"Harmony in Four Voices: The Barbershop Quartet Tradition" delves into the rich history and enduring legacy of barbershop harmony. From its humble beginnings to its modern resurgence, this book explores the tradition of four-part a cappella singing, celebrating the unique blend of voices and tight-knit harmonies that define this beloved musical genre. Through captivating storytelling and insightful analysis, readers are invited to discover the cultural significance and timeless appeal of barbershop quartet music. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or new to the world of vocal harmony, this book offers an engaging journey through the evolution and artistry of barbershop quartet singing.

American Music: An Introduction, Second Edition is a collection of seventeen essays surveying major African American musical genres, both sacred and secular, from slavery to the present. With contributions by leading scholars in the field, the work brings together analyses of African American music based on ethnographic fieldwork, which privileges the voices of the music-makers themselves, woven into a richly textured mosaic of history and culture. At the same time, it incorporates musical treatments that bring clarity to the structural, melodic, and rhythmic characteristics that both distinguish and unify African American music. The second edition has been substantially revised and updated, and includes new essays on African and African American musical continuities, African-derived instrument construction and performance practice, techno, and quartet traditions. Musical transcriptions, photographs, illustrations, and a new audio CD bring the music to life.

A landmark study tracing the current of music education that gave form and style to the black gospel quartet tradition

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Music and Culture presents key concepts in the study of music in its cultural context and provides an introduction to the discipline of ethnomusicology, its methods, concerns, and its contributions to knowledge and understanding of the world's musical cultures, styles, and practices. The diverse voices of contributors to this encyclopedia confirm ethnomusicology's fundamental ethos of inclusion and respect for diversity. Combined, the multiplicity of topics and approaches are presented in an easy-to-search A-Z format and offer a fresh perspective on the field and the subject of music in culture. Key features include: Approximately 730 signed articles, authored by prominent scholars, are arranged A-to-Z and published in a choice of print or electronic editions Pedagogical elements include Further Readings and Cross References to conclude each article and a Reader’s Guide in the front matter organizing entries by broad topical or thematic areas Back matter includes an annotated Resource Guide to further research (journals, books, and associations), an appendix listing notable archives, libraries, and museums, and a detailed Index The Index, Reader’s Guide themes, and Cross References combine for thorough search-and-browse capabilities in the electronic edition

A fascinating exploration of the relationship between American culture and music as defined by musicians, scholars, and critics from around the world. Music has been the cornerstone of popular culture in the United States since the beginning of our nation's history. From early immigrants sharing the sounds of their native lands to contemporary artists performing benefit concerts for social causes, our country's musical expressions reflect where we, as a people, have been, as well as our hope for the future. This four-volume encyclopedia examines music's influence on contemporary American life, tracing historical connections over time. Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between this art form and our society. Entries include singers, composers, lyricists, songs, musical genres, places, instruments, technologies, music in films, music in political realms, and music shows on television.

This is the first comprehensive examination of the remarkable singing groups in the U.S.A., Canada, and Europe known as "barbershoppers." In both male and female a capella quartets and choruses, the barbershop singers concentrate on a song literature that was popular in the period 1860-1930. Their purpose is spelled out in the title of a male group founded a half century ago in Oklahoma: the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). Today, the SPEBSQSA consists of approximately 40,000 men in the United States and Canada, with affiliated chapters in thirty other nations. Two women's groups who share the ideology of the SPEBSQSA are Sweet Adelines International and Harmony, Inc. The entertainment provided by these groups - in both concert performances and international competitions - is enjoyed by a wide public. In 1988 a special committee began to reexamine SPEBSQSA's basic purposes and organization - vis a vis social and aesthetic changes. The committee members decided to create for this reexamination a task force of distinguished scholars with expertise in sociology, ethnomusicology, and music education. Each scholar was invited to research barbershopping as it related to a specific discipline. The historian emeritus of the SPEBSQSA was asked to provide a broad history of the movement. Their work is presented in the current volume - a book that will be of interest to many people: educators, musicians, counselors, social scientists, historians, recreationists, health workers, gerontologists, and - of course - the 75,000 men and women who call themselves barbershoppers.

Investigates the role that vernacular, barbershop-style close harmony has played in American musical history, in American life, and in the American imagination. It critiques the myths that have surrounded the barbershop revival, but also celebrates the participatory spirit of the harmony.