[n.b. This is a sample final project for my history of rock 'n' roll class at the University of Washington Tacoma]
[Introduction; opens with a bit of historical context] During the civil unrest of the 1960s, many young people used music to express their disapproval of the state of affairs in America. Prior to the 1960s, rock 'n' roll was more about the beat--more about dancing--than lyrical content; however, the 1960s brought a shift in focus from the music to the lyrics. Music became less about recreation and more about education.
[Discussion of musical characteristics] Several important changes took place in musical style in the 1960s, resulting in the rise of the folk music movement, exemplified by artists such as Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger. Among these changes were the use of a single acoustic instrument such as the guitar or banjo to accompany a solo singer. This thinning of the musical texture allowed the lyrics to be presented with maximum clarity and minimum distraction.
Music in the 1960s also became a tool for uniting groups of people. The various means of musical transmission (radio, television, recordings) enables music to reach a large number of listeners in geographically disparate locations. A second advantage of music is that it does not rely on literate consumers: one does not need to know how to read in order to comprehend the message that is being sung. Musical preferences (tastes) bring people together under a common interest. [thesis statement:] In this project, I intend to show how Pete Seeger, one of the leaders of the folk movement, brought people together by teaching them how to sing with him, thus turning the audience into active participants rather than passive listeners.
(Image courtesy of the Guardian)
Pete Seeger was one of the most prominent voices of folk/protest music in this era. His music remains relevant even today; the themes are universal. Here, he discusses the origins of "We Shall Overcome."
Listen to the mp3 provided below: it is a live version of Seeger performing "We shall overcome."
Following the spoken introduction, Seeger begins with the simple melody and the crowd joins almost immediately. The melody comprises two notes a step apart--this is about as simple as a melody can be. (In solfege, the melody is sol-sol-la-la-sol---fa-mi). [demonstrates knowledge of musical terms] The song is in a simple strophic form with a refrain: different lyrics are sung to the same music for each verse. Just before the beginning of the second verse, Seeger quickly shouts out the lyrics to that verse, making it possible for those who don't know the song to join in with ease.
Prior to the third verse, he does the same thing, shouting the lyrics. Once the verse starts, however, Seeger begins singing lines that form good counterpoint with the melody. First, he sings a middle voice part (sol-mi-fa-fa-do---sol) then the bass line (I-IV-I; do-do-fa-fa-do----). By this point in the song, he has provided the audience with the lyrics (which are repetitive) and the audience basically knows the form of the song. Those who are able can listen to the harmonies that he is singing and sing them as well, creating a multi-part choral work on the fly, so to speak.
Seeger's music features timeless themes and has been adopted over the years by many causes. He is still active today, and continues to teach audiences how to sing, uniting them in song. This recent video features him teaching the crowd a new song about the BP Oil Spill:
Notice that this song has many of the same features as "We Shall Overcome:" simple melody, repetitive lyrics and structure, and a transparent accompaniment. Notice his invitations to sing as well as his instructions to the audience.
[conclusion] Music has long been used to bring people together. I hope to have demonstrated in this paper how one artist, Pete Seeger, united people by teaching them how to sing. Seeger's approach broke down the traditional barrier between artist and audience to create a unified choir that actively protested the incivilities of the 1960s.
[Introduction; opens with a bit of historical context] During the civil unrest of the 1960s, many young people used music to express their disapproval of the state of affairs in America. Prior to the 1960s, rock 'n' roll was more about the beat--more about dancing--than lyrical content; however, the 1960s brought a shift in focus from the music to the lyrics. Music became less about recreation and more about education.
[Discussion of musical characteristics] Several important changes took place in musical style in the 1960s, resulting in the rise of the folk music movement, exemplified by artists such as Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger. Among these changes were the use of a single acoustic instrument such as the guitar or banjo to accompany a solo singer. This thinning of the musical texture allowed the lyrics to be presented with maximum clarity and minimum distraction.
Music in the 1960s also became a tool for uniting groups of people. The various means of musical transmission (radio, television, recordings) enables music to reach a large number of listeners in geographically disparate locations. A second advantage of music is that it does not rely on literate consumers: one does not need to know how to read in order to comprehend the message that is being sung. Musical preferences (tastes) bring people together under a common interest. [thesis statement:] In this project, I intend to show how Pete Seeger, one of the leaders of the folk movement, brought people together by teaching them how to sing with him, thus turning the audience into active participants rather than passive listeners.
(Image courtesy of the Guardian)
Pete Seeger was one of the most prominent voices of folk/protest music in this era. His music remains relevant even today; the themes are universal. Here, he discusses the origins of "We Shall Overcome."
Listen to the mp3 provided below: it is a live version of Seeger performing "We shall overcome."
Following the spoken introduction, Seeger begins with the simple melody and the crowd joins almost immediately. The melody comprises two notes a step apart--this is about as simple as a melody can be. (In solfege, the melody is sol-sol-la-la-sol---fa-mi). [demonstrates knowledge of musical terms] The song is in a simple strophic form with a refrain: different lyrics are sung to the same music for each verse. Just before the beginning of the second verse, Seeger quickly shouts out the lyrics to that verse, making it possible for those who don't know the song to join in with ease.
Prior to the third verse, he does the same thing, shouting the lyrics. Once the verse starts, however, Seeger begins singing lines that form good counterpoint with the melody. First, he sings a middle voice part (sol-mi-fa-fa-do---sol) then the bass line (I-IV-I; do-do-fa-fa-do----). By this point in the song, he has provided the audience with the lyrics (which are repetitive) and the audience basically knows the form of the song. Those who are able can listen to the harmonies that he is singing and sing them as well, creating a multi-part choral work on the fly, so to speak.
Seeger's music features timeless themes and has been adopted over the years by many causes. He is still active today, and continues to teach audiences how to sing, uniting them in song. This recent video features him teaching the crowd a new song about the BP Oil Spill:
Notice that this song has many of the same features as "We Shall Overcome:" simple melody, repetitive lyrics and structure, and a transparent accompaniment. Notice his invitations to sing as well as his instructions to the audience.
[conclusion] Music has long been used to bring people together. I hope to have demonstrated in this paper how one artist, Pete Seeger, united people by teaching them how to sing. Seeger's approach broke down the traditional barrier between artist and audience to create a unified choir that actively protested the incivilities of the 1960s.