In 1974, Hollywood released a picture entitled The Sting. The film starred Robert Redford and won numerous awards, including Best Picture of the Year and Best Musical Score. Almost overnight, the American public was captivated with what some perceived as a new music, Ragtime!

Actually, the rebirth of Ragtime began several years earlier, in the mid-sixties when the nation, after a period of fifty years, began to take a new interest in this music form. And the music of Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, is now far more popular than was the case during the Ragtime Era (1897-1917).

Ragtime sits at a point in musical history, balancing both written European tradition and improvised, syncopated African style. Ragtime's musical roots can be traced through the spirituals sung by the slaves, the minstrel shows of the 1870's, and the march. With this integrated history, Ragtime occupies a unique position in American history. It was the first American music that bridged the gap between western and African traditions.

In regard to the origin of the music there are many theories. One view contends that Ragtime syncopation first appeared in the classical works of the American composer, Louis Moreau

African musical tradition is based on entirely different frame of reference. To begin, nothing is notated; music is handed down aurally. Unlike the European tradition, African music gives art least as much attention to rhythm as to melody and harmony. With this emphasis on instruments without pitch African music contains very sophisticated and complicated polyrhythmic patterns.

Blesh, Rudi. They All Played Ragtime: the True Story of an American Music. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950

divided into periods of four-bar phrases. These were arranged on patterns of repeats and reprises. The typical pattern was AABBACC, AABBCCDD and AABBCCA. The first two strains were typically in the dominant and the additional strains were in the subdominant. Most rags are in major mode.

Also, in the African tradition there is no separation between the performer and the audience. Everyone is a participant in the performance, whether through call and response, dance, or rhythmic contributions through chants, stamping or rhythm sticks. The Europeans tradition tendency to isolate these various participants and function created a product that is quite separate from the audience. Sense this product is transmitted through the medium of notated music. A great deal of emphasis is placed on the written note rather then the total live performance that is such an important part of the African musical tradition. This is the difference between classical music and folk music; and

these shows, representing the upsurge in racist thought that permeated not just the south, but the whole country. These songs presented the stereotype of the African-American as lazy, dishonest, vicious, gluttonous and stupid.

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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)