Examine the movement and specific work in relation to historical and political influences of the movement. Identify characteristics of the movement and how the work reflects these characteristics. Include a statement from the artist and one from a critic. Include a link to the lyrics and/or video depending on your choice.

Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:

  • Textbook: Chapter 9, 10
  • Minimum of 1 primary source (from artist)
  • Minimum of 1 scholarly source. In addition to the textbook – from critic

Initial Post Instructions
Choose one of the music or dance movements that you read about this week and at least one work from that movement. Then, address the following:

  • Examine the movement and specific work in relation to historical and political influences of the movement.
  • Identify characteristics of the movement and how the work reflects these characteristics.
  • Include a statement from the artist and one from a critic.
  • Include a link to the lyrics and/or video depending on your choice.

Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.

(Follow up post below)

Shirley James

Hey Professor Pisano and Classmates,

Music is one of the most powerful of the arts partly because sounds- more than any other sensory stimulus- create in us involuntary reactions, pleasant or unpleasant (Jacobus & Martin, 2019).  Music has the power to change a mood, ignite excitement and happiness, and calm your spirit after a long stressful day.  It is an escape from the sorrows and pain of life and can be used as a stress reducer. Music therapy involves the planned use of music to treat physical, cognitive, psychological, emotional, and social needs of individuals and groups (Korusky, 2018).

In The humanities through arts chapter nine, Jacobson and Martin explain how music can be experienced in two ways: “listening” and “hearing”.  The hearer does not listen to detail, instead they concentrate on the rhythm and the melody of the music and what emotions it promotes.  The listener understands and listen to the details of the music, they know when the melody changed, and another instrument was introduced into the background (Jacobus & Martin, 2019).  For my choice is Blues and Jazz.  The personal reason I chose to discuss this type, is I grew up in a strict Pentecostal home, where music words were not only screened by mother, but if she felt the meaning was not Christian “like” it was forbidden to be played in our household.

But she allowed what she called “soft Jazz”, and I remember Saturday morning cleaning sessions and my siblings, and I loved when she would play Jazz loud in the house.  The blues was developed and popular in the African American communities and still to this day is an international phenomenon (Jacobus & Martin, 2019).  The music became an inspiration of hope to the African American people, allowing them to express their feelings through music.  They embraced it and held on to it.  Billy Holliday is remembered for her role in the genre of Blues and in 1997 a movie about her life was titled “Lady sings the blues”. “The blue to me”, Holiday told Time magazine in 1957, are like being very sad, very sick-and again, like going to church and being very happy” (O’Neal, 2016).  One of Holliday’s most memorable songs was “God bless the child”.  The song is enclosed below in the YouTube hyperlink.

References:

Korusky, J. Music Therapy and Schizophrenia, 2018, eds-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=1663a8d7-64a8-4237-91f8-0f6a6cfaf599%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3D%3D#AN=T702758&db=nup.

Martin, F. D., & Jacobus, L. A. (2019). The humanities through the arts.  New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

O’Neal, Jim. “Billie Holiday.” Blues Foundation, 10 Nov. 2016, blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/billie-holiday/.

https://youtu.be/Z_1LfT1MvzI (Links to an external site.)

Writing Requirements

  • Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
  • Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source)
  • APA format for in-text citations and list of references

Due Date for Initial Post: By 11:59 p.m. MT Recommended by Thursday
Due Date for Follow-Up Posts: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Saturday