catnipoflife

Have you ever heard of Moondog, Albert James “Alan” Freed or Rock ‘n’ Roll? If you have heard of one, you should know them all! The man and the term have always been associated with the 50s. Did the hip-shaking pandemonium that ensued start with this so-called Moondog? Not for a skinny minute moment! Let’s look back to the decades before the 50s exploring the music that led to the discovery of Rock and Roll, Rock & Roll, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rockin’ and Rollin’.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Some may think Rock and Roll, Rock & Roll, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rockin’ and Rollin’ were only attributed to the decade of the 50s. Have some fun! Ask a family member or friend, even a stranger, when rock and roll originated and from what music genre it evolved.

Awakenings Scoop.it

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Awakenings: The music goes on…Still Swinging in the 40s

by catnipoflife

Entering the era of the 40s does not leave the Swing behind but instead, finds it going as strong as ever! Early in the decade swing, jazz and big band tunes rocked the radio and jukebox of young and old alike. The big band ensembles generally consisted of 12-25 musicians playing a variety of instruments whose music was often depicted as a form of jazz. Popularity waned due to musicians’ strikes and gave way to ‘crooners’ later in the decade. One of the most famous musicians of the 1940s was Glenn Miller. Click the little jukebox at the right and listen to Glenn Miller’s “Jeep Jockey Jump” and check out the other music clips.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Then, there was WAR!

Many musical scores tried to capture the pain and suffering of World War Il, while at the same time, instill a feeling of hope within an atmosphere of hopelessness. The music remained upbeat even though the impending future of the country was uncertain.

What a great era for music!

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Awakenings: Black Friday Insanity

by catnipoflife

Sale! Sale! Sale! Everywhere…Sale! Sale! Sale! Save! Save! Save! In the news, on TV, on the Internet, on the radio, no matter where you turn somebody somewhere has posted a sign…Sale! Sale! Sale! Come on in! Come on down! HOT deals today! Save 10%…20%…30%… MORE!

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

BUT, what makes this ‘salebration’ any different from any other sale? Are the deals any better? The savings any greater? The items offered for sale on sale of any higher quality? Is anything NOT on sale for sale?

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Awakenings: Did Pilgrims Eat Popcorn?

by catnipoflife

With Thanksgiving comes a special time to embrace the past. The feast of which we are most familiar took place when the Pilgrims arrived and the Wampanoag Indians gathered in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. This was a time of autumn celebration and that’s right, it took place in the 17th century!

Within the history of Thanksgiving lies nuggets of trivia that nudge at the heart and tickle the funny bone.

Did you know…

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Popcorn is prevalent today as one of America’s favorite snacks but the question is . . .Did Pilgrims Eat Popcorn?

Check it out @Awakenings…

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Awakenings: The music goes on…Roaring into the 1920s

by catnipoflife

The Jazz Age (Roaring 20s) and Louis Armstrong: Nostalgia reigns when you repeat those words to just about anyone growing up in the 20s to the end of the 20th century. The 1920s roared because of the high rise in popularity of music and dance. Cultural changes abounded!

Enjoy a taste of the music and dance within an excerpt from Awakenings…

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

What captures you the most about life in the Roaring Twenties?

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Awakenings: The Jukebox, Caruso & LIFE

by catnipoflife

What do the jukebox, Caruso & LIFE have in common?

Check it out @awakenings…

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

“Embrace the past of word and song for the present is empowered to keep both alive as enrichment for the future.”

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Awakenings: The music goes on…Ragging into the 1910s

by catnipoflife

With the seeds of ragtime, jazz, blues, and spirituals having taken root, let’s enter the 1910s with the continuance of the syncopated highly energetic beat of the piano music known as Ragtime. What a strange word with the sound of the word itself initiating toe-tapping where many of the notes are actually not on the beat.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Can you sense it? Visualize fingers dancing across the black and ivory keys with such a rhythmic beat your whole body feels energized!

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Awakenings: Three Shots Fired

by catnipoflife

This Day in History: November 22, 1963

“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it.

And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender,

or submission.” ~John F. Kennedy

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” ―John F. Kennedy

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All About America, the Beautiful

by catnipoflife

Awakenings is all about America… embracing the past, empowering the present, enriching the future! It is recognizing people, places and things that make…

The American bald eagle is a symbol of many things that represent our country. He proud, he is powerful, he is ever vigilant. Most of all, he is free. ~Bob Mielke, Northwest Photographer

America, the beautiful…

America, the land of the free…

America, the home of the brave.

It is YOU! It is ME! It is each and every one to date

that make this country absolutely great!

America! America!
My heart cries out to thee
Are we slowly, slowly losing
Rights once thought of as free?

GO to Awakenings for videos and special poetry for America!

First Decade: 1900-1909

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Awakenings: The music goes on…Leisure Times

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

The music goes on…Leisure Times

Having visited Music Through the Centuries 1600s to the 1800s, let’s continue into the 20th century…

Each and every part of the world embraces the happenings of the past…it is who we are and why we are here. There are many factors defining exactly who we are but one that is at the top of the list is music, which within itself has been defined and redefined throughout the ages. Each period of time carries its own music of the century but there is one century whose music underwent radical changes decade by decade. So, here we go into the 20th century where we will visit one decade at a time. . .

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Go to Awakenings and listen to Crossroads sing the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet’s version of the barbershop classic Sweet Adaline; a memorable Vaudeville song, She’s Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage; and Maple leaf Rag, recorded on Pianola Roll actually played by Scott Joplin.

See on www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com