Black Tuesday. On one desolate Tuesday in 1929, the stock market crashed, resulting in the start of the Great Depression. This period in time was an all-time low in America's history.
Lost jobs, little money, and business failure made a lonesome backdrop for this once proud nation. A profound effect emerged from this tragedy, a revolution in music. The Great
Depression was the cause of both setbacks and innovations in the music industry, particularly the jazz style. In the early stages of the Depression, the music industry was hit hard. Many musicians lost their jobs. All over the nation, jobs became few and far between, because many businesses couldn't afford to hire employees. Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet are just some of the musicians whose …show more content…
Jazz had never been the favorite music of America, but the Depression initially caused the style to suffer even more.
During the midst of the Great Depression, the music industry took a turn for the better.
People began using music to express their feelings about what was going on in the country
(Songs 1). The popularity for jazz music grew, finally making it one of the most loved genres in
America. Jazz was given the new name of "Swing", because people could dance and have fun while listening to it (The Great Depression 1). Swing had aroused a hope in people that wasn't there before. Famous songs include Brother Can You Spare a Dime by E. Y. Harberg and Life is
Just a Bowl of Cherries by Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. The lyrics of this music spoke about how there are more important things in life than money, and that the Depression isn't signaling the end of the world. These new, upbeat rhythms boosted morale on the streets of cities in
America (Songs 1). Dancing and music became an escape from reality for people who lost everything they had. The public began to visit movie theaters more often and listen to the