History of African American Music Essay Example for Free

History of African American Music Essay The history of African American music has been characterized by a mixture among various forms of music. Country blues, urban blues, New Orleans Jazz, Bebop, big-band jazz, and rhythm and blues, have all influenced each other profoundly. These influences flowed back and forth among the various forms. But, black gospel music had only a very limited effect on popular styles, until a few church-trained artists, such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, began to incorporate gospel styling into their popular work. The result is usually described as soul music, a mix of blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel voices. But, if Ray Charles was one of the originators of soul music, Aretha Franklin reshaped it, by bringing even more of her gospel background to bear on secular love songs (Wade and Picardie 27). By combining popular elements with her stunning voice, her great musicianship, and the feeling for a song that she learned in church, Aretha became one of the greatest soul singers to ever live. Aretha Franklin is a well-known pop, RB, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed â€Å"The Queen of Soul† and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs â€Å"I Never Loved a Man†, â€Å"Respect†, and â€Å"Baby I Love You. † Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered. It is clear that because her family’s involvement with religion would be one reason why Aretha Franklin became as famous as a Gospel singer. Some people would say that her love for religion is unbelievable, but after researching her childhood it is very believable. Her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaugh Franklin lived in Shelby Mississippi and preached while living the life of a sharecropper. As soon as he had enough money, he would move to Memphis, Tennessee to become a pastor of two churches. After a couple of years he attended LeMoyne College, and he studied Education and English Literature. With his education he was able to bring a more liberal view to his preaching’s. Then he moved the family to Buffalo, New York. When he had the resources, he moved the family again to Detroit, Michigan were he settled and became a pastor of a churched called New Bethel Baptist Church. He quickly became one of the most famous pastors in the city of Detroit. Aretha was two years old when they made their final move, she would grow up here and grab the emotion of Church and incorporate it into her music. Aretha Franklin’s mom, Barbara V. Skaggers, served as choir director and pianist. Aretha describes her mom as â€Å"a Superb singer, her voice was clear and distinctive†. (Franklin and Ritz, 6) Her parents taught her how to sing with great pride. This was a big issue because the late ‘50s, early ‘60s was a time of turmoil for African Americans. Her father especially tried to instill pride into her. He was a Civil Rights activist and he was a close colleague with Dr. Martin Luther King. With her parents keeping her involved in Church she was bound to become one of the world’s greatest singers. At around age 12, the father recognized Aretha’s talent as a singer. So he took her on the road with his traveling gospel show. This was important because it shows the kind of support Aretha received from her family. It was said, â€Å"She was a spellbinding performer at the age of fourteen. † (Franklin, 3) So her family really supported and inspired her to become a gospel singer. What also made her a great artist was that she had inspiring people all around her. Aretha grew up in Detroit which at the time was a rousing city or a city of hope for the African Americans running away from the brutality of the South. Though Detroit still had its problems such as race riots, many famous musicians grew up there. Also since New Bethel Baptist Church was so prominent, many musicians and political leaders used Reverend Franklin’s pulpit as a platform to sing or speak to the Black’s of Detroit. Aretha was introduced to classical music by Smokey Robinson’s sister Sylvia Burston. She listened to well known local DJ’s like Ruth Brown and Senator Brystal Brown. When Aretha was younger, she would ride her bike to the local park, and on her way home she would stop by a night club where you could here B. B. King perform. She says, â€Å"You could hear the soft sound of his guitar all the way to the sidewalk (Franklin and Ritz, 22). National and local political leaders would give there speeches. Speakers such as Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. , Dr. Martin Luther King, and Reverend Jesse Jackson would speak powerfully to the church. Aretha was directly influenced by Miriam Anderson, Sammy Davis, and Roy Wilkins. Detroit was overflowing with talent and speakers which I believe also contributed to Aretha’s success. Pain was probably what really drove Aretha Franklin’s success. As stated before, Franklin’s family was highly religious and was continually involved in the Church. But that doesn’t mean that she hadn’t been through a tremendous amount of pain. Early in life her mother and father got a divorce. The father was better suitable to raise Aretha and her four Siblings. The mother moved to Buffalo, New York and tried to make regular visits to see her children. She was supported her children in the best way she could, but when Aretha needed her, she still was not reachable. Matters became worst a few years later when Aretha’s mom dies of a stroke. Aretha described her mom by saying â€Å"she was the absolute lady† (Smith, 3). At age 15 she had her first child and two years later another would come. But Aretha still wanted to go out and be with friends, so her grandmother usually babysat for her periodically. In a time when Black Activism, Feminism, and Sexual Liberation were high, she needed to provide for herself. So when Aretha was old enough and was ready to start performing, she hired a man named Ted White to be her manager. He later became her husband. In the future she would divorce him for a famous actor which would end in divorce, too. Even though in 1968 to 1969, Franklin’s career was rising rapidly. She was still described by her Producer Jerry Wexler as â€Å"a person whose depressions runs deeper than the sea† (Ritchie Unterberger, 3). Then one of Franklin’s highest admirers, gospel giant Mahalia Jackson died. Right after her death a extremely emotional gospel album was released my Aretha â€Å"Amazing Grace† This record was considered to be one of the most emotional records of its time. Much of the pain that Aretha suffered was not really publicized, but still it had to be one of the reasons for her to have such a powerful voice. Aretha Franklin was a successful artist and still inspires musicians today. Her voice is still described as incredible. She has all the awards that she needs to show her talent. Works cited Franklin, Aretha, and David Ritz. Aretha: From These Roots. New York: Villard, 1999. Print. Carroll, Jillian. Aretha Franklin. Chicago: Raintree, 2004. Print.

Gay Marriage and Hawaii Sovereignty :: Politics Political Gays Hawaii Essays

"Lesbian/gay work sits on a lily pad. The lily pad is the foundation, the Kanaka Maoli struggle: the beautiful pink flower is the lesbian/gay work." —Ku’umeaaloha Gomes (1) â€Å"It’s a big industry, the exotification of Hawaii and its people, making it into every white man’s paradise. It’s nice now that we have ownership of our own stories.† —Lois-Ann Yamanaka (2) Hawaii is arrival. To arrive in Hawaii is to follow all of history, one group at a time. To the Kanaka Maoli, the people who first traveled in ancient times across the ocean in canoes and small boats from Polynesia, Hawaii was the promised land. It was the end of their pilgrimage, the land of powerful spirits and gods in need of worship. The Kanaka Maoli developed a complex society around this new land and these new spirits; a free society built around peace, love, and worship of one’s homeland. This way of life flourished for thousands of years, until the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries declared their freedom evil, their nakedness vile, and their gods false. Christianity flooded the shores of the islands, pulling with it white entrepreneurs, who set up massive farms and plantations to take advantage of Hawaii’s unique agriculture, and Japanese workers for those plantations, with whom Christianity gained its strongest base in the i slands. Then came the political opportunists, who in less than one century pulled the Hawaiian monarchy up to its highest levels of Western pomp and circumstance, only to tear it down again with the overthrow of Queen Liliu’okalani in 1893 with help from the United States Government (who later annexed the island chain). Next came the arrival of the expatriates; the tourists; the haoles (whites) who saw Hawaii as nothing more than a tropical novelty or an escape from their stress-filled lives back on the mainland. Statehood came quickly in 1959, as did immigrants from the Phillipines and Korea. I came in 1995, with my haole military family, to a land that would become my adopted home the way it had for so many others. I found a land carved up like a puzzle; each person, each culture, each idea holding onto their piece with the will of God or gods. Today, there are many Hawaii’s. Depending on where you go, you can witness the poor, the rich, the privileged, the op pressed, the loud, the silent, the passive, and the active.

Learning Styles Classification Essay

While some people can read a book and then ace a test on it the next day, others may not be able to do the same without hearing a lecture on the subject. Individuals perceive and process information in different ways; while some people are visual learners, others may retain information better through auditory or tactile means. And a large percentage are a combination of one or more of the aforementioned categories. Those who learn best by seeing are more visual learners. Visual learners like to take notes and they tend to sit in the front of the class (Learning Styles). They usually forget names but remember faces. When putting together items, visual learners need diagrams or pictures to understand. When trying to spell a difficult word they try to â€Å"see† the word. Visual learners are most often neat and clean and are easily distracted by untidiness and noise (Rose). They may commonly use phrases such as â€Å"I never forget a face† or â€Å"I can’t quite picture it.† Visual learners also have a good spatial sense. They are good with maps and rarely get lost. They may love drawing, scribbling or doodling and usually with color. They tend to be good dressers with a strong sense of color coordination (advanogy.com). Flash cards and acronyms are powerful memorization tools for the visual learner (Three Different Styles). Auditory learners are ones who retain and absorb new information best by hearing it. They tend to read aloud and prefer listening to a lecture rather than reading a text. They tend to prefer the telephone over face-to-face conversation and utilize technical help-lines when in need of assistance. They are easily distracted by noises or sounds. When bored, they may hum or talk to themselves (Rose). Auditory learners may not be able to color coordinate their clothes, but they can explain what they are wearing and why (Three Different Styles). Those who learn by hearing or listening typically tend to have a good singing voice, can play a musical instrument or can easily identify the sounds of individual instruments. Music may invoke strong emotions in an auditory learner or they may notice the background music when watching a movie or television show. They may use phrase such as â€Å"That sounds about right† or â€Å"That’s music to my ears (advanogy.com).† They ten d to forget faces but remember names or what was talked about. Tactile, or kinesthetic learners learn through doing and touching. They prefer a hands-on approach in the classroom, and usually will not pay attention during lectures. They find it hard to sit still for long periods of time and usually use hand gestures and movement when speaking. They may write a word down when trying to spell to see if it feels right. When putting something together, a tactile learner will discard the directions and instead jump right in and figure it out as they go along (Rose). Tactile learners tend to enjoy physical activity such as sports or gardening. They may use phrases such as â€Å"That doesn’t sit right with me† or â€Å"I follow your drift (advanogy.com) .† Activities such as cooking and art usually help to stimulate and help them to perceive and learn. They enjoy field trips and rely on what they can feel and experience (Three Different Styles). Whenever someone is learning something new or difficult (e.g. a job, school) it can be helpful to assess their individual learning style. From the above categories, one should be able to determine in which way they learn best. Once that is established, they can adapt their habits to that system. For example, if someone is more of a visual learner, it may be helpful to make use of highlighters or sticky notes when starting a new position at work. If they tend to lead towards the auditory style, it may be beneficial to record lectures so that they can be listened to and reviewed in the future. A tactile learner may opt to take classes more geared towards hands-on learning such as biology and physical education. By doing this, one can be assured that they are getting the most benefit out of their education, and absorbing as much new material as possible when training for a job. Works Cite dadvanogy.com. Overview of Learning Styles. 2004. 23 November 2008 . Learning Styles. 2008. 23 November 2008 . Rose, Colin. Learning Styles. 28 March 1998. 23 November 2008 .

Why I Love Alabama - 877 Words

WHY I LOVE ALABAMA Terri Wilson South University Online WHY I LOVE ALABAMA In 1997 my parents moved us to Florida where I got a job working at a place called Ruskin Tomato Growers. After working there for about two weeks I met and fell in love with the man that I would soon marry. Within a week Charles asked me if I would move to his home state of Alabama and become his wife. I agreed and on the eleventh day of knowing him were married in a small ceremony at the court house. When we arrived in Alabama it was winter time. There was a little bit of snow on the ground but not much. You could see smoke coming out of all the chimney’s and smell the wood that was used to warm the homes. It felt very inviting and I was happy I made†¦show more content†¦I was embarrassed, but learnt quickly it can be important to read everything. One of the things I loved about Alabama was the southern hospitality of the people. You never met a stranger. You can drive down the street and people would wave at you like they’ve known you forever. Most of Alabama is farmland so I learnt how to plant a garden and work it growing my own vegetables than canning and freezing them. Homegrown vegetables always seemed to taste better than the ones you bought in the store. Maybe because a lot of love and hard work went into growing your own. I learnt how to gather eggs and milk a cow. Even how to churn my own butter. One thing I had to adjust to was the smell from the farms. Being from the city I wasn’t used to that and it took some getting used to. The scenery in Alabama is beautiful. From the majestic mountains, to the lakes we swam in. One beautiful place is called Noccula Falls. It’s a 90 foot water fall. Legend has it that a young Indian girl named Noccula f ell in love. Her boyfriend wasn’t rich so her dad ran him off. Noccula was heartbroken so she jumped from the falls and ended her life. 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