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Final Reflection

Through initial knowledge, gathering photos, looking at illustrations, watching videos, re-blogging and researching I have concluded that the bad reputation jazz has for itself is due to the culture shock that ultimately took all generations by surprise and brought on new concepts that had never been thought of before. Before jazz emerged and became popular, people had the old way of thinking and music was generally the same, not highly influencing people to do “spontaneous” things. People neglected the positive change and tended to focus on what bad things jazz brought into society. For an example, before jazz, women were not  recognized as independent and the norms still applied to them. However, after jazz became a hit, women were inspired to participate in the performing arts and got involved in things men were known to do at the time.

Jazz promoted freedom, due to the fact that its most salient characteristic is improvisation. Jazz was new and fresh and most of the older generation did not know what to think of it. Since jazz promoted freedom, the younger generations took advantage of this and began to express themselves more openly in ways that were not always wholesome. However, jazz was a way to express what was really inside of them and it helped to express the different personalities people had. This is what made jazz so special and different from other music styles. It is important to acknowledge the fact that each person’s way of expressing themselves is different and none of these ways are necessarily wrong.

Since jazz has developed from many cultures to make it what it is today, knowing how it’s culture developed is essential in understanding global music history and history in general. For an example, jazz provided big motivation for the women’s liberation, which was a very big event in history. Without understanding that the idea of freedom came from jazz, it would be hard to understand the reasons behind this liberation movement.

Ultimately, when the older generations were exposed to this new form of music, it went against what they were used to and they automatically stereotyped it as something that was negatively impacting society. Since jazz was often performed in clubs or bars, people often associated negative implications with the existence of jazz.

As students learning about music history, we need to be able to consider both the negative and positive effects of jazz on society and understand that jazz did not destroy previous music cultures but rather it was created as a separate culture that was more suitable for musicians who sought out a way to express emotions in a freer form. We need to understand that since jazz promoted freedom, it also promoted change. This highly relates with the development of jazz and how jazz changes. It also highly relates with the development of society and the reasons behind these certain developments or changes. Although people heavily linked negative things with jazz, jazz ended up promoting a lot of good change and had positive impacts on society.

I have reached this understanding through an extensive process of considering both the negative and positive impacts of jazz and ultimately, society will have both negative and positive aspects. Without both of these aspects, how could our global music community develop into what it is today?

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If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!

Duke Ellington (via ngawulangbingah)

This is an example of a value that was publicized by a very famous jazz musician. If someone just read this quote with no background theory, this value could be described as carefree and spontaneous. Some might take its literal meaning and would question the logic behind this “advice”.

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This annual jazz festival, held in New Orleans celebrates the indigenous music and culture of the New Orleans and Louisiana. The early Jazz festivals featured local acts, while the more recent and modern jazz festivals featured and included more nationally-known acts. This festival grew in popularity as the years progressed and is now a huge event.

On average, around 460,000 fans attend this festival, describing it as “Music Heaven”. (http://www.nojazzfest.com/)

This festival has always included a wide range of jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, B.B King and Dave Matthews. 

Until today, jazz is being celebrated for its existence and continues to be one of the most popular styles of music. Jazz is not only being appreciated where it originated from, but globally, there are jazz festivals that take place all around the world. Jazz is something that our current global society still appreciates and sustains.

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Jazz culture and the development of jazz are two interrelated topics. Jazz did not only promote negative change, but it did indeed opened new opportunities for the people in society who initially were not recognized. This encouraged more women get into the performing arts and to actually perform in front of people.

Jazz music provided many new jobs for women during the 1920s. Women like Lil’ Hardin, Bessie Smith, and Ma Rainy are some of the example for women to pursue careers in the popular performing arts. The changes in jazz does not only improve jazz as a whole, but it also brings many positivity to the environment around it. With the development of jazz, women now are able to perform jazz music everywhere. 

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Music itself is a form of expression, and that being said, Jazz was one of the first few styles of music that actually began to express dramatic personalities and eccentric ideas. It was very popular among the younger generation who was still open to this form of free-expression.

It was a way of reflecting personalities.

There are so many styles of jazz and each style has the capability to reflect on two very different people. Not all jazz songs are about rebelling against the norm.

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Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it.

Louis Armstrong

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Jazz did not only impact society in the context of racial issues, gender issues or fashion crazes. Jazz also relates to the world of business. Jazz and business have things in common such as improvising, innovating and being creative. It is also a way of response to change. --> mixing fun with serious issues.

-Spontaneous decision making

-Creativity

This is a very creative and informational video about jazz impact on the corporate world.

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Along with music style, women’s fashion took a turn in the 1920′s, Jazz being a great influence to this change. This was one of the many social effects of jazz culture.

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An innovator’s 'job' is not to entertain, but rather, to make the listener aware and to force the audience to confront often disturbing realities and hidden truths about themselves, their society and their world

Wheaton 1994

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People used to think that jazz just highlighted racial tensions between the whites and the blacks. However, in some ways, jazz ended up uniting them in the world of music; one great similarity.

Two cultures met through this music form and found ways of expressing unity through instruments and vocals

Jazz as part of American culture

Stamps highlighted important events that happened in the era. Thus, the stamp above is a proof of how jazz has become a significant part of American culture and history. “Jazz music during the 1920s created a interracial popular culture that served largely as a unifying force, especially amongst the young, but it also alienated conservative whites who believed that the new music and social scene of the era were immoral.” (“The Jazz Age”)

#jazz culture #positiveimpact

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Jazz culture was developed from the theory of “thinking outside of the box” or trying something new based on improvisation. The way jazz culture is perceived is interrelated with the way it was developed in the first place. People chose to link negative things to the development of jazz because of its newness and people naturally have the fear for unfamiliarity.

Best way to find inspiration?

#jazz culture

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Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world

Ahmad Alaadeen

#jazz culture #quoteoftheday

(via jazzician)

Jazz has and is continuing to develop from different cultures all around the world. Each culture has contributed an aspect towards jazz, either in the music itself or the way it is expressed.

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Jazz provided one of the biggest forms of motivation for the women’s liberation. They wanted to break the norms that society created for them and to stand up for their freedom and rights.

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Jazz as a Culture Shock

“When my grandmother found out that I was playing jazz music in one of the sporting houses in the District, she told me that I had disgraced the family and forbade me to live at the house...She told me that devil music would surely bring about my downfall but I just couldn’t put it behind me”

-Jelly Roll Morton (Jazz Composer)

This was a well-known Jazz composer’s situation when he expressed his passion towards jazz. He was forbidden to live in his own house and his grandmother believed that jazz would only serve as a negative impact. He was considered as a “disgrace”. Jazz was a huge culture shock, and those of the previous generation(s) would have had a hard time to take in this new music style that came into America from a whole different culture. It would have been a shock for a grandparent’s or parent’s child to be involved in this new expression through music.

Although Jelly Roll Morton was rejected from his own family and looked down upon, he still continued to play as a jazz musician and compose.

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Real life experience with musician Chet Baker; experience with drugs and the influence it had on his life and overall jazz career.

Some people in society linked these bad habits or actions with the new establishment of jazz. They perceived jazz to promote too much freedom and that was a huge change in culture. Some people didn’t want to accept these changes because at that time nobody would have ever thought of a music style such as jazz. Jazz was also a music style that did not originate from whites, but instead originated from the African-American society and culture.

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The importance of jazz and its impact on our global society.

This is a very different standpoint on how jazz expresses emotions. In this article, it says that Jazz speaks for life. It allows people to take hard realities or difficult situations and express emotions through a style of music based on improvisation.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, On The Importance Of Jazz

On the Importance of Jazz

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Opening Address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival:

God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.

Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

Keep reading

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A New Jazz Culture

Jazz music has influenced most aspects of society. Some things like jazz poetry, fashion and industry were effected by the establishment of jazz in the United States. Jazz music also aggravated racial tensions after the war.

African American jazz culture had a huge impact on the culture during the 1920′s. This was because jazz recordings were available to white, upper middle class listeners.