The Devil's Music: The Jazz Age

580 Words3 Pages

As time advances, society also advances with events that unfold. Wars, political movements, discoveries, and even music changes the fabric of what we think. When rock first came out, most people (majority were adults) thought it was “The Devil’s Music.” Now it is just seen as a common music genre in this day and age. After WWI many changes started to happen. One of the most impactful things that happened was the Golden Age of Jazz. This was known as “The Jazz Age,” and it shaped a lot of today’s norms to American culture. The Jazz Age first appeared around the 1920s, this was due to many reasons. One reason was that this was after WWI and the Great Depression affected many Americans in their daily lives. This music resonated with many people because it allowed people to unwind and to stay away from all the divisions of people of this time (Mintz). Additionally, this music connected with African Americans, as they were the main stars of Jazz such as Louis Armstrong and Bill Johnson. It was a way for them to put their emotions and strife into their music, because of the persecution of their race (America’s Music History: The Jazz Age). This genre of music also changed dance. New styles were formed because of Jazz, for example the Charleston, which had a different style and feel of …show more content…

Firstly, it was one of the first kinds of music to show up in movies and radio. Not only this, but Jazz bands were in a lot of bars and speakeasies. At this time, alcohol was illegal, and many protested against this act, so Jazz tapped into the emotions people had during these conflicting perspectives (Jazz Age/Harlem Renaissance). Secondly, many people had struggles at this time with the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the aftermath of the war all piled up. Jazz brought a feeling of freedom to many people at the time (The Roaring Twenties). For these two reasons, the genre of Jazz skyrocketed and became quite popular in