Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 1
Language
English
Description
Use classic children's music (everything from jump rope rhymes to lullabies) as a fascinating window into America's musical traditions and how they open up a plethora of musical doors and memories. Also, get an introduction to some of the many incredible treasures contained in the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings series.
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 6
Language
English
Description
Examine the main strands of religious music in the United States. Among the many you'll look at are spirituals (both European and African variations); religious chants from Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim traditions; and ring shouts and shape-note singing. Also, spend time with popular compositions like "Northfield" and "Amazing Grace."
Author
Language
English
Description
America's Godly Heritage clearly sets forth the beliefs of many famous Founding Fathers concerning the proper role of Christian principles in education, government, and the public affairs of the nation. The beliefs of Founders such as Patrick Henry, John Quincy Adams, John Jay, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Mason, and many others are clearly presented. America's Godly Heritage also provides excerpts from court cases showing...
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 10
Language
English
Description
Visit the Appalachian region of the Southeast and unearth the roots of "country music" (a term that wasn't used until the 1950s) in mountain "hillbilly" music. Along the way, consider some of the many tropes of this genre of music, exemplified by a song from 1947 called "Goodbye, Old Paint."
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
America is an undeniably musical nation. From vaudeville and jazz to country music and blues, hearing the sounds of the American spirit is a truly unique way to appreciate centuries of American history in all its complexity.
Now, learn how to listen to the music of America with new ears. Produced in collaboration with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, proprietor of the vast treasury of American vernacular music, these 12 lectures explore more than...
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 2
Language
English
Description
American music has shaped the meaning of war, making it a more shared experience. Take a closer listen to music from the Revolutionary War ("The President's March") and the Civil War ("I'm Going Home to Dixie"), as well as anti-war songs including "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier."
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 4
Language
English
Description
In this episode, Professor Seeger wrestles with the development of American minstrel shows in the 1830s, with their roots in slavery and racial stereotypes. Then, he reveals how these problematic shows laid the groundwork for other musical traditions, including circuses, medicine shows, and the popular entertainment known as vaudeville.
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 3
Language
English
Description
The United States is built on a foundation of pre-existing musical heritages from people who were already in North America before the nation was born. Survey the musical traditions of the British, French, and Spanish empires, as well as influence from Indigenous groups (some of which still endure to this day).
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 7
Language
English
Description
From the beginning of the war, enslaved people understood it to be a war of freedom, a war to destroy American slavery. But President Lincoln's charge was simply to preserve the union. Find out how this tension played out on plantations and battlefields, in Congress and in the White House, during the Civil War.
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 8
Language
English
Description
In the United States, the ties between music and political and protest movements are deep and long-standing. Here, explore political parodies known as "zipper songs" and iconic songs about disenfranchised women, workers, and African-Americans, including "Bread and Roses," "Solidarity Forever," and "We Shall Overcome."
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 11
Language
English
Description
From concert pianos to player pianos, explore the inner workings of one of music's most iconic instruments and its many variations. Then, witness the power of the piano in ragtime music (including Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag") and its role in the emergence of jazz, one of America's most thrilling musical forms.
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 12
Language
English
Description
What makes the city of New Orleans more musically extraordinary than other American cities? The answer: a rare combination of distinct musical and cultural influences coming together in one place. Professor Seeger closes out this series with an appreciation of the importance of place in American music.
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 5
Language
English
Description
From square dances (the official state dance in over 20 states) to the waltz (one of America's earliest dance crazes), investigate the relationship between movement and music in the United States. Discover how the human body can synchronize itself to an external rhythm (a response known as rhythmic entrainment).
Author
Series
America's Musical Heritage volume 9
Language
English
Description
Follow the story of the banjo, a musical instrument whose development is intertwined with larger American themes of slavery, conflict, struggle, ingenuity, and musical inventiveness. Plus, learn how musical instruments change shape and sound, and deepen your understanding of the ways we interpret cultural and musical ownership today.