Introduction

In this section, Ony and her all star band get the crowd in the mood by performing a couple of Blues songs, and explaining how the blues influenced most of today's popular music and how some of those musical forms evolved as they were influenced by the blues..

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Polyrhythms

This, the first of the audience participation pieces, explains how rhythm was used as a form of communication. The audience – divided into 3 sections and lead by Ony Antonucci and her band members,experiences communication with rhythm. Each of the three sections leans a unique cadence and when performed together demonstrates poly-rythm.

Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. A common example of this in jazz would be phrasing quarter notes in groupings of 3 to suggest 3/4 time while the ensemble plays in 4/4.

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Call and Response

In this, the second of the audience participation pieces, the audience learns traditional call and response. Demonstrated by Ony and her band, then with the audience.

A call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a response to the first. It corresponds to the call-and-response pattern and is a basic element of musical form, such as verse-chorus form.

 

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Migration to America

This section explains how call and response and polyrhythms migrated to America. The story of the Blues begins with the Africans who were brought to the United States during the Atlantic Slave trade via the Middle Passage.

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Work Songs and Spirituals

Enslaved Africans maintained their musical heritage by the oral tradition - adapting Christian Hymns and communicated in the fields using work songs which gave news about subjects such as the underground railroad.

 

Country Blues

After the abolition of slavery the Great Migration moved former slaves out into the world. The earliest form of the blues was influenced by different regions of the country. These styles are known as the Country Blues. They include the Piedmont Blues, Mississippi/ Delta Blues and East Texas Blues.

Our guitar player shows us examples of each style as well as how the minor pentatonic scales changed the C major scale patterns and can make us happy or sad.

 

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AAB Rhyme

The traditional AAB form of the blues is demonstrated by the band then performed by 3 volunteers from the audience.

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Jazz

Ony performs a song we heard earlier as it would have sounded in the 1920’s to show how blues influenced the conception of jazz.

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Urban Blues

The louder faster form of blues influenced by the move of musicians from the agricultural south to the cities is demonstrated by the band.

 

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Rock-n-Roll

Here the band demonstrates an original blues version of rock-n-roll then performs it the style of the artist that made it famous .A few modern licks are played to show where this style of music leads to.

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Rhythm and Blues

The influence of the blues on Gospel music is demonstrated with a few popular tunes.

 

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Soul

A combination of gospel rhythm and blues and blues created the form of Blues called soul – demonstrated Ony and her band.

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Innovators

The blues influence soul style creates a whole new form of music that got America singing and dancing this style is called funk music.

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Rap

A new form of music influenced by the blues and its subsequent styles is born in the 1970’s. the band performs a rap song.

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Closing

Ony recaps the musical journey of the blues we went on today explaining how people have used their minds creatively. Ony and her Band play us out with popular versions of blues favorites.

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