I have definitely learned a lot about the Evolution of Music in this class. I found it to be very intriguing. So when I was faced with the chore of deciding what I would do my report on, I chose to use the book Black Music in America by James Haskins. This book gave a detailed account of not only the music genres but its performers. American music is made up of music from many different types of ethnic backgrounds. What gives this book a plus is that it highlights aspects American music, and its performers. The people and events that really caught my attention were the concert singers, Minstrelsies, Jubilee songs, and brass bands. Born as a slave, a girl by the name of Elizabeth Greenfield moved to Philadelphia. She moved there with her Mistress and her parents. Luckily while in Philadelphia they were set free. At the age of forty-two she moved to buffalo New York in order to embark on new opportunities as a singer. When she reached New York opportunity came knocking. She began a career of concert singing. With a range of three and one quarter octaves you would think that opportunity kept knocking, but it didnt. Therefore she moved to Europe where she would get the attention and credit that she deserved. While in Europe Elizabeth was shown great appreciation for her talent. Even Queen Victoria demanded that she performed for her at the Buckingham Palace. She gained newfound popularity in the states, because of her new accomplishments. As we know, it wasnt easy for blacks to make a living in the U.S. That forced blacks to either perform in Europe or the northern states of the U.S. Some blacks even had to resort to performing in Minstrelsies. Minstrelsies started out as an avenue for whites that were trying to embark on new and exciting cultures. By this time America was free from Britain, and since white America no longer was attached to Britain, they ventured out to gain a sense of American culture. White minstrel actually used to v...
