Ain T Nobody Here But Us Hops Analysis

The Evolution of music in the 20th Century

Music is a living art form, not only is it not static in its production, like a painting which once created is intended to remain the same, but the techniques and styles used to generate music change throughout the course of history as well. Many musical theorists and philosophers have proposed different motivators for the dramatic (as compared to changes in different eras) changes in music that occurred in the 20th century. These motivators include firstly the blending of cultures through migration, both forced and voluntary, represented by the views of George Lipsitz and Iain Chambers in their respective essays “’Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens’: The Class Origins Of Rock and Roll” and “A strategy

He presents the idea that styles that are deeply rooted in one culture, such as Rhythm and Blues, which originates in black culture, will in close proximity to another, such as white American country music, generate a sort of cross-fertilization of ideas that may eventually lead to a new style such as rock and roll. Lipsitz presents several of the earliest examples of Rock and Roll and states “like previous variants of black music, rhythm and blues displayed an interaction with country music,” and continues to explain how these interactions eventuated in the style we call rock and roll (Lipsitz 211). Lipsitz makes similar observations with Spanish and European influences on American Jazz. From this it is clear that Lipsitz seems cultural blending as the main source of change and innovation of musical styles particularly in the 20th century. However, in the view of critics like Ian Chambers, these interactions are not always sanctioned by both

He believes that “The roots of rock 'n' roll live deep within the historical experience of the black men and woman of the United States, and essential to that history is the passage of black peoples into the New World” (). Chambers describes that the process by which Rock ‘n’ roll music came about was through the assimilation of rhythm and blues because of a conflicting appreciation for the techniques found within the style and a disapproval for the race of the artists producing the music. In the history of rock ‘n’ roll Chambers observes that “black music, in particular the blues and rhythm-and-blues were taken up, and in the process transformed by another section of the working class that was visibly antagonistic to it” (Chambers 134). Similarly, to Lipsitz Chambers concludes that process and reason that the new musical style of rock and roll arose was the blending of white and African American cultures. Though, African Americans were not willing participants in this exchange. This is an example of the idea that we as a population change our music passively or indirectly through cultural contact. European’s did not bring Africans to the Americas in order to eventually create a blend of musical traditions, but nonetheless that was the