Dallas music culture

Dallas music culture is very complex, it was brought by many immigrants from other parts of the world. The immigrants brought their own styles like meditation music, church music, pop music, folk music and etc. But Dallas’ music culture has its own distinctions, like country music for example, it is famous with the cowboy culture. The culture of the music is extensive and has evolved over several decades. So for my music ethnography I have chosen to write about this wonderful music.
To collect my data, I have used several sources from the internet to know more about the history of this music culture. Besides using the website I also went to “Texas Love &War” a couple of times to observe. I also went to gain a better understanding of the music so I interviewed one of the bands.
Country music’s origins began in the South. Early settlers of the South from several different cultures helped produce the original sound that has evolved into what we now call country music. Irish settlers brought the fiddle, Italians brought the Mandolin, Spaniards brought guitars, and the African Banjo. These instrumentals were brought together because of early Appalachian String Bands. Many cultures helped influence the origins of Country Music; Irish immigrants with their fiddling of really sad tunes to playful melodies allowed for easy assimilation into the Southern culture. African Americans had a helping hand as well because many of the children in the poor white and black neighborhoods played together. Some of the church music in the area also helped influence country music in several ways. Today country music however is predominantly associated with Caucasian people as they are the major market of this genre. Most of the country music fans tend to be Southern, which is no surprise. Country music is popular in other countries as well such as, Ireland, Australia, and in Britain. But, most of the fans and the people living in those countries are predominantly white. Today, when you talk about the culture of country music, generally you are talking about the culture of the south. The south has very conservative beliefs, whether it is politics or lifestyles. The beliefs tend to follow the churches doctrine. There is some deviation from the music and the culture here though, in the old days, country music was more conservative. The lyrics of most country songs earlier were about real world experience like mining, logging, ranching and railroad. Others were about tragedies such as natural disasters, murder and accident. Now though, many of the songs depict heartbreak, revenge, or drinking. Although these are stereotypes of the genre they are the biggest topics of country music today. The South defines music in many ways, generally a catchy tune and a pleasant voice is all that’s needed to make a song. The general attire for this genre includes; tight jeans, a large belt buckle, a woven shirt, and a cowboy hat. Boots can also be added but also regular tennis shoes are welcome. Country music offers a peculiar role in the South. Unlike many genres today, it does not have an over filled market of dance tunes. It does have many love song ballads and songs that instill a longing for your home or the “good ol days”. It does provide an outlet for the growing antimodernism movement. By that I mean the distaste for the current modern lifestyle that we are a part of. Many country music fans dislike the digital age that has become so engraved in our culture. Most of the country music is performed in restaurants, bars for people that are interested in it, and also people at camp sites. At any Texas Cowboy souvenir store you will probably find traces of country music influence. Some people perform country music on the street in New York City, they play as a hobby and it also helps them to get some money, but most of them are amateurs. Some of the people do what is called a square dance, Scottish reel, Iris jigs when they listen to this music. Some like to listen to the country music while they are having dinner or lunch, they like to enjoy and follow it by tapping their feet or shaking their head with the beat of the song. Since I went to Texas Love & War there are some other customers that are wearing cowboy hats and boots with jean to join in the environment of the restaurant. The performers of country music most play for their hobby such as in a party or at camping nights. As stated before majority of the fans are white, gender plays little to no role when it comes to participation. The region where you’re from does play a large role in the US though. Because the South is the origin of country music more participation happens in the South than in the North. In fact, depending on where you live in the South certain types or styles of country music might be more welcomed than others. Radio has always played a large part in country music’s success. In the early 1920’s radio helped push early country music, this was known as hillbilly music, to new heights. It started from a Georgian station and moved all the way to a Chicago Station where the music spread throughout the center of the United States. The Cavender Boot is where you can purchase the country outfits. The boots are made in many places but in Texas they are made in El Paso. In the cowboy festival the popular food served are steak, potatoes, and corn.
To summarize Country music would be a disservice to the genre but a necessary component for the sake of my paper. “Country music was a federation of styles, rather than a monolithic style” that is the true essence of the music. It was built by several other musical genres that have exponentially evolved one after the other. Country music has always had its roots in the South and it continues to develop those even today. It is a rich culture that is still developing today and I have enjoyed the experience of getting to know it.
Work cited:
"Music Culture." Personal interview. 6 Mar. 2010
Scaruffi, Piero. "A Brief History of Country Music." A Brief History of Country Music. Web. 10 Mar. 2010