 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contents
Please help support the mission of
American Music Preservation.com
Use this Search Box for your purchases:
Sign up for this new activist web group:
Society For Earlier American Music.
"Song of the Old Folks"
Father Kemp and Auld Lang Syne
For the Lincoln Bicentennial (1808-2009):
Lincoln and Liberty: Music from Abraham Lincoln's Era
Read how Julia Ward Howe wrote the words for
The PBS television documentary series,
THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA,
contains many beautiful vistas and inspiring words.
Yet, the music score for this series lacks anything memorable, made up instead of mostly folksy ramblings. Where is the majestic music expressing the grandeur of these national parks and nature itself, as shown in the painting by Durand shown at left?
One piece of music that does express the gratitude for America's natural wonders is now available for performance:
"Creator God, We Give You Thanks"
(Hymn For The Environment) -- available in two versions: one for
for solo voice and piano (Op. 35), and the other for SATB chorus and organ (Op. 25).
Read about this environmental hymn at PineTree Music
==========================
Much More Than "Yankee Doodle"!
We live in a time of much shallowness and snobbery with American music tastes.
Much of what passes for popular music today is bad singing and mumbled diction. Forgettable melodies and over-the-top bellowing -- that is the norm.
As far as the snobbery, there is the tendency to perform the same music by a few well known composers, such as George Gershwin or Charles Ives. It is also common for some classical music fans to look down on those who don't appreciate it or worship it. Then there are the critics who often praise unpleasant music by contemporary composers that most listeners don't want to ever hear again. All this at a time when the percentage for classical music recordings sales has dropped from about 4 % in 1987 to less than 2% in 2008, and yet the age of 45+ listeners has increased from 10.7% in 1987 to 33.7% in 2008 -- the largest increase among any age group [Source: Recording Industry Association of America - quoted in 2010 The New York Times Almanac, p. 411].
Many listeners of popular and classical music are unaware of the vast amount of worthwhile music from America's past that has been available on previous recordings, and also has yet to be discovered and recorded.
For them, music from early America is basically "Yankee Doodle," a few patriotic songs like "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "America the Beautiful," and a few songs by Stephen Foster.
There is so much more music from the past worth hearing again.
As with other artistic creations, such as paintings, stage plays and vintage films, it is essential to preserve American music from the past.
Not just by the well known creators, like composers Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland; but also earlier less familiar composers, such as George Whitefield Chadwick and Edwin Arthur Jones. Or not just songwriters, like Irving Berlin or George Gershwin; but also less well known songwriters, like Ken Darby and Billy Hill.
How does someone learn more about this music?
One way is to read more about them on this website.
Another is to do research yourself, and if you are a musician, perform neglected American music from the past.
Or support the music by attending concerts and purchasing recordings on CDs or downloads.
Right now, other than specialized books and articles by scholars, there is too much inaccurate or misleading information being circulated in newspapers and magazines and especially on the Internet.
These are a few misconceptions which continue to be circulated:
1) The earliest popular American songs were written by Stephen Foster. FALSE.
The first popular songs were written during the 18th century.
See A Century of American Songs, 1759-1859.2) "Simple Gifts" (aka: 'Tis the gift to be simple) is an anonymous or traditional Shaker hymn. NOT TRUE.
This was actually written as a religious dance song.
See Joseph Brackett's "Simple Gifts."3) The largest selling American pop songs are those by Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. WRONG.
It's actually several Christmas songs: "White Christmas" and "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer."
See Christmas Songs (RED, WHITE and BLUE).4) Jazz is "America's Classical Music." FALSE.
Since jazz music does not strictly follow a music score, it is better classified as popular music not classical music, and it began in the early 20th century. Classical music in America began as far back as the 18th century with composers such as William Billings and Daniel Read.
See the America in Song, Vol. I: From The American Revolution to World War I.
Here are a few questions to test your knowledge.
See how many you can answer correctly...A) What is the title of the first American song and who wrote it?
B) Who wrote the first American patriotic song with words and music?
C) When was the English tavern tune "To Anacreon" first used in an American patriotic song?D) Who wrote the song "Goin' Home" and based on what classical theme?
[The answers to these questions are given below.]
American Music Preservation.com is a web site devoted to providing
accurate information and news of recent research and publications.This site is not a free answering service for locating songs or recordings. A research fee must be charged for questions that require considerable research.
But general questions about any of the topics covered on this site may be answered without a fee.
Students or scholars doing research in music from earlier America
are encouaged to submit items of interest to this website.
For more information about submitting items, click on this link:
=====================
American Music Preservation Sampler
20 tracks with over one hour of music for non-commercial use only.
The CD contains examples from all five areas covered on this web site:New England Music
Shaker Spirituals
Classical Music
Film Music
Popular Songs
This AMP Sampler is available for a donation of $25.00 or more to help support the mission of this website.
To send in your donation, click the button below...
Your Support is NeededDid you know that most people still play CDs rather than use downloads?
According to research done by NPD, two-thirds of music consumers buy only CDs and there are two or three times more CD buyers than those who buy downloads. In fact the research shows the major forms of listening to music is still the AM/FM radio and CDs, NOT music played as downloads on an iPod or
other listening device.You can join this consumer audience by ordering CDs from American Music Prerservation.com and thus help to also support this site.
Another way is to send in a donation and receive one or more CDs with shipping included:
$25 and receive one disc
$48 and receive two discs
$66 and receive three discs
$80 and receive all four discs
These are the CDs that you can choose from after you have made your donation and included your mailing address by e-mail:
CD: American Music Preservation SamplerCD: Jazz On Screen - Movies and Television
CD: Johnny Mercer On Radio And Records
CD: Songs of Survival - A Musical Scrapbook
Please help support the mission of this web site
and receive one or more of the above titles at no extra charge.
Just click on this button to:
====================
Contact Information
Send your inquiries to:
=================
Resource Recordings
There are many titles available for
research, teaching or just listening in theAmerican Music Recordings Archive [AMRA]
====================
Website Topics
Because American music is so vast a subject, not all of it can be covered on this website. This is not intended to slight any other music, such as jazz, blues, gospel music or any other genre of music.
These five areas of vintage music were selected because it was felt
they were more in need of further research and accurate information:
Answers to above questions:
A) "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free" (1759) - The first American song was
composed by Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of IndependenceB) William Billings (1746-1800) - Father of American Choral Music. His patriotic song , titled: "Chester" (1778), was the most popular one after "Yankee Doodle."
C) "Adams and Liberty" (1798) - English tune: TO ANACREON (1740s)/
American text: Thomas Robert Treat Paine - written in honor of the 2nd U.S. president, John Adams.D) "Goin' Home" (1922) - based on the Largo movement from Symphony No. 9 (From The New World) by Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak. The song was written and adapted by Dvorak's pupil, Williams Arms Fisher, not Harry Burleigh, as some have claimed.
Essential American Recordings Survey
(EARS)In celebration of
the 250th anniversary of the
FIRST SONG WRITTEN BY AN AMERICAN
"My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free"
by Francis Hopkinson
Read more at:
and
to make more people aware of the historical importance
of music from the past,
there is a survey of representative recordings
of music composed or performed between 1759 and 1959.To read this survey,
go to:Essential American Recordings Survey (EARS)
If you are a publisher or
would like to help fund the publication of
this survey of American recordings in more detail,
write to:
National Carry A Tune Week
This is a Free Worldwide Web Survey
sponsored by The Tune Lovers Society.The 2009 survey was dedicated to one of the great songwriters from the past, Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
Read the centennial birthday tribute to him at:
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"
Johnny Mercer in Hollywood
Click on the links to see the tunes chosen for this annual event:
Ninth Annual Carry A Tune Week (October 4-10, 2009)
Eighth Annual Week: October 5 - 11, 2008
Seventh Annual Week: October 7 - 13, 2007
Sixth Annual Week: October 1 - 7, 2006
Fifth Annual Week: October 2 - 8, 2005
Fourth Annual Week: October 3 -9, 2004
Third Annual Week: October 6 - 12, 2003
Second Annual Week: October 7 - 13, 2002
First Annual Week: October 7 - 13, 2001
Tenth Annual National Carry A Tune Week
will be held October 3 - 9, 2010
See the list of composers and songwriters from the past
chosen for
available at these links...
Christmas Music From New England
New England Music Archive: Top 40 from the Past
New England Composer Series No. 1: Edwin A. Jones
Singing Stoughton and
The Oldest Choral Society in the U.S.
Classical Music
Francis Hopkinson and First American Song
American Composers Web PollFilm Music
Best Film Music CDs of the Decade (2000-2009)
Film Composers and Soundtracks
Film Music Review (online magazine)
Popular Songs
A Century of American Songs, Part One (1759 - 1859)A Century of American Songs, Part Two (1861 - 1961)
Popular Songwriters and The Great American Songbook
New England Music
New England Composer Series No. 1: Edwin A. Jones
New England Composer Series No. 2: George W. Chadwick
New England Music Archive [NEMA]
New England Song Series No. 1: BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLICNew England Song Series No. 2: GOIN' HOME
New England Song Series No. 3: JINGLE BELLS
New England Song Series No. 4: SIMPLE GIFTS
New England Song Series No. 5: SONG OF THE OLD FOLKS
Singing Stoughton and the Oldest Choral Society in the U.S.A.
Resource Links
American Music Recordings Archive
Essential American Recordings Survey [EARS]
Lectures and Workshops
Society For Earlier American Music [SEAM]
If you wish to be on the FREE mailing list, just fill out this information with no obligation..
Help support the mission of
American Music Preservation.com
Use this Search Box for your purchases:
Click here to buy your music and other favorite posters!
© 2009-2010 PineTree Productions. All Rights Reserved.