What is "American" Music?

Phi Kappa Phi Forum, Fall 2003 by Thurmaier, David

Another trait that typifies American classical music is an emphasis on innovation and experimentation. In glancing at American works composed in the early twentieth century, one notices many new performance directives, instruments, and compositional ideas. By mirroring inventions and developments concurrent in technology and science, composers often derived their musical ideas from nontraditional sources. For example, the concept of the "prepared piano" - a piano with various materials such as screws, bolts, paper, and felt inserted between the strings - originated with American composers Henry Cowell and John Cage (whose father was an inventor). Or take the avant-garde composer George Antheil, the self-dubbed "Bad Boy of Music," who wrote an infamous piece in 1924-26 entitled Ballet mecanique; the forces required to play the piece first consisted of one Pianola with amplifier, two pianos, three xylophones, electric bells, three airplane propellers made of wood and metal, tam-tam, four bass drums, and a siren. In addition, other composers wrote music based on scales, harmonies, and rhythms that differed greatly from those employed in traditional classical music. What may sound "weird" to many people reflects the search for original techniques and highlights the American spirit of innovation and experimentation.

I can think of other stylistic traits, but I would like to conclude by considering why it is essential to know about American music. We should all care about what makes our music our music. Paying closer attention to works written by Americans can reveal insights into the American character and spirit. For example, when one hears Charles Ives's masterpiece Three Places in New England, one can attain a brief glimpse into early twentieth-century New England and try to experience what Ives saw and heard at each place. Also, knowing something about American music can assist instructors in making connections among other arts. For instance, an art class studying the paintings of Edward Hopper might examine contemporary music to discover whether American composers reflected Hopper's stark perspective of America through their music. Finally, we owe it to the artists of our own country to devote time and interest toward exploring what they have to communicate; for if we ignore the richness of American music, we deny ourselves the chance to delve deeper into what makes us Americans.

David Thurmaier teaches music theory at Lawrence University and is a PhD candidate in music theory at Indiana University. His primary research focuses on the music of Charles Ives.