The Father of Chicago Blues Essay Example for Free

The Father of Chicago Blues Essay He is known for creating some of the greatest blues songs of all time â€Å"I Can’t Be Satisfied†, â€Å"I feel Like Going Home†, and â€Å"Hoochie Coochie Man†. His unique and distinctive voice conveyed intense feelings and emotions to audiences all over the globe, while his guitar skills inspired some of rock history’s greatest legends. He was known as Muddy Waters; a man whose raw talent and tenacity led him out of Mississippi, to Chicago, to winning several industry awards, and finally into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Much of the development of the blues genre, as well rock and roll, has been accredited to him and rightly so. Bringing the heart and soul of blues music to Chicago, Muddy Waters single-handedly led the progression of Delta blues to Chicago blues, from which much of today’s popular music has sprung. The origin of the blues dates back centuries. In commercial terms, it was once referred to as â€Å"race music†, as the artists were primarily black and the music was marketed to black audiences. The genre eventually became know as â€Å"rhythm and blues† or â€Å"RB† a music style rooted in Africa and brought over to the US when slaves would sing African spirituals while working on plantations. American Popular Music (2006) describes RB as such: RB, as the genre came to be known, was a loose cluster of styles, rooted in southern fold traditions and shaped by the experience of returning military personnel and hundreds of thousands of black Americans who had migrated to urban centers such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles during and just after the war. (p. 38) As the music world expanded, sub-genres of the blues came into existence. Delta blues, jump blues, and Chicago electric blues were the most popular categories. Muddy Waters himself grew up singing Delta blues songs from that region, until he moved north to Chicago. It was in Chicago that his sound evolved and he was labeled as a â€Å"Chicago electric blues† artist. During the 1940s, Chicago became one of the most rapidly-growing cities in terms of black neighborhoods, which fueled the popularity and demand for blues music. Although Delta blues artists had been a favorite amongst the African American community for decades before the emergence of Muddy Waters, it was a new type of blues sound that soon became the iconic music of Chicago: A very different urban blues tradition of the postwar era, Chicago electric blues, derived more directly from the rural Mississippi Delta†¦ The musical taste of black Chicagoans, many of them recent migrants from the Deep South, tended toward rougher, grittier styles, closely linked to African American folk traditions but also reflective of their new, urban orientation†¦ Muddy Waters exemplifies these developments. (Starr Waterman, 2006, p. 41) The Chicago blues scene was essentially a combination of both northern and southern influences. This is an example of how music, as well as society, evolves in order to embrace a new way of life while retaining its roots. Although people still embraced musical themes from traditional Delta blues frustration, loneliness, pain they were looking for a more developed and refined sound. This new blues style, Chicago electric blues, soon became personified through Muddy Waters. His voice contained all of the grittiness and rough sounds of traditional African American music, yet his innovative guitar skills and musical phrasing appealed to audiences who were demanding a more urban feel. Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield on April 4, 1913 in Issaquena County, Mississippi however, he later changed his birth year to 1915 in order to appear younger to the entertainment industry. He was born to Berta Grant, who was only a teenager at the time, and Ollie Morganfield, a cotton farmer. Muddy’s parents were an unconventional couple, as they never married; and after his mother passed away in 1918, his grandmother Della Grant took over in raising him. He was only three years-old at the time, and Della was an extremely young grandmother of 32 years of age when he was born. Muddy’s world seemed to revolve around music from a very early age, although he did enjoy fishing and playing down by a nearby creek. He would always get dirt on his clothes and mud on his face, which is how he was nicknamed Muddy Waters. Muddy was not the only musical talent in the family. His father Ollie was well-known amongst locals as a very skilled singer, guitarist, and washboard-player. This seemed to fuel Muddy’s interest in music, as he began to learn how to play a variety of instruments. He improvised by turning a kerosene can into a drum, which became his first instrument, and that was followed by the accordion, a harp, and a box and stick that he made into his first guitar. He recalled, â€Å"Couldn’t do much with it, but that’s how you learn! † (Roots, 2007). As a teenager, Muddy began listening to blues artists such as Charlie Patton and Roosevelt Sykes. One of his greatest influences, however, was Son House. He was inspired by House’s guitar technique and would often attend live performances: â€Å"I was there every night, close to him. You couldn’t get me out of that corner, listening to him. I watched that man’s fingers and look like to me he was so good he was unlimited† (Roots, 2007). By the age of 17, Muddy was able to purchase his first guitar a used Stella and began making a name for himself as a local blues artist. With his own makeshift band, Muddy performed in several local Delta clubs until he was discovered by Alan Lomax in 1941 a folklore collector who invited him to record for the Library of Congress. Lomax was searching for a blues singer comparable to Robert Johnson, whose guitar style influenced Muddy’s own way of playing. It was most likely Lomax’s encouragement that persuaded him to move to Chicago in 1943 he had been contemplating the idea for awhile, yet decided against it as he did not want to leave his grandmother. After his move to Chicago, Muddy started working at a paper mill. Three years later, a man by the name of Sunnyland Slim helped him get signed to Aristocrat Records; but his first series of recordings proved to be unsuccessful, and he would have to earn money by driving trucks for six days out of the week, while performing nightly in local clubs. His career did not fully launch until 1948 when Aristocrat Records was sold and became Chess Records. Under this new label, he recorded his first single â€Å"Rollin’ Stone†. It was an absolute hit, and was even used to name one of the world’s most famous rock bands the Rolling Stones. By 1951, Muddy had a complete band with Otis Spann on the piano, Little Walter on the harmonica, Jimmie Rodgers on the second guitar, and Elgin Evans on the drums (Rolling Stone, 2009). He was now a major blues performer, creating some of the most iconic and influential songs in the music industry: Waters’s approach to the blues is different from that of blues crooners†¦ Waters was a master of the bottleneck slide guitar technique. He used his guitar to create a rock-stead, churning rhythm, interspersed with blues licks, which were counterpoised with his voice in a kind of musical conversation. (Starr Waterman, 2009, p. 42) He mastered the electric guitar after moving to Chicago, as the crowds were noisier than his previous audience in the Delta, and there was a high demand for dance music. He brought the traditional blues sound up from the Mississippi Delta, turned it into a more electric sound, and Chicago electric blues was born. It was this emotionally distressing style of guitar-playing that won him the name â€Å"The Father of Chicago Blues†, subsequently inspiring future rock artists such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and bands of the 1960s and 1970s British explosion (Rolling Stone, 2009). Even though Muddy’s records were mostly sold in the Delta, New Orleans, and Chicago, his reputation spanned the globe. Over the years, Muddy would be cited as a great influence for many artists, including Chuck Berry, Leg Zeppelin, and Angus Young of AC/DC. His songs would also be covered by other industry heavyweights such as Cream, Etta James, and Bob Dylan. Muddy’s success was later signified by several Grammy Awards, Blues Foundation Awards, and his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 (Rolling Stone, 2009). It is impossible to think of history’s greatest blues artists without naming Muddy Waters he epitomizes Chicago blues. Today’s artists still praise his name and discuss how he has impacted the music world with his talent and innovation. Coming up from the Delta, he brought the true soul of blues to Chicago while simultaneously melding it with a more popular sound. He created a new sub-genre in music; and his voice and phenomenal guitar skills won him the respect of the entire music industry, both past and present. References Rolling Stone. (2009). Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www. rollingstone. com/ artists/muddywaters/biography Roots, A. (2007). So Into Blues. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www. blues- finland. com/english/muddy_waters_biography_1. html Starr, L. , Waterman, C. (2006). American Popular Music: The Rock Years. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Socialization test :: essays research papers

Socialization Test #2 1. Social interaction is absolutely necessary for one to develop a sense of self and of oneness. Our sense of self is not an inherited or instinctual realization. Rather it is a co-developed understanding of ourselves and those around us. We can’t solely develop an understanding of who we truly are any easier than we could examine the features of our face w/o the use of a mirror. Social interaction is that mirror for us. Its allows us to see inside of ourselves based on the interactions we have with others like us, or society as a whole. It allows us to make a sort of measuring stick to see where we stand in life. To develop a sense of who and where we are. Social interaction is the dominant creating feature in the way we view ourselves as humans and as members of society. Without social interaction we would never begin to be able to live at the mental capabilities that we have now. A good example of this I believe is to compare two dogs raised in different habitats. The first dog will be an example of our society, it will be raised by a loving family who provides it with attention similar in itself to our own social interaction. The second will be left to raise itself in a kennel or what have you. The first dog, dog A, will learn things such as its own name. When you call to dog A using its name it will respond to you where as the second dog, dog B, will not. Eventually you might get the second dog to come to you or to respond, but it wouldn’t care what you said, it would simply respond to the noise it hears. Dog A however would respond to its name and its name alone. This demonstrates how the constant interaction between two beings helps to develop one’s sense of self. 2. Education plays a major part in our socialization by providing acting as a social institution. By this I mean it is a place from which we draw interaction that stimulates us to further develop as social beings. Schools provide a uniform behavioral learning pattern in relating to socialization that is not found within different families. This helps the children achieve a social "common ground" with which to base their relationships and interactions amongst each other.

Environmental Risk Perception Paper Psy 460 Essay

Environmental Risk Perception Paper The following paper will base on my chosen articles on our climate. I will provide a summary of each article. I will also compare and contrast the risk perceptions that are presented in each article I will identify any environmental stressors that are related to the environmental risk. It will be concluded with a discussion of my own risk perception of the issue. By the end of the paper you will be familiar with different affects that the environment has on us and risks that we take every day just breathing. Environmental Risk Factors Climate Change Climate change is it dangerous? This is a question many have been asking for years. As we know global warming has become a major concern for our environment for the past few years and it seems that is getting worse. In America the study of climate change have become very high risk for at least some reasons. We may not know this but these reason being that the United States plays a big role in the world’s population stated by the (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005), it is said that we use the most intake of carbon dioxide, as we know this is considered to be the heat-trapping gas, alone accounting for nearly a certain amount of the globe . Humans breath a certain amount of tons of carbon each year. (Marland et al., 2003). We have also reason to believe that in Washington D.C. the President and Congress have been fighting against each other with much of the world regarding the reality of all these of all the testing, seriousness, and as to how all of these climate change have come about within these years. During studies public risk has been very high, there is a fear that in the future global climate change on human health may cause serious illnesses even deaths for example skin cancer; this climate change will indeed change the way people live which would mean our drinking water would lessen, this will cause serious disease; possibility of losing human nature and this will cause to world to be affected drastically. Article Two Climate Change The second article is about another issue that is causing our climate to change that can be of higher risk that would be the ozone layer. Our ozone layer seems to be dimensioning it’s been said that pollution gases. Scientist have found evidence that increased pollutants in the air this study shows this comes from cars factories and these are some examples. Some of the sicknesses that occur because of this and our ozone layer not being protected could be bronchial asthma as we know this is a syndrome which can cause shortness of breath and make it difficult for one to breath, the air pollutants on health have been the focus of attention on this factor. During the years they have conducted many experimental studies these studies have shown that even the gas from diesel exhaust have been causing the upper respiratory disease and is able to control the immune system response by increasing bad side effects with animals and humans. There have been studies and during these studies that have been done they have found evidence that air pollutants can work with in the atmosphere or on human airways, this is a very strong effect on the human body. In fact, if the airways start the inflammation some pollutants start to overcome the chest making it hard to breath which would lead to allergen-induced responses. But, air pollution and with the changes in the climate would cause a human to have an effect this would be an allergic response by influencing the percentage rate of the pollen production by allergenic plants. Even though this has been proven many individuals in 2009 still didn’t believe that climate change was the cause of all these illnesses and still did not believe all the facts such as global warming, when carbon dioxide is released in the air which is the combustion of fossil fuels. Environmental Stressors The environmental stressor of climate change have two primary components of this would include (1) temperature elevation with concomitant weather instability and extremes and (2) rising sea-level. These changes may result in the increase of heat waves starting and damaging air pollution, soil moisture would become less, higher weather events for example tornados and hurricans, and coastal inundation (IPCC 1992). More people will have health effects this can include heat related strokes; (2) infectious diseases, this means being beaten by an insect; (3) people will become ill because if food shortage; and (4) because of weather disasters there will be no where for people to live so people will live in streets and public places and this will cause sicknesses to rise because of unhealthy conditions. It seems that the ozone layer is depleting and this is causing many health issues to humans. The direct health impacts from ozone depletion, which leads to increased UV radiation, include ca ncer, asthma many health hazards. Conclusion In conclusion I must say my own perception on environmental risk perception to climate change is very dangerous. It makes me think that some day we will not be able to walk out of the house because the sun would have no protection since everything in the air is not healthy it just keeps eating at it. During my own studies and years of watching the news I have even heard that hairspray is killing our ozone layer. Living in New York City I believe that our pollution plays a big part in the air quality especially with warm weather the pollution is so bad you cannot even breath when its 90 degrees outside. What I have learned during this study is that nothing will keep us safe I know people recycle and everyone is trying to go green but will this save the earth for real I don’t think so we will be walking with masks one day just breath clean fresh air. References: Anthony A. Leiserowitz Risk Analysis, Vol. 25, No. 6, 2005 Risk Analysis: An International Journal December 1, 2005 Risk Analysis: An Official Publication Of The Society For Risk Analysis Date: October 1, 2010 Travis William Reynolds, Ann Bostrom, Daniel Read, and M. Granger Morgan3 Risk Analysis, Vol. 30, No. 10, 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 Citations: Emerging Health Threats Journal 2011. # 2011 Rodney R. Dietert

Gender Portrayal Of Gender Stereotypes - 829 Words

Gender Stereotype is a Generalisation made towards a specific gender. Gender steriotypes in theatre are generally wrong and are over exadurated to help portray a story and the ideas of the author or director to the audience. But sometimes they have positive connotations and help tell another sub text story about the character. Much ado about nothing one of Shakespeare best works thought to be writed around 1598. It is a comedic play flowing the stories of 2 lovers that end up in all kinds of trouble. This play has some very obvious gender stereotypes and is a good topic to base my research on. The characters in the play are heavily stereotyped by time and era that the play was written obviously the culture of the time heavily influences what the character behave like and how they are seen by the audience. We have to remember this play was written in 1598 and cultures and ideas of men and women are very different to todays pre conceptions of men and women in todays culture. The main ideas of this research are based on the characters Hero and Beatrice two cousins in the play they have conflicting interests and are opposite gender stereotypes. Hero is the stereotype of the submissive not aggressive woman who will do as her husband says. Beatrice is the opposite where she will stand up to her male counterparts and will tell us her thoughts on a topic in the play. The idea of a woman speaking her part in a play was very rare in the time and this is what made much ado aboutShow MoreRelatedPortrayal Of Gender Stereotypes And Expectations901 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to focus this paper on the portrayal of gender stereotypes and expectations as seen in the book Ethan Frome written by author Edith Wharton. 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