1. Tyler McGee
Ms. Bennett
British Literature
9 September 2011
The History of Music in America
As the Great Jimi Hendrix once said, “I try to use my music to make these people act.”
Americans have always been a dominate force around the world in music, and in other aspects of
life as well. Many famous bands from the past such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones, were from
Britain, but were heavily influenced by American bands and music. American music however, is
a blend of every culture that is represented here, including European, African, and Native
American. The Native Americans used music in religious ceremonies and practices, so the use of
music has changed greatly over the hundreds of years. Since the beginning, music has had an
immense part in shaping The United States. The presence of music has shaped the lives of many
people in their lifetime, as well as it has made this great country a dominate force in the music
scene around the world.
America in general is a blended combination of different ethnicities and cultures that
have been brought or settled here. The music America produces has greatly been affected by the
immense amount of cultures, as it has changed the way this country uses music. The very first
people settled here were the Native Americans, who only used music to practice their religious
beliefs and customs. With the settling of the Europeans, the Native Americans were introduced
to many new things, including how the Europeans used music for much more than just religious
ceremonies. The Europeans eventually started bringing slaves to the country in the shape of the
2. Africans. The Africans, even though enslaved, refused to give up on their traditions and customs
and continued to practice their beliefs. African culture and tradition is used greatly in this time in
the shape of Jazz, Rap and Hip Hop, and surprisingly Rock music. With all of these different
cultures and ethnicities in one location, it was just a matter of time before parts of each culture
were taken and morphed with each other to make a more affective and useful form of music that
is still being used today. The combination of the different cultures in America had to be an act of
a divine power, because the music those cultures created is still in use to this very day.
America’s blend of unique culture basically shaped face and future of the Country and the entire
world as a whole. If the diverse group of cultures were not brought to America, then the music
being listened to today would not have existed.
America has always dominated the entire world in many ways, including the writing and
creation of music. Even with the British invasion of the 60’s, the bands from that era greatly
credited the United States for their inspiration to make a band and write and record music. The
great bands from that time period include: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, and many
other bands that brought inspiration and enthusiasm to America and to the entire world.
Therefore, if America had not formed and mixed all the cultures together to create modern
music, the great bands around the entire globe would not have existed. Music has made a social
identity for the United States around the world as a dominate force. When it comes together it all
falls back to the cultures. The British invasion of the 60’s, Woodstock, the countless music
festivals that have followed, and many other important events would not have occurred if the
British had not decided to migrate over to America and bring their slaves with them. American
music has been a huge influence not only to the legendary groups of the British Invasion of the
3. 60’s, but also a major influence to the world as a whole, because modern music would never
have existed without Americas part in the shaping of it.
American music and music festivals have brought the people of the country and the entire
world together many times over the years. The greatest and most historic event to ever occur in
the history of the country that brought more people together for the promotion of music and just
the overall celebration of life was known as the great Woodstock. Many years following the
event many other events were scheduled, but not had the immense amount of publicity and the
greatness as Woodstock which is considered by many to be the God of all music festivals that
none in the future would ever be able to surpass. Woodstock was a three day event that occurred
on August 15 and continued on through August 18 in a farmer’s back yard, where youth gathered
to celebrate music and life. No one would have ever expected that 500,000 people would turn out
for the festival making it an event to go down in history. The impact Woodstock had on
American culture and on the entire music industry was so immense, music changed as a whole.
This is one example of how music in America has brought the people of the country together
over and over again many times, and how it has influenced people for the greater good. During
the Vietnam War, many people were against the fighting and protested against it. Many
musicians of the time were also against the war and decided to put their anti-war messages in
their music, and many youth connected with these songs. America changed music from just its
religious form in the very beginning, to a way that people can share and express their feelings
and connect with other people. The American music festival known as Woodstock was the
greatest event to happen in American music history, because it was a way for people to get
together and connect with each other and their surroundings and express the way that they felt
4. during this period of time. American music has been used many times to express feelings and
have given the country its own identity.
The way music has developed and changed over the years has greatly shaped the face of
our country and how other countries of the world view the United States. America has such a
rich blend of cultures and diverse ethnicities that American music is truly the representation of
the people. Modern music that is listened to today would never have existed if the settlers had
not decided to travel to America and have their slaves accompanied them. America has always
been a dominate force in the world in many aspects and music is another example of how
powerful the United States really is as a country. Music is what it is today because of a few
settlers, Native Americans, and the Africans that were brought by the settlers. No one in that
time period would have had a clue that the cultures would eventually blend together and the great
music that would follow. The music produced by America has not only inspired the people of the
country, but people of other countries as well. Even during the British invasion of the 60’s, the
bands of that era credited the United States in the development of Rock and Roll and just music
as a whole. America has developed the use of music more efficiently that was it was first starting
out. Musicians of the United States and of other countries around the world use music to express
the way they feel about certain event or just life in general. American music is all about
expression and this was greatly taken advantage of during the Vietnam War and during the epic
event that will forever be looked upon as the greatest music festival that has and will ever occur
known as the legendary Woodstock. Music is much more than just something to listen to, but can
express how a musician or a person feels and can completely change the mind of an entire
Country. Music has molded and shaped not just the Country, but has shaped the people that that
5. live in the United States. As long as Americans continue to be inspired and feel the need to
express their personal feelings, the music will not die.
