TSEM Exam 1

General Contexts/TSEM Content

1. What is musicology?

   • Musicology is the scholarly study of music, including its history, cultural context, and theoretical analysis.

2. What is critical thinking?

   • Critical thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of ideas, arguments, and information to form a reasoned judgment. In the context of jazz, it involves analyzing how music reflects and influences society.

3. What is active listening?

   • Active listening involves fully concentrating on and engaging with the music, paying attention to its structure, emotions, and cultural significance, rather than just passively hearing it.

Historical Contexts

4. What were the historical and musical roots of jazz?

   • Jazz has roots in African rhythms, blues, spirituals, work songs, and European musical traditions. It emerged from the cultural melting pot of New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5. Why is New Orleans considered the birthplace of jazz?

   • New Orleans was a cultural hub with a mix of African, Caribbean, and European influences, and it had a vibrant music scene that allowed jazz to develop in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

6. What was the Great Migration, and how did it influence jazz?

   • The Great Migration (1916–1970) was the movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North. It spread jazz to cities like Chicago, New York, and Detroit, where it evolved and gained popularity.

7. What is the relationship between jazz and empathy?

   • Jazz often expresses deep emotions and encourages listeners to connect with the experiences of others, fostering empathy through its improvisational and expressive nature.

8. What characterized the Jazz Age/Roaring ‘20s?

   • The Jazz Age (1920s) was marked by economic prosperity, cultural change, and the rise of jazz as a dominant musical genre. It was a time of social liberation and artistic innovation.

9. What was the Harlem Renaissance?

   • The Harlem Renaissance (1920s–1930s) was a cultural movement centered in Harlem, New York, that celebrated African American art, literature, and music, including jazz.

10. Why was New York a jazz epicenter in the 1920s?

    • New York had a vibrant nightlife, cultural diversity, and a growing African American population. Clubs like the Cotton Club and venues in Harlem made it a hub for jazz musicians.

11. What key technologies in the 1920s influenced jazz’s growth?

    • Radio and phonograph records allowed jazz to reach a wider audience, spreading its popularity across the country and beyond.

12. How did Prohibition impact jazz?

    • Prohibition (1920–1933) led to the rise of speakeasies, where jazz was often performed, helping to popularize the genre despite the ban on alcohol.

13. What was Tin Pan Alley?

    • Tin Pan Alley was the center of the American music publishing industry in New York City, where many popular songs, including jazz standards, were written and published.

14. What was the Reconstruction Era?

    • The Reconstruction Era (1865–1877) was the period after the Civil War when the U.S. government attempted to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society.

15. What was the “Jim Crow” Era?

    • The Jim Crow Era (late 19th to mid-20th century) was a time of racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S., enforced by laws and social norms.

    • Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896): This Supreme Court case upheld racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine, legitimizing Jim Crow laws.

16. What was Bebop culture?

    • Bebop was a complex and fast-paced style of jazz that emerged in the 1940s, characterized by improvisation and technical skill.

    • Minton’s Playhouse: A famous Harlem nightclub where bebop pioneers like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie developed the genre.

17. What was the Double V Campaign?

    • The Double V Campaign (1940s) was a World War II-era movement advocating for victory over fascism abroad and victory over racial discrimination at home.

18. What was the Cold War and the Jazz Ambassadors program?

    • During the Cold War, the U.S. government sent jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie abroad as cultural ambassadors to promote American values and counter Soviet propaganda.

    • Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power: Using culture and art to influence international relations and promote a positive image of a country.

    • Willis Conover and the “Voice of America”: Conover hosted a jazz radio program that reached millions worldwide, spreading American jazz during the Cold War.

Key Figures

19. Who were the Fisk Jubilee Singers?

    • A group of African American singers from Fisk University who popularized spirituals and helped preserve African American musical traditions in the late 19th century.

20. Who was Scott Joplin?

    • Known as “The King of Ragtime,” Joplin was a composer and pianist who helped popularize ragtime music in the early 20th century.

21. Who was Harry T. Burleigh?

    • A composer and singer who helped develop “the concert spiritual,” blending African American spirituals with classical music.

22. Who was Will Marion Cook?

    • A composer and violinist who contributed to the development of African American music and helped bridge the gap between classical and popular music.

23. Who was Alain Locke?

    • Known as “The Father of the Harlem Renaissance,” Locke was a philosopher and writer who promoted African American art and culture.

24. Who was Billie Holiday?

    • A legendary jazz singer known for her emotional depth and the song “Strange Fruit,” which protested lynching and racial violence.

25. Who was Charlie Parker?

    • A pioneering bebop saxophonist known for his virtuosic improvisation and influence on modern jazz.

26. Who was Dizzy Gillespie?

    • A trumpeter and composer who co-developed bebop and helped popularize Afro-Cuban jazz.

27. Who was Thelonious Monk?

    • A pianist and composer known for his unique style and contributions to bebop and modern jazz.

28. Who was Duke Ellington?

    • A composer, pianist, and bandleader who promoted black pride and creativity through his music. Notable works include Symphony in Black, Jump for Joy, and Black, Brown, and Beige.

29. Who was Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.?

    • A civil rights leader and politician who represented Harlem and advocated for African American rights.

30. Who was Louis Armstrong?

    • Known as “Ambassador Satch,” Armstrong was a trumpeter and singer who popularized jazz worldwide and served as a cultural ambassador.

Musical Terms/Concepts

31. What are ballads?

    • Slow, emotional songs that often tell a story, commonly used in jazz to express deep feelings.

32. What are work songs?

    • Songs sung by laborers to coordinate work and express their struggles, influencing early blues and jazz.

33. What are field hollers?

    • Call-and-response songs sung by enslaved people in the fields, contributing to the development of blues and jazz.

34. What are spirituals?

    • Religious songs created by African Americans, often expressing hope and resilience, which influenced jazz and other musical genres.

35. What is the difference between country blues and classic blues?

    • Country blues is acoustic and rural, often performed by solo artists, while classic blues is more polished and urban, typically performed by female singers with bands.

36. What were race records?

    • Records marketed to African American audiences in the early 20th century, featuring blues, jazz, and other genres.

37. What is ragtime?

    • A musical style characterized by syncopated rhythms, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influencing early jazz.

38. What is timbre?

    • The quality or color of a musical sound that distinguishes different instruments or voices.

39. What is melody?

    • A sequence of musical notes that form a recognizable tune or theme.

40. What is a “blue note”?

    • A note played slightly lower than the standard pitch, creating a “bluesy” sound in jazz and blues music.

41. What is consonance?

    • A harmonious combination of musical notes that sounds stable and pleasing.

42. What is dissonance?

    • A combination of musical notes that sounds tense or unstable, often used to create emotional tension in jazz.