Towards the beginning of the 1930's, the nation was grasped by the effects of a Great Depression. The economy was on hold, but the music was not. As the 1930's began to take shape, they gave birth to a new era of music. The melancholy sound of the early years of the Depression had left people in search of something revitalizing.

Around 1931, the Black bands, led by such greats as Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, began to develop the Swing style which would not formally appear for another two years. Simply put, they began to change the make-up of the band, and the time of the pieces. For example, Ellington and Henderson were both responsible for transforming the rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, guitar). Until then, the rhythm section consisted of a piano, tuba, banjo, and drums. Ellington and Henderson took out the tuba and banjo and added a string base to the ensemble. With later advances in technology, the guitar was added to replace the banjo. In regards to time, the two leaders eve

Americans alive. Among the most prolific American bandleaders at the time

While the Germans were working on using swing to spread propaganda, bandleaders in America were using swing to keep the hearts of millions of

own band. This first "Glenn Miller Orchestra" disbanded early on, only to be replaced by the second orchestra. It was with this second Glenn Miller Orchestra that in 1939, Glenn Miller struck gold with the sounds of "Tuxedo Junction," "Pennsylvania 6-5000," and the infamous "In the Mood." (Glenn Miller Orchestra, 1-2)

Hennessey, Thomas J. From Jazz to Swing: African-American Jazz Musicians and Their Music. Wayne State University Press, 1994.

In all of Glenn Miller's success, we cannot help but remember the great

yet as the bands played on, the dancers danced on. In fact, a doctor from the American Flying Services stated that swing had a large impact on the conditioning of pilots. (Stowe, 147)

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)