In this podcast, I talk about the influence of different racial and ethnic groups on musical culture in Williamsburg. I start with a broad discussion of immigration in the United States, as well as the different genres of music these immigration movements influenced. I then narrow down my focus to the city of Williamsburg. I begin with a discussion of the demographics of the city. I then go to the testimonial of a former student of the College of William and Mary and his personal experience with jazz. I then look at the testimony of Bobby Hornsby, a resident of Williamsburg, and his personal experience with rock and roll in the area. I then analyze an article published by the Flat Hat newspaper, which discusses the experiences of African American students with music on the campus of the College. I finish with a discussion of the Virginia Musical Museum, which features many influential artists of color. This podcast explores how many of our favorite genres and styles of music today owe their start to different cultural and ethnic groups. This podcast explores the viewpoints of many different people, from young to old, and across racial groups. This podcast is important in that it allows us to recognize the commonalities we have with people who are different from us. By recognizing that despite the different colors of our skin or our different backgrounds we all share the same love for the same types of music, we can work to overcome our differences and understand one another better.
TRANSCRIPT
Cassie Szumigala (0:00-0:53): America is known for a lot of things. For example, our supersized fast food meals and our country music have made a global reputation for the United States. Additionally, America is commonly referred to as a “melting pot” of individuals, as our country is made up of individuals from a variety of different backgrounds and places. Our history is a history of immigration, with the first immigrants coming to the country in the 16th century with the arrival of European colonists. Whenever groups of people immigrate to the country, they bring with them pieces of their culture. This is the case for music. Immigrants bring with them their own musical styles and genres, which mix with other genres to create a new, hybrid, musical culture. I’m Cassie Szumigala and in this podcast I will be discussing the ways that race influences musical culture, specifically in Williamsburg, Virginia. I am interested in this topic because I am a musician and I enjoy listening to music.
Transition Sound (0:53-1:00)
CS (1:00-1:26): Because of the wide range of both musical and immigration movements in United States history, I am narrowing down the scope of this podcast to focus on the contributions of different ethnic and cultural groups to the genres of rock and roll as well as jazz. Even though enslaved African Americans cannot be thought of as immigrants because they were forced to come to America against their wills, they still had a profound impact on musical culture in the states. According to an article published by the Library of Congress,
Lisa Szumigala (1:26-1:50): “African-American religious and secular songs and the musical genres that they developed from them widely influenced the development of American music across ethnic groups and includes genres such as folk music, country music, blues, boogie woogie, ragtime, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz.”
CS (1:50-2:27): Additionally, a large influx of people from Hawaii at the end of the 19th century brought along with them a “lap slide guitar” which later influenced the development of “bluegrass, sacred steel Gospel, and rock and roll”. New ethnic and cultural groups have also lead to the establishment of cultural centers. According to an article by American Composers, “A prime example of this has been the Center for U.S.-China Arts Exchange, based at Columbia University and led by composer Chou Wen-chung, which has assisted a major influx of Chinese composers to America”.
Transition Sound (2:27-2:34)
CS (2:34-3:02): The arrival of different ethnic groups also creates more short-term change. According to an article published by Medium, the people who make up the demographics of a particular region can influence what songs make it on the Top 100 charts in that area. The article states, “the data reveals that the spread of foreign music into and around the United States is just as thorough and complex as immigration and settlement of people from all over the globe”.
Transition Sound (3:02-3:09)
CS (3:09-3:59): Now that we have a better understanding of the relationship between race and musical culture, let’s turn our attention to Williamsburg specifically. Williamsburg has a population of 14,954 people. 73% of the population identifies as white alone, 16% identifies as black or African-American, 7% identify as Latino or Hispanic, and 6% identify as Asian. As of 2018, 7% of the population was born in a different country. Despite a majority of the population being white, the different groups represented still play an important role in the city. Williamsburg has a long history with different cultural and ethnic groups. For example, the first enslaved people were brought to the area in the early 17th century. This, and the introduction of other ethnic groups to the area, have had a lasting impact on musical culture in the area.
Transition Sound (3:59-4:06)
CS (4:06-4:17): The lasting impacts of African Americans on the genre of jazz is seen in Williamsburg. As mentioned above, the early songs of enslaved African Americans lead to the later development of jazz.
Jazz Example (4:17-4:27)
CS (4:27-4:37): A Williamsburg Documentary Project interview with a former student at the College of William and Mary, Andrew Principe details his own love for the genre.
Andrew Principe (4:37-4:48): My new, my current drum teacher I‟ve had since freshman year,
he‟s like a huge jazz nut, and uh, he... I‟ve just have gotten really into it. So, I just enjoy it a lot.
CS (4:48-5:05): As we can see, the development of jazz is still appreciated and relevant to people in Williamsburg. This is just one example of how different racial groups are valuable to the development of genres of music that are loved still to this day. Another such genre is rock and roll.
Rock Example (5:05-5:11)
CS (5:11-5:24): In an interview with Bobby Hornsby, a lifelong resident of Williamsburg, the interviewer asked Bobby about his early experiences with music in the area. Bobby mentioned many concerts that he has attended.
Bobby Hornsby (5:24-5:50): Then William and Mary built William and Mary Hall and that ushered in the era of the Seventies rock concerts, and because of our location near Hampton Roads, and between Richmond and Hampton Roads, William and Mary Hall became better booked and all of a sudden, by the mid-Seventies, Williamsburg was having a far larger influx of national rock acts than Charlottesville.
CS (5:50-5:54): Hornsby also mentioned how he himself was involved in making music.
Bobby Hornsby (5:54-5:58): We never thought... we were just playing rock and roll because it was great fun
CS (5:58- 6:42): For a more modern example of how different cultural groups affect musical culture in Williamsburg, the Flat Hat published an article on African American students and their music. Multiple groups on campus are mentioned, such as Ebony Expressions Gospel Choir which was founded in order to create a safe space for singers to worship with like-minded individuals. The article also discusses individual students and their work, such as one student who is pursuing their passion in songwriting. A member of an acapella group dedicated to representing underrepresented genres “wants to make sure her culture is accurately presented in her music.” This is just another example of how culture and race play a part in shaping the musical culture of a place.
Transition Sound (6:42-6:49)
CS (6:49-7:27): One last example of how ethnic groups influence musical culture in Williamsburg is found in the Virginia Musical Museum. The museum, located not far from the campus of William and Mary, features a wide variety of exhibits. The most interesting, however, is the Virginia Music Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame includes famous artists who were born in Virginia, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Pharrell Williams. This exhibit demonstrates how people of different races and ethnicities contributed significantly to musical culture, not only in Williamsburg, or even in the whole state of Virginia, but also to the United States and beyond.
Transition Sound (7:27-7:34)
CS (7:34-8:56): In conclusion, the arrival and presence of ethnic groups bring with them their own culture, including music, which combines with other types of music to create new genres. This is seen in the way that the music of enslaved African Americans inspired the development of jazz and rock and roll, among other genres. This creation of new genres of music still is prevalent in today’s culture, specifically in Williamsburg.That is seen in the different musical groups that teenagers and college students find themselves involved in, or in the way that members of different races have gone down in history for their contributions in music. However, there is a negative side to the creation of new genres. Some people claim that new genres culturally appropriate the music of certain ethnic or racial groups. For example, as mentioned before, the genre of rock and roll came about because of the influence of African American and Hawaiian musical instruments and musical styles. However, the genre slowly became appropriated by white artists. No matter what side of the debate you are on, the impact of different culture and ethnic groups on musical culture is undeniable. So why does this matter? In today’s world, marked by divisions and differences, finding common ground is difficult. I think one way we can do it is through music. As long as music is appreciated and not appropriated, recognizing and understanding how everybody contributes to the music we enjoy can allow us to look past what divides us and celebrate our similarities. In a world of walls, I think music can bridge the gap.
Transition Sound (8:56-9:03)
CS (9:03- 9:15): I would like to thank the staff at Swem Library’s Special Collections and Media Center for their help on this project. I would also like to thank Lisa Szumigala for recording some of my audio clips.