American Popular Music Part 3 - Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan AlleyBegan to appear in the popular music industry

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tinpanalley.jpg

Tin Pan Alley• Located on

28th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

• Thrived from 1880 to 1930s? http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tin_Pan_Alley_plaque_crop.jpg

Tin Pan AlleyCoined by song writer and journalist Monroe Rosenfeld.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whar_de_watermelon_grow.jpg

Tin Pan AlleyThe location for songwriters to bring their finished work to be published.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander's_Ragtime_Band

Tin Pan AlleySynonymous with aggressive sales techniques.

PublishersM. Witmark & Sons

Had a huge success with “President Cleveland’s Wedding March”(Bair, 2001).

PublishersEstablished a formula:Current event+tune+plugging = Popular Hit

AlleymenMostly immigrants from Middle and Eastern Europe.

Driven by the urge to lift themselves up from their humble ghetto surroundings (Anderson, 2004).

AlleymenDenied a professional career

Therefore went into show business

The Mighty Five1. Irving Berlin2. Jerome Kern3.George Gershwin4.Richard Rogers5.Cole Porter

Irving BerlinBorn Israel Isidore Baline near Mogilev, Russian-Empire.

Dropped out of grade school to work as street entertainer. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin

Irving BerlinEspecially gifted at writing parodies.

By 22, he had songs in four Broadway musicals

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Irving_Berlin_-_Ragtime.JPG

Jerome KernBorn to a middle class Jewish family

Father - Businessman

Mother - Gifted pianist

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Why_(Jerome_Kern)_cover.jpg

Jerome KernStudied music in Germany

Masterpiece is Show Boat

George GershwinBrother Ira Gershwin

Teamed together as Ira the lyricist and George the musician

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Gershwin-signed.jpg

George GershwinDropped out of high school to work as pianist

Famous for “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Porgy and Bess”

Richard RodgersCame from upperclass family.

Teamed up with Lorenz Hart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rodgers

Richard RogersHart’s death

Teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hammerstein.jpg

Cole PorterBorn into a wealthy family

Individual songs

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cole_Porter_1934.jpg

Cole Porter“I get a Kick out of You”

Satirical Writer

Song Pluggers“Plugging”

Peddling tunes

Song PluggersBribed performersChorus slipsHay WagonsPaid bandleaders and singers

http://youtube.com/v/SADY_nqKeA0

Quiz

ResourcesAnderson, S.V. (2004). Pop music-USA. Cincinnati, OH: Clifton Hills Press.

Bair, B., & Wertheim, A.F. (Eds.). (2001). The papers of Will Rogers. Claremore, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.