The 1910s were known as the Ballroom Decade. This time era celebrated dancing, flashy, sentimental sounds, and a rise of the avant garde as black American musicians continued the development of JAZZ, RAGTIME, and BLUES.
Jazz music originated out of 1900s New Orleans and is considered the root of 20th Century music.
As the GI generation grew up, jazz was not mainstream but began to influence popular sounds.
Blues developed from ex-slave work songs. Hand-in-hand with jazz, this musical form worked undercover to influence this generation and later became popular music of the GI adulthood.
Music of the 1910s and 20s enjoyed ballads by Irving Berlin such as "Alexander's Ragtime Band" as well as other composers who wrote songs of love, patriotism and the American Dream. These songs began to blend risqué jazzy sounds with the more sophisticated, orchestral standard. It is important to remember that most music was popularized during this time in sheet form.
These two entertainment traditions focused on flashy, big spending productions.
The Ziegfeld Follies was a famous New York production that featured women chorus-girls as well as other renowned singers and performers. Audience members reveled in elaborate sets and costumes. This entertainment reflects the plague of the 20's in which "The rich got richer and the poor got poorer."
Vaudeville is an older tradition that spurred on theater like the Follies. This theater entertained with variety shows including everything from song and dance to magic shows. These shows also emphasized the extravagant and fantastical ranging from the cosmopolitan to somewhat low-brow performances.
During the 20s, the rise of Harlem spurred a blend of blues sound into mainstream hits. Composers like George Gershwin made it big mixing the swingy band sounds with jazzier melodies. Consider famous Gershwin hits, "I got Rhythm," or his folk opera "Porgy and Bess." Gershwin wrote everything from concertos to scores for musicals.
George and his brother Ira, lyricist, compiled the song and the sentiment of their generation. Many GIs consider Gershwin their favorite. He died young at 38, but his music left a mark on this generation.
Radio made an entrance into popular music in these eras. The Grand Ole' Opry was first broadcast in 1925.
During the Great Depression the radio continued to unite the American public as a nation as the population gathered to here the "fireside chats" with the President.
The GI generation was also influenced by the uniquely American regional Folk sounds of the United States.
Bluegrass, Gospel and Mountain Music were regional pastimes of the American people throughout the childhood of the GI generation. This generation preferred more mainstream, "sophisticated" music, but folk music still helped to define the GI's culturally.
This music had a rebirth during the Great Depression at which time the American people were left with little but heir roots. During the Great Depression, songwriters like Aaron Copeland captured the American folk tradition in orchestral, and choral works.
