break up remain quiet. It was kept hidden until April 10, 1970 when McCartney decided to formally dissolve the group. Many blamed the break up of the Beatles on Yoko Ono and Linda McCartney. Others felt that the Beatles had run their course, and it was just their time. Whatever was the cause of their break up, it ended an era but left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.

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2.Beyonce Knowles

Born in Houston in September 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles began performing at age seven, winning upwards of 30 local competitions for her dancing and vocal abilities. She also joined her cousin Kelly Rowland and classmates LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett in forming an adolescent vocal group. One of the most recognizable characters in modern-day R&B, Beyoncé first rose to fame as the siren-voiced centerpiece of Destiny's Child before embarking on a multi-platinum solo career in 2001.

Booming record sales, Grammy awards, movie roles, and marriage to rapper/CEO Jay-Z combined to heighten her profile in the 2000s, making the singer a virtual mainstay in the entertainment world. While some media outlets derisively championed Paris Hilton as "the next Marilyn Monroe," Beyoncé was a much better contender for the role, her glittering pop culture persona only matched by her success onscreen and on record.

Before the release of the third Destiny's Child album, Survivor in 2001, Beyonce has begun branching out into acting, and later began work on her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. The album was a huge hit when it was released in 2003, selling millions of copies. In 2004, Destiny's Child managed to put out one last album, Destiny Fulfilled, before the group's members decided to focus on solo careers. Since then, Beyonce has continued with both her acting and singing careers, and has also branched out into modeling and fashion. Beyoncé won five Grammy Awards in 2004, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Contemporary R&B Album. She also won a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist. Beyoncé describes herself as having a Type-A personality. She also admitted to always liking to have the last word.

3.Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. A child prodigy, he has become one of the most creative and loved musical performers of the late 20th century.Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven and continues to perform and record for Motown as of the early 2010s. He has been blind since shortly after birth.Among Wonder's works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You"; and albums

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such as Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life.He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist, and has sold over 100 million albums and singles, making him one of the top 60 best-selling music artists.Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States.In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace.In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.

4.Ella Fitzgerald

Her full name was Ella Jane Fitzgerald, she is known as "The First Lady of Song." Her wide vocal range enabled her to sing different music genres including jazz and ballads. She was also known for her incredible scat-singing. Ella sold over 40 million albums and won 13 Grammys. She worked with many music legends including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. Ella's schedule didn't slow down despite her health problems. She went on worldwide tours, supported several charities, received numerous accolades such as the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, Commander of Arts and Letters award and honorary doctorates from several prestigious universities. In 1991 she had her last concert at Carnegie Hall. She made her singing debut at 17 on November 21, 1934 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.She pulled in a weekly audience at the Apollo and won the opportunity to compete in one of the earliest of its famous "Amateur Nights"

5.Louis Amstrong

Great jazz improviser, the founding father of jazz and international ambassador of swing. He was fondly called "Satchmo" which is short for Satchelmouth, he was also called "Ambassador Satch," "Dippermouth" and "Pops." Armstrong was a very jolly person which endeared him to many. He taught himself how to play the cornet/trumpet and became a band leader and singer. He contributed much to jazz music, especially his particular innovative style. He invented the sound of swing and proved that jazz wasn't merely for ensembles, but also for soloists. Some of his well known works are: "Heebie Jeebies," "Mack the Knife," "West End Blues" and "Hello Dolly." Armstrong did, on average, 300 concerts per year. He was also a

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published writer and an actor. Early in his career he played with different bands including Kid Ory, King Oliver and Fletcher Henderson's band. Later in his career he worked with Bing Crosby, the Mills Brothers and the group All Stars. Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided.

’’ Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them’’ Louis Amstrong

6. Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American recording artist, singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million records worldwide.She released six studio albums, one holiday album and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification.

Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know," influenced several African American women artists who follow in her footsteps. Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies. Her growing superstar status ensured she was invited to record 'One Moment In Time', the title track for an album to celebrate the Olympics being held in Los Angeles. Her reputation as a "diva" was also on the rise: Whitney's participation in 1988 in Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday concert.

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CONCLUSIONS

We must understand the past to understand the present, and what the future will almost inevitably produce. Considering the growth of the music industry, most technological advancements in recording and music production have catered to these trends. Whether analog to digital, live recordings to sampled recordings, tape hiss and distortion to digital clarity, all have been in the pursuit of producing a more polished product to present to the consumer audience of the now massive music industry. This knowledge is indescribably invaluable to modern music producers and recording engineers.

We need to get back to studying music as a natural science.We need to return to traditional music exploration, even if it does not lead to immediate capitalization. The music industry needs revolution and reorganization. We are the present and the future of the music industry, and as musical creators it is pertinent that we be the change that is so sorely needed within this industry. Discussion of musical genres can often get contentious, confusing and — with the proliferation of micro-genres — quite silly. Still, we can all agree that the big ones — jazz, pop, rock — have been pretty useful over the last six decades.

Music, along with any other artform, reflects the current culture more than it shapes the culture. Music has changed because the culture has changed. Its content (lyrics) reflects today's attitudes and priorities. Music has evolved slowly within many different cultures over thousands of years. It’s growth has always been dependent upon cultural expansion, innovation, and societal acceptance or rejection. With the growth of the “music industry” in the recently industrialized and increasingly globalized human societies, there has been a shift in the sub-currents which guide musical expansion, growth and innovation. The modern “music industry” has spawned many conventions which, in turn, lead to new, progressive conventions or anti-conventions. Eventually, through various processes of cultural rejection and acceptance, anti-conventions become conventions which spawn new anti-conventions… and so the cycle repeats.

Music today accompanies youth, teens, and also young adults. There is a whole broad spectrum of how music has changed. It has change lyrically, financially, and overall music has changed in general. Music today is powerful and has a lot more meaning than just sounds and words. Music is so powerful that it has the power to manipulate and influence individuals in a positive or negative way. There is so much meaning behind music the lyrics nowadays.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.wikipedia.com http://www.psychologytoday.com http://www.evolutionmusicpartners.com/ http://method-behind-the-music.com/history/history http://www.musicandhistory.com/

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