Ansley's Music Blog

Soul Music   is a genre of African American popular music that originated in the United States in the 1950s and 60s. It combines elements of gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame defines Soul as, “music that arose out of the Black experience in America.” History of Soul Music After slavery ended in 1865 African Americans were not allowed to attend churches that white people attended. African Americans built their own churches and sang Christian songs with their own style. Most Soul musicians grew up singing in these churches and that influenced their work. This style and rhythm from churches and gospel groups lead to the creation of Soul Music.  Types of Soul Music Early Soul The earliest soul songs were created when artists took gospel songs and added secular lyrics. "I've Got A Woman (Way Across Town)" by Ray Charles was inspired by the gospel song "I've Got A Savior (Way Across Jordan)" Popular soul singer, Sam Cooke was in a ...

Beyond The Classroom: Indigenous America and Africa 1. The Pan Flute As we were discussing Music from the Andes and instruments used, I became really interested in the Pan Flute. So, I'm going to share some history and facts about the Pan Flute, some covers using the Pan Flute, and a song you probably didn't know had a Pan Flute in it. The Andean Pan Flute (or panpipe) came to be from the Aymara cultures in the Lake Titicaca region. From there the Pan Flute spread to other places. The Pan Pipe differs in size and design throughout different regions. Andean  shepherdesses  would use the panpipe to gather their sheep and goats. Then panpipes were made from bones and feathers, now the panpipe is usually made from bamboo. The average panpipe has 13 bamboo pipes, each pipe has a different "tonal quality" that gives each a different sound. The top of the pipe is open and the bottom is closed.  Pan Flute History             Also, as I was resea...