Country Music

 Gencie Coan 

Dr. Vaneman 

Music and Culture 

1 April 2023 

Country Music 

Country music has grown over the past 100 years very rapidly and has now grown into one of the most listened to genres around the world. Although the style of country music has changed now it will always be from the same background and it all got started the same way in the early 1900’s. In today's world, country music has been turned more towards the pop side and not just hillbilly’s singing with just the guitar and banjo anymore. From the border of the Appalachian mountains in Virginia and Tennessee, where it first came from to the streets of Nashville where it is most known today, country music has grown widely across America and even the world and for all different types of listeners. The creation of country music would be pulled out of Irish fiddle songs and adding English ballads to make the words that are in the song. There are many different instruments that have been played and added to country music over time and introduced by different artists. My top 3 artists from modern day country would have to be Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs. All their music is very different and all have different meanings behind every song they write. This music can be intercepted differently for many artists and people listening.  Country music today is one of the most listened to genres, instead of how it used to be when it first started growing. 

Country music first originated in Bristol, Tennessee on the border of the Appalachian mountains which is also considered Virginia. Jimmie Rodgers, who was first a railroad worker, was the first person to ever record a country song and make a label out of it. He was known to sing ballads and also for yodeling in his music. The first record to ever sell millions around the world was the “Blue Yodel”. Jimmie Rodgers was known as the “Father of Country Music” for combining the blues, jazz, gospel, cowboy, and folk style in different ways in his songs. In 1998, congress recognized Bristol Tennessee as the birthplace of country music because it was not getting its recognition for it being so small. The birthplace of country music can be said to be many different places in America, but originally it came from Tennessee and the hillbillies in the Appalachian mountains. 

The very first instrument that was used in country music was the Banjo. The banjo is a stringed instrument that comes from the lute family. Today there are over 30 instruments that are being used to produce country music. The most known one being the guitar. The guitar that is typically used is known as the acoustic guitar which is also stringed and played by being plucked. The guitar first originated in Ancient Egypt and was also called the Tanbur. The vocal style of country music comes from folk, bluegrass, and rural dance music. It is to be said that to sing it you have to let your vocals flow and be “twangy” as much as you can but not to try too hard with it. There are also different styles of country. Including pop, western, christian, tulsa, swamp, classic country, and also alternative country. In today's society country music can be listened to in many different ways for whatever type of music you want it to be. 

My top three artists today in the country are Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs. I have grown up listening to country music because it is one of my moms favorite music to listen to. Zach Bryan is one of the newest artists in country music that has blown up in the past 3 years or his different takes in country music. He writes about romance and heart breaks that he has gone through in his life and sometimes having fun in your life because it is too short not to. I love his type of songs because they all have different moods. Usually his best songs are about romance but recently he has been writing more upbeat party songs. My favorite song by him is “Burn, Burn, Burn”, which is about him growing up and all his hardships in life for all of it just to end up ending so have fun with your life. Morgan Wallen has had very many controversial acts in his career and some people do not listen to his music because of it. I like Morgan Wallen for his music not so much as a person but he writes about mostly partying but his recent album that just came out a month ago is more on the side of his relationships and romance as well. He is not a very new artist but has been around for probably 8 years now. My most favorite song by him right now is off of his new album called “Man made a bar”. Which is about how a girl broke up with him again and he did not know where to go so he built a bar to help him get over his heart break and other problems. Usually in country music it is typically males singing because that’s just how it has always been but recently more women have been becoming artists and being played everywhere. For example Miranda Lambert, who is known for being a very independent women and country singer and writing songs about how she is just herself and how she does not need anyone’s help or pity. One of her best songs is “Mama's Broken Heart”, which is about someone breaking her heart but she was not raised to be sad but how she can do whatever she wants. Many different artists in country music have different styles to the music they sing because they want to please different listeners. 

Country music has been around for over a 100 years but was not recognized until the middle 1900s because people did not want to listen to people just yodeling with a guitar. It has become one of the most popular genres in America and also around the world. 

Citing

https://www.nt-instruments.com/country-music/

https://www.dictionary.com/e/what-does-country-music-mean/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/bone-flute-is-oldest-instrument--study-says