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StephennFoster (who died on this date in 1864) is known as the Father ofnAmerican Music. (Perhaps it is appropriate, then, that he was born onnthe Fourth of July – in 1826.) He wrote songs such as “Oh!nSusanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Swanee River,” “My OldnKentucky Home,” and “Beautiful Dreamer.”
StephennFoster (who died on this date in 1864) is known as the Father ofnAmerican Music. (Perhaps it is appropriate, then, that he was born onnthe Fourth of July – in 1826.) He wrote songs such as “Oh!nSusanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Swanee River,” “My OldnKentucky Home,” and “Beautiful Dreamer.”n
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nAccordingnto Wikipedia, these songs are still popular today, more than 150nyears after Foster wrote them. But…I wonder, have YOU ever heard ofnthem? I’m not sure that they are still all that popular or known…
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Fosternhad a pretty wide-ranging education but little instruction in music.nHowever, he was influenced by a classically trained musician whonemigrated from Germany and became one of Foster’s only musicnteachers. Also, Foster was influenced by an entertainer who acted asna clown and a blackface singer who traveled with a circus. (Blackfacenwas theatrical makeup that white performers wore in order to createnstereotyped caricatures of black people. It was popular for a centurynin the U.S. and overseas, but eventually people came to see it asnracist.)
Fosternhad a pretty wide-ranging education but little instruction in music.nHowever, he was influenced by a classically trained musician whonemigrated from Germany and became one of Foster’s only musicnteachers. Also, Foster was influenced by an entertainer who acted asna clown and a blackface singer who traveled with a circus. (Blackfacenwas theatrical makeup that white performers wore in order to createnstereotyped caricatures of black people. It was popular for a centurynin the U.S. and overseas, but eventually people came to see it asnracist.)n
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nFosterntried to make a living as a songwriter, but although his songs werenvery popular during his lifetime, he wasn’t able to make much moneynwith them. The music copyright laws and composer royalties of thentime were not very fair to creative artists. For example, one highlynpopular song that became a sort of theme song for the Gold Rush, “Oh!nSusanna,” earned Foster only $100. Publishers of sheet music rakednin most of the profits for Foster’s creative work!
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nListennto samples of Foster’s songs here.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nDefenders of Freedom Day in Lithuania
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nAnniversary of the discovery of Callisto
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