What are "Oldies"?

The term, "oldies," refers to both popular music from the 1950s-1970s and the radio format that specializes in this type of music. "Golden oldies" usually refers to oldies music exclusively from the 1950s-early 1960s. Oldies songs are typically from the R&B, pop and rock music genres but may also include country, movie soundtrack, novelty, and other types of popular music played on the radio from around 1950-on. Pop music genres that had their heyday before the 1950s (e.g., ragtime, big band) are generally considered "too old" to be included in the oldies radio format. Oldies music radio stations, which typically feature bands and artists such as (to name a few) Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Pat Boone, Sam Cooke, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Rascals, the Association, the Temptations, the Who, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac, cover a wide variety of styles including early rock and roll, rockabilly, doo-wop, surf rock, girl groups, the British Invasion, folk rock, psychedelic rock, baroque pop, soul music, Motown, and bubblegum pop. Oldies music also overlaps with classic rock which focuses on the rock music of the late 1960s and 1970s as well as newer music in a similar style.

The phrase, "oldies but goodies," was first coined in 1957 by renowned deejay Art Laboe who, at around that time, used to get frequent requests from his listeners for songs from the early 1950s. A central figure in L.A. radio for over half a century, Laboe was the first deejay to play rock and roll on the West Coast and one of the first to play black and white artists on the same show. In 1959, he put together the first LP to feature (mostly older) songs by different artists. This immensely popular compilation album, entitled "Oldies But Goodies," stayed on Billboard's Top 100 LP's chart for over three years and has, to date, spawned some 14 sequels.

Soon after the release of Laboe's first "Oldies But Goodies" album, the phrase, "oldies but goodies," became commonplace and by around 1960, people were waxing nostalgic for 1950s doo-wop which was already starting to be classified as "oldies." Little Caesar And The Romans' 1961 hit, "Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)" and its sequel, "Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies," both pay homage to early doo-wop and doo-wop artists. This wave of nostalgia brought about a doo-wop revival in the early 1960s which was the first of many nostalgia movements in pop music since the term, "oldies," was first applied to older pop music.

While "golden oldies" has remained a constant over the years, the larger body of pop music that we still call "oldies" today - which is made up of core golden oldies songs plus more modern material - is not fixed but has been gradually expanding forward in time to keep up with changing demographics. Nowadays, oldies music is generally considered to include all of the 1970s, even disco, and the same is expected to be true someday for the music of the 1980s, now often described as "retro." Oldies music is also expanding in breadth as thousands of long-forgotten tunes from the 1950s and 1960s that never made the Top 40 in their day are being rediscovered and resurrected. Whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, or a genuine love for good music, the oldies format has maintained a huge following and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Works Cited:

Gold, Amy. "Oldies Music-Definitions and History." 2005. 24 June 2009<http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/free-content-articles/oldies-music-definitions-and-history.html>

History of Hi-Fi Music Players and Media

Before MP3s, compact discs, and even cassette tapes, there was hi-fi. “High fidelity” is a term given to a high-quality reproduction of sounds or images. Hi-fi technology was the most popular during the 1960s and 1970s however; the background of hi-fi technology began in the 1920s. It began with the production of microphones and other electronic amplification devices.

Technology has come a long way, from a reel-to-reel machine that basically used a magnetic recording tape to long playing records and finally to compact discs and MP3s. With the affordability of digital quality sound, you can enjoy surround sound and other capabilities from the comfort of your own home. Though many people now prefer digital quality reproductions, others still stand by the quality produced by the earlier methods of reel-to-reel and vinyl LPs. Ideally, the method of high-quality recording you choose to enjoy is a matter of individual preference.

Works Cited:

"The People History."www.thepeoplehistory.com. 24 June 2009 <http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/hifi.html>

Evolution of the Treble & Bass Clef

Evolution of the Treble Clef:
In early written music (before 1750) the treble clef could be found drawn on different lines of the staff. G on the first line was known as "French style". on the second line it was known as "Italian style". The practice of having a variety of clef positions in old music came from a desire to avoid ledger lines.

Evolution of the Bass Clef:
The bass clef evolved from the letter "F".
It establishes the note "F" on the fourth line of the staff.

Works Cited:

"Learning Activity 6"www.cybermusicacadamy.org.24 june 2009

An interesting question arises as new advances come about in the music industry. Since there are so many technological opportunities as far as recording goes, are people making less music? Things are changing and today people are unaware of how privileged we are to have such easy access to music. Yes people were more dependent on music in the past, today it is everywhere. This link will take you to a video of an interview with Professor Anthony Seager and he brings up some interesting points in regards to this question.

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/did+more+people+make+music+in+the+past

Music technology from past to present

As we are all becoming more aware, we are spoiled today when it comes to being able to click a button and hear the song we just heard on the radio. But during the 1800's and before, everything was performed live and that was the only way we got to hear music. Since then, with the help of Thomas Edison and his phonograph, analog recording came about and remained popular for many years. Until digital recording was introduced in the 1980's." Tape can also have multiple tracks. Multiple track recording can record individual tracks of sound (such as drums, guitar, voice, etc) on one tape. These tracks are later mixed which is adjusting the levels of individual tracks to make a master tape. Adding effects such as, delay, echo, flanging, and phasing was also found to be possible with tape recordings.

The cassette tape, released in 1964, displaced the LP record. This medium [HL4] was available in most homes, cars, and in portable devices like the Sony Walkman. Also, the availability and functionality of tape recording devices helped in the success of the cassette tape."

After the cassette tape lost its popularity with the invention of the CD in the 1980's, music technology continued to change from there. Although CD's today are still rather popular, the i-pod is slowly taking over.

As we are all aware, music has come a long way since the first violins and cellos and the like. Technology has then advanced to record player and being able to record music. This video is a brief but effective visual of how fast musical technology has evolved.

The Role of Music in Society

Music has almost been around as long as we have and ever since then it has been affecting society. However, society affects the music that we listen to as well. As quoted in this particular website, "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Music has been that way in the past, and actually not much has changed since then. "Music reflects and creates social conditions – including the factors that either facilitate or impede social change. The development of recording techniques in the latter half of the 20th century has revolutionized the extent to which most people have access to music." So while back in the days before the technological advances such as recording were around, music was more difficult to access so it was more appreciated. "It is powerful at the level of the social group because it facilitates communication which goes beyond words, enables meanings to be shared, and promotes the development and maintenance of individual, group, cultural and national identities. It is powerful at the individual level because it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive and behavioral. Few other stimuli have effects on such a wide range of human functions." So music can be very relaxing, therapeutic, but also unpredictable. Every person perceives music differently. So in conclusion, the way music affected society in the past and vice versa is relatively the same today. While technology advances, the affect music has on us is still the same.

? What Is Music ?

According to Webster's II: New Riverside University Dictionary, music is "the art of arranging tones in an orderly sequence so as to produce a unified and continuous composition".

Is there really only one definition of music? Music is however a person portrays it. The definition of music is different to everyone. To one person it may mean relaxation, another horrendous noise. Music is unique in each person’s life.

Music is Science
It is exact, specific; and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor’s full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.

Music Mathematical
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done, not worked out on paper.

Music is a Foreign Language
Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English; but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language

Music is History
Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creations, often even the country and/or racial feeling.

Music is Physical Education
It requires fantastic coordination of finger, hands, arms, lip, cheek, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic back, stomach, and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ears hear and the mind interprets.

Music is all of these things, but most of all….

Music is Art
It allows a human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. That is the one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, call it what you will.

So what is Music to YOU?

Works Cited:
Yoshimura, Kathy. “What is Music.” http:// www.cwrl.utexas.edu. 22 June 2009.

34 Top Composers

17th Century
1. Antonio Vivaldi
2. Johann Sebastian Bach
3. George Frederic Handel
4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
5. Joseph Haydn

18th Century
6. Ludwig von Beethoven
7. Franz Schubert
8. Felix Mendelssohn
9. Frederic Chopin
10. Robert Schumann
11. Richard Wagner
12. Franz Liszt
13. Alexander Borodin
14. Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
15. Johannes Brahms
16. Johann Strauss

19th Century
17. Giuseppe Verdi
18. Antoni Dvorak
19. Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
20. Gustav Mahler
21. Claude Debussy
22. Giacomo Puccini
23. Maurice Ravel

20th Century
24. George Gershwin
25. Sergei Rachmaninoff
26. Bella Bartok
27. Arnold Schoenberg
28. Arthur Hoenegger
29. Igor Stravinsky
30. Irving Berlin
31. Aaron Copland
32. Leonard Bernstein
33. John Cage
34. Klheinz Stockhausen

Works Cited:
Aubuchon, Vaughn. “Most Famous Music Composers Summary.” http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com. 2004. 22 June 2009<>

The History of Recorded Music in the 1900’s-1920’s

1900 E.R. Johnson first used the “His Master’s Voice” trade mark.

1901 Berliner and Johnson joined interests in the Victor Talking Machine Co. The original etched plate method of reproduction was being replaced by recording on a thick wax blank. Bitter litigation between rival companies alleging patent infringement almost destroyed the entire business.
1902 Caruso had made his first of many records, and records by Dame Nellie Melba were released. The popularity of the cylinder had begun to decline.

1903 The first 12 inch diameter records were released on the Monarch label. HMV Italiana released Verdi’s “Ernani” on 40 single sided discs.

1904 Fleming invented the diode thermionic valve and, later, Lee de Forest the triode. Electrical recording had become a possibility.

1906 The Victor Company’s Victrola model gramophone first appeared. Victrola was to become a generic term.

1908 Edison continued to persevere with the cylinder machine but the disc was proving ever stronger competition.
1917 The first jazz releases on cylinder helped to delay the final demise of this format. Leopold Stokowski, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, began recording for the Victor Company at the Camden, New Jersey studios.

1919 Electrical recording was in the experimental stage. Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra produced the first million seller with “Japanese Sandman” coupled with “Whispering” and began a major new popular music craze that boosted the record industry throughout the decade. Garrard Engineering, a subsidiary of the British Crown jewellers, commenced manufacture of precision clockwork gramophone motors.

1922 Mons Remy of Belgium and Messieurs Dolon, Renaux and Debrabant, of France, together applied for a French patent covering constant linear speed recording. In England Noel Pemberton Billing independently developed a similar system, UK Patent 195,673/204,728. Pemberton Billing is also famous for founding the Supermarine Aircraft Company which made the Schneider Trophy Winners and the Spitfire of World War II.

1923 The record business was becoming seriously depressed by the growing popularity of radio.

1925 The first “electrical” recordings were issued by Victor and Colombia in the US. In March, Alfred Cortot electrically recorded works by Chopin and Schubert in Victor’s Camden Studios. The first commercial electrical recording prompted all other major companies to follow suit. In June Jack Hylton and his Orchestra used the technique to record “Feelin’ Kind O’ Blue” at the HMV Studios at Hayes, Middlesex. HMV also released the first electrically recorded symphony.

1927 Bartlett Jones of Chicago was granted a US patent for dummy head (kunstkopf) stereo. “The Jazz Singer”, not the first but the most famous talking picture was released. The British Broadcasting Company started taking the gramophone seriously by commencing a regular long running record programme presented by Christopher Stone, brother-in-law of the novelist,

Compton Mackenzie, the founder and first editor of “The Gramophone”

1928 The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) bought the Victor Talking Machine Company.

Works Cited:
“Music CD Industry.”www. http://www.soc.duke.edu. 2 April 2000. 22 June 2009<>.

3 Periods of Past Music

Middle Ages 450-1450
In the middle ages, church served as an important patron of the arts, specifically music. Music was integrated into Christian worship. Notating music was a difficult and time consuming process, so it was not until about the ninth century that a basic system of notation was developed. Cathedrals and monasteries are the only places where notating music can be done on a regular basis. The daily liturgy provided innumerable text, all set to music in the style known as Gregorian chant. The practice of polyphonic singing dates back to the ninth century as well. From the thirteenth century on, the primary focus of composers was polyphony and its development.

Renaissance 1450-1600
During the renaissance period, music moved from the science of number to an expressive art viewed as an equal to rhetoric and the arts became an important measure of learning and culture. In this time period music printing was rapidly rising which increased the availability of music and books on music. Travel and the resulting musical exchange became a driving force for the creation of a more international musical style.

Baroque 1600-1750
Composers of the Baroque period experimented with ways of creating impressive effects. Musicians also believed that music could move the listener in a real and physical way. New instrumental forms, such as the concerto and sonata developed and these new and extravagant styles served as a rich adornment to religious services in both catholic and protestant traditions.

Works Cited:
"Essentials of Music."www.essentialsofmusic.com.2001.21 June 2009<http://www.essentialsofmusic.com> (Under Musical Context)

Influence of Music on Self and Society

Throughout history the language of music has exerted powerful influences on individuals and societies. “Felix Mendelssohn once remarked that music is more specific about what it expresses than words written about those expressions could ever be.” There is no question as to whether music has the power to express, convey and illicit powerful emotions. In fact, most music is written based on a person’s emotions. The artist usually conveys their emotions in their lyrics. “Ancient cultures held strong beliefs in the moral and ethical power of music and as such it was imperative for artists within those cultures to exercise a certain moral and ethical responsibility in their creative endeavors.” David Eaton feels that “any thinking, caring, probing musician should seriously contemplate a series of questions regarding music's origins, its spiritual, religious and mystical properties, its moral and ethical power, its transcendent qualities, the role of the arts and artists and the importance of art in general, and music in particular.”

Works Cited:

Eaton, David. "The Influence of Music on Self and Society."www.tparents.org. July 2003. 20 June 2009<http://www.tparents.org/library/unification/talks/eaton/eaton_influence.htm>

The American Jukebox Listening Experience

The jukebox was extremely important in America’s music listening history. ‘Juke’ came from the African American term ‘jook’ or to dance. Juke boxes provided music and endless entertainment for years in burger joints or places of public gathering. You’d ‘drop the nickel in the jukebox’, punch it the appropriate code for your song, and it’d be playing in seconds. In 1950, jukeboxes began playing 45 rpm records, rather than 78 rpm. Wall boxes eventually became popular at diners, small devices for customers to have private selection of their own songs.

1937 Wurlitzer Jukebox

http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/history-of-the-jukebox-579733.html
http://www.history-of-rock.com/history_of_the_jukebox.htm

Instrument Development

From Primitive to Ancient, from Medieval to Renaissance, and Colonial to Contemporary musical; instruments have changed and transformed along with the civilizations and musicians who play and enjoy them. Some intresting examples of past instruments are lyres and pan pipes in Greece, Egyptian harps made out of tortoise shell, exotic Indian sitars, didgeridoos in aboriginal Australia and handmade banjos made by hands of African American slaves from garden gourds. People were inventive to create new and fresh sound.

Three instruments which especially permeate American music today are important to consider their pasts. The piano, guitar and drum.

Piano - The first piano, or stringed keyboard instrument as we know it today, first appeared in the early 18th century in Italy and was created by Bartolomeo Cristofori.

Guitar- The guitar has Spanish origins, although to begin it only had four strings. The five string guitar with the standard tuning of A D G B E is not seen until the Italian Renaissance.

Drums- Drums are ancient instruments which had varying uses other than creating music, communication and ceremonial. Primitively they were made out of hollow logs with animal hides and sinew stretched across. West Africans used “talking drums”, waisted drums that could be beaten for communication between tribes. Drums were used in war, like seen here a Civil War drum and fife band.

http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/handbook/BriefHistory.html
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/music/musicimages/egypt.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/cwfifedrum/

A Brief History of Audio Recording

Remember that sound is the movement of vibrations in air. To fully understand the transition of musical technology one must consider the scientific history of audio recording.

Exploring the Past, Present and Future of Music Technology

Music, like everything evolving along with man, is on a constant course of change. But lately, the traditional music industry and recording have been shifting in an alarming way as things are becoming increasingly, and to some, overwhelmingly digital. As music drifts further from the real, live musician to listener experience and closer to solely the computer screen and iPod ear bud, it will influence musicians, the recording industry, listeners and hopefully not, the music itself. To fully understand the transition of musical technology one must consider everything including musical history, instruments, recording industries, etc.

Join us in our blog to analyze the science, art and societal influences in the technological transition of MUSIC. Exploring the past, present and future, we hope to embrace both music and technology.

(Posted by Chelsea Pursell)

Final Three Eras in Music History

The other three eras in the history of music are labeled as Classical, Romantic and 20th Century.
"Although the Classical Era lasted for only 70 years, there was a substantial change in the music that was being produced. Classical music placed a greater stress on clarity with regard to melodic expression and instrumental color. Although opera and vocal music (both sacred and secular) were still being written, orchestral literature was performed on a much broader basis. The orchestra gained more color and flexibility as clarinets, flutes, oboes, and bassoons became permanent members of the orchestra."
"The Romantic era was a period of great change and emancipation. While the Classical era had strict laws of balance and restraint, the Romantic era moved away from that by allowing artistic freedom, experimentation, and creativity. The music of this time period was very expressive, and melody became the dominant feature. While new instruments were constantly being added to the orchestra, composers also tried to get new or different sounds out of the instruments already in use."
" With the coming of the 20th century another evolution in the musical world emerged. While some of the early 20th century music can be seen as extensions of the late Romantic style, much of 20th century music can be seen as a rebellion. Composers did not look to build on what was standard but again created music freely and used sounds that went against the current grain. Twentieth century music can be described as being more refined, vague in form, delicate, and having a mysterious atmosphere."

The Eras of Music History

Music goes back a long way and so with the advances of musical technologies, the history of music can be divided into six eras, three of them are Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque.
"The Medieval Era is the longest and most remote period of musical history. It is important to note that this musical era consists of almost a thousand years worth of music. For most of the middle ages, the Church was the focal point of social life, learning, and the arts. Saint Gregory, who was pope from 590 - 640 C.E., is said to have organized a huge repertoire of chants that developed during the first centuries of the Christian church. Thus the term of "Gregorian Chant" came about."
" The Renaissance era encompasses Western music history from 1400 to the beginning of the 1600’s. This period in time marked the rebirth of humanism, and the revival of cultural achievements for their own sake in all forms of art, including music. The word "Renaissance" in itself is defined as a "rebirth"or a "reconstruction." During this time, artists and musicians produced works that displayed more artistic freedom and individualism. This creativity allowed artists to abandon the stricter ways of the Medieval Era. Their art forms rediscovered the ancient Greek ideals. The great masters of the Renaissance were revered in their own lifetimes (rather than after their deaths), which was different from most of their Medieval predecessors. With the new printing techniques, music and musical ideas were able to be preserved and distributed to the people."
" The term Baroque era describes the style or period of European music between the years of 1600 and 1750. The term Baroque was derived from a Portuguese word meaning "a pearl of irregular shape." The word Baroque was initially used to imply strangeness, abnormality and extravagance, applying more to art than music. It is only in the 20th century that this term has been employed to refer to a period in music history."

Early Audio Players

Léon Scott de Martinville’s Phonautograph (above)
“The first device capable of recording sound signals was Léon Scott de Martinville’s 1857 invention called the “phonautograph.” His device could not, however, reproduce sound signals, but the idea was adapted by Emile Berliner into a disc music player he called the “gramophone.” Preceding Berliner’s 1887 invention, however, was Thomas Edison’s tinfoil cylinder phonograph, which made the first recording of the human voice in 1877. By 1878, Edison launched his Edison Speaking Phonography Company to produce recording and playback machines, which initially were intended as dictation machines for business purposes.”

Thomas Edison and his tinfoil cylinder
phonograph (below)

Emile Berliner and his disc music

play gramophone (above)

Works Cited:

"The Evolution of Digital Audio." www.randomhistory.com.4 Aug.2008. 9June 2009 .

"Academic dictionaries and encyclopedias."dic.academic.ru.9 June 2009 .

"Friends of the Phonograph."phonographia.com. 9 June 2009.

First Predictions of Technology Influencing Music

"Ninety-nine years ago, John Philip Sousa predicted that recordings would lead to the demise of music" (Ross). Sousa stated that the phonograph would "erode the finer instincts of the ear" (Ross). This would lead to the end of amateur playing and singing. However, it would also put professional musicians out of work. Sousa's prediction of music changing due to technology was completely right. Music has changed so much in the past hundred years. "Music has achieved onrushing omnipresence in our world: millions of hours of its history are available on disk; rivers of digital melody flow on the Internet; MP3 players with ten thousand songs can be tucked in a back pocket or purse" (Ross). Music is no longer what it used to be, "it has become a radically virtual medium, an art without a face" (Ross).

Works Cited:

Ross, John. “The New Yorker: The Record Effect.” www.newyorker.com. 6 Jun 2005. 5 Jun 2009 .