PASADENA CITY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

MUS 25: Afro-American Music Final Exam Study Guide Rock and Roll / Ch. 6 1. Which popular music style served as the roots/origins of rock & roll? a. Black Rhythm and Blues 2. Who began using the term rock & roll as a name for popular music? a. What was the name of the radio program hosted by this person? i. Alan Freed began using the term Rock & Roll ii. 1010 WINS New York 3. What unique problems did radio programming create that challenged the notion of race and segregation? a. The white disc-jockeys wouldn't touch Negroes' music and the Negro disc-jockeys didn't want anything to do with a record made by a white man. 4. What was a cover artist and why were the deemed necessary? a. Who were some of the more popular cover artists? i. A cover artist was someone (A white person) who would re-record a song by a black musician so that Rock & Roll would remain under the white influence. ii. Popular cover artists include Pat Boon, Elvis Presley, and Otis Blackwell 5. Who founded Sun Records? a. Sam Philips founded Sun Records b. What was his famous statement about making money in American popular music? i. "If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a million dollars." c. Who was the biggest artist affiliated with Sun Records? i. Elvis Presley 6. What is rockabilly? a. Rockabilly is a type of popular music, originating in the southeastern US in the 1950s, combining elements of rock and roll and country music. b. Which artists would fall under this stylistic category? i. Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, Charlie Feathers, Bill Haley/Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis

7. Which string of events caused rock and roll to lose its edge by the late 1950s? a. Elvis goes off to war b. People claimed that is was corrupting the nations youth 8. Why was rock & roll under attack? a. Under attack because of its Sexuality and Vulgarity b. What is payola? i. the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast Black Classical Expression and Modern Jazz / Ch.5 9. Know the significance of the following classical artists: Roland Hayes, Marian Anderson, and Paul Robeson. a. Marian Anderson i. She was nicknamed The Baby Contralto. ii. Taught herself to play piano iii. She performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 1928. iv. Performed on Lincoln Memorial b. Roland Hayes i. Toured with the Jubilee Singers ii. Became a classical singer c. Paul Robeson i. Concert singer ii. Othello iii. Show Boat 10. What was Antonin Dvoraks suggestion concerning the importance of African American music and its impact on classical music? a. White Classical musicians remained racist 11. Who was William Grant Still? a. He was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. He is often referred to as "the Dean" of African-American composers. b. Which African American musical style influenced his Afro-American Symphony? i. It combines a fairly traditional symphonic form with blues progressions and rhythms that were characteristic of popular African-American music 12. Which jazz style is considered as the beginning of modern jazz? a. Bebop

b. When and where did this style develop? i. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s ii. Kansas City 13. Who were some key musicians in the bebop movement? a. Charlie Parker b. John Birks Gillespie c. Thelonious Sphere Monk 14. How was hard bop, in part, a reflection of the social and political climate of the 1950s and 1960s? a. Segregation and lack of economic equity; hard bop reflected and contributed to the beginnings of the 1950s-1960s civil rights movement. b. Be prepared to give specific examples of how the music related to society. i. Charles Mingus- Fables of Faubus 1. a direct protest against Arkansas governor Orval E. Faubus, who in 1957 sent out the National Guard to prevent the integration of Little Rock Central High School by nine African American teenagers. 15. What is free jazz? a. While usually considered experimental and avant-garde, free jazz has also oppositely been conceived as an attempt to return jazz to its "primitive", often religious roots, and emphasis on collective improvisation. b. Which artist is most recognized as the innovator of this style? i. Ornette Coleman 16. Which Miles Davis album signaled the shift towards jazz/rock fusion? a. Bitches Brew b. Which style of rock was most influential on Davis style during this period of his career? i. Fusion 17. When was the resurgence of straight-ahead (acoustic) jazz in the United States? a. 1980s b. Which artist served as an icon of jazz in this period? i. Art Blakey Gospel / Ch. 6 18. What were the names of the evangelistic duo that popularized a pre-gospel style in the late 1870s? a. Dwight Moody & Ira Sankey 19. Why was Homer Rodeheaver significant to black sacred music? a. Had a more African influenced worship style; exuberant heterophony

20. Which African American denomination(s) were most known for energetic, fervent kinds of worship style? i. Pentecostals 21. What were the two types of musical style among black folk churches after emancipation? a. Folk Spirituals and Shouts 22. What is lining out? a. Lining out is a practice in which the preacher calls out lines of hymns and the congregation sang them in response b. Which composer was most popular for this tradition? i. Dr. Isaac Watts 23. What was the attitude towards musical instruments in many African American churches during the late 1800s and early 1900s? a. Many instruments were banned because the churches considered them to be too worldly 24. What was the name of the first book published on the shape-note singing style? a. The Sacred Harp Book b. What was the name of the African American counterpart to this book? i. Colored Sacred Harp Book 25. According to Eileen Southern (author of the textbook) how is gospel different from spirituals? a. Gospel uses strophic forms, with verses and refrains, and like white gospel, its songs tend to be sixteen or thirty-two measures in length. Spirituals typically consist of one strain repeated again and again, as a, a, a, an etc.; or of two strains as in a b patterns. b. Gospel songs have instrumental accompaniment, which is as integral part of the performance as is the singing, and in like manner equally an expression of the folk. The spiritual is sung acapella. 26. What are some instruments featured in traditional gospel music? a. b. c. d. e. Piano Organ Guitar Saxophone Drums

27. Describe the general style of worship among African American Pentecostal denominations. a. Particularly supportive of energetic music styles b. Including dancing in the spirit

c. Audience participation expected (encouraged to let go * let God) 28. Why was Charles Albert Tindley significant to the popularity of gospel music? a. The struggle of the tobacco workers strike of 1946 in South Carolina b. What was the name of his most famous composition? i. Well Understand It Better By & By 29. Who is considered as the Father of Gospel music? a. Thomas A. Dorsey b. What was his nickname during his previous musical career? i. Georgia Tom c. Stylistically, what was he attempting to do in gospel music? i. He included blues harmonies and phrases d. What was the name of this most famous composition? i. Take My Hand, Precious Lord 30. When and where was the first gospel choirs formed? a. In 1932 in Chicago b. Who were the founders of this choir? i. Thomas A. Dorsey and Sallie Martin Soul / Ch. 6 31. What was remarkable about the style of Ray Charles? a. He was transferring soul into strictly religious music and this indicated the arrival of deeper emotions and a more provocative social relevance in African American music. 32. What was the name of James Browns first group? a. The Flames b. What style of music was he performing during the early years of his career? i. Gospel c. What were the two main influences on his unique stage persona and showmanship? i. March on Washington ii. Kennedy civil rights bill d. Which musical style is credited with creating in the late 1960s? i. Soul 33. Who was the founder of Motown Records? a. Barry Gordy b. What was unique about his approach to production and organizing the operations? i. They carefully calibrated every vocal inflection, treble and bass setting, and instrumental arrangement in Motowns recording sessions to elicit a maximum response from their target audience

c. What were the musical objectives of Motown? i. To capture the black and white youth markets d. What were the nicknames of the Motown label? i. Hitsville, U.S.A. 34. Who were the Funk Brothers? a. The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. The Funk Brothers played on Motown hits such as "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Baby Love", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", "The Tears of a Clown", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave". 35. How was the name Stax chosen as the name of a record label? a. A white brother and sister, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axon, combined their last names to come up with the same of the label. b. How was the musical style of Stax different than Motown? i. Sax popularized gospel-derived flourishes on the electric organ. c. In which city was Stax located? i. Memphis, Tennessee d. Who were the most popular artists associated with Stax? i. Otis Redding ii. Sam and Dave iii. Isaac Hayes iv. Wilson Pickett v. Booker T. Jones Funk / Ch.7 36. What are the African American cultural meanings of funk? a. Natural Odor of the Body b. How do these meanings relate to the musical style? i. unadorned, genuine, or raw 37. Which examples demonstrate the Afro-centric of funk music? a. Ancient Egypt, Ghetto Life, and Black Power b. Who was the first group to perform this genre? i. c. Why was outer space particularly attractive to many funk artists? 1. Merges past history, ), present (integration) & future (space exploration) events 38. Describe the musical features of funk? a. Rhythmic groove b. Syncopated bass line

c. d. e. f.

Percussive horn parts Lyrics express socio-political ideas mixed w/party themes Instrumentation expanded (10-15 members aka superband) Diverse influences from gospel, soul, doo-wop, psychedelic rock

g. What is the concept of The One? i. 39. Who were some of the artists associated with funk? a. James Brown 40. Disco / Ch.7 41. Where and when did disco first develop? a. Started in French clubs during the 1960s b. What are the origins of the word disco? i. First adopted in gay, black, and Latino communities in N.Y. ii. Strong presence of black female divas 42. Why was disco so attractive to mainstream pop culture? a. Continuous, steady drum beat b. Emphasis on dancing c. Strings often played countermelodies d. Nonstop bass lines 43. What are the general musical characteristics of disco? a. Continuous, steady drum beat b. Emphasis on dancing c. Strings often played countermelodies d. Nonstop bass lines 44. How is disco related to hip hop? a. The performers were well dressed Hip Hop / Ch.7 45. In which city and particular area did hip hop first develop? a. New York City: The South Bronx b. Who is credited with first using the term hip hop? i. DJ Lovebug Starkski c. What are the four elements of hip hop? i. street expression, gestures, language & dress 46. What was the Zulu Nation? a. an international hip hop awareness b. Who was the founder of this organization? i. group formed and headed by hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa c. What was the intent of this organization?

i. Peaceful alternative to gang violence ii. Encompasses 4/5 elements of hip hop: break-dancers, DJs , rappers, graffiti artists, *right knowledge iii. Name taken from movie Zulu (1964) 47. What was the first commercially successful rap recording? a. Rappers Delight 48. What were some of the indicators that rap music had been accepted by mainstream popular culture? a. 49. Who won the first Grammy for a rap recording? a. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince b. For which song did they win this award? i. Parents Just Dont Understand Listening Examples Know the following aspects of the listening examples: composition titles, artists names, and style/genre. Say it loud! 1. Shake, Rattle and Roll 2/18 a. Bill Haley and the Comets i. Twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song 2. Hey Joe 4/11 a. Jimi Hendrix i. Rock 3. Take My Hand, Precious Lord 4/2 a. Thomas A Dorsey i. Gospel 4. Respect Yourself 5/6 a. The Staple Singers i. Soul 5. Land of 1000 Dances 4/9 a. Chris Kenner i. Rock 6. Chocolate City 5/18 a. Parliament i. Funk 7. I Will Survive 6/2 a. Gloria Gaynor i. Disco 8. Rappers Delight 6/4 a. The Sugarhill Gang i. Funk

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The Message 6/6 a. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five i. Old School Rap 10. Me Myself and I 6/13 a. De La Soul i. Hip-Hop