Music In African-American Culture

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything,” quoted by Plato. Music is a way in where you can escape all things in life. It’s like your exit out of all matters. You play it when you’re mad, sad, happy, or just simply need a little uplifting. There are different genres of music. You have pop, rock, classical, R&B, hip hop, contemporary gospel, jazz, blues, and much more. However, gospel has been transformed throughout time. Stated by Dr. William Reynolds, “Christian song is never static, never quite the same from one generation to another” (Doucette 6). It’s common for each generation following the next to change the sound of how a song was
There is Black Gospel and Southern Gospel. “Black Gospel music finds its roots in African-American worship, much of which was born out of the oppression many African American people faced during times of slavery and segregation” (Doucette 13). During the time of slavery and segregation is basically dangerous. Slaves could get whipped if they were caught singing spirituals or hymns or maybe even killed. As for during segregation time, we all know that when Blacks march they would sing songs. Often times that would give police officers any reason to just arrest the individual, at that given moment. Southern Gospel is another form of music. “They practiced singing from ‘shaped note’ hymnals. Later this developed into a type of singing called ‘Convention Style’ singing where individual parts were sung independent of one another and well defined” (Doucette 13-14). It seems as if Southern Gospel is more of when you have individuals who can see various notes at the same time. However, when you combine all sounds together it’s like a melody. “Modern African-American religious music is referred to as black gospel and characterized by spontaneous solos, and improvised vocal counterpoint. African gospel music is often highly rhythmic and most often taught as parts of an oral tradition. It’s roots lie in a much older European tradition of preaching, singing, shouting and clapping,” stated by Dr. Vernon Whaley. Nevertheless, black gospel or
“While gospel music is strongly entrenched in the African American "folk church" tradition, it also attracts many who identify as much with its expression of African American values, aesthetics, and life experiences as with its expression of religion” (Jackson). Gospel music has contributed many ways to the people outside of the church community. It helps draw in people who have no understanding of Jesus. Gospel music has a certain connection of drawing you close to lyrics and the story behind each word. Some have an upbeat to it which makes you want to dance to it. While as other forms of gospel music has a certain sultry to it which makes you cry and thank God for allowing from getting out of that certain situation. A lyric in any form of music is how you draw your audience to listen to your music. However, the beat and the sound that goes along with the lyrics is also a major key into music. “Artist today employed more frequents us of personal pronouns, testimony and emotional, romantic poetry in their music” (Doucette