The banjo has evolved from its African roots, first as a minstrel instrument, and later as a jazz, bluegrass, and folk staple. At the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you can see more than 300 banjos – the largest public display in the world. The timeline below includes just a few.
Here we look at a brief history of drums, starting back in 1876 with “double drumming,” through the first drum kits of the 1930s to today’s modern drums.
The other day we caught up with Jeff Stockham, one of the music history consultants from Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln, who showed us some of his favorite Civil War-era brass instruments.
Italy is home to many distinct styles of folk music, and much of it can be traced back to the country’s formerly large peasant class. The music of the north was strongly influenced by its European neighbors, while the music of the south reflects Mediterranean cultures.
The Magical History Tour Brings the Beatles to Central New York, bringing fans and visitors down “Penny Lane” with the Fab Four.
Seventh century music scholar Isidore of Seville said it was impossible to notate music. Boy, was he ever wrong: there is evidence that notation was practiced by the Egyptians in 3,000 BC. Ancient Greece also had a system, and other forms arose in China and Japan. Now you too can know the proper history of the staff.
When MikelParis isn’t playing keyboard for the band O.A.R., he’s busy following his passions for exploring historic places and performing original songs in a project he calls TuneTrek. He came through Syracuse for a stop on O.A.R.’s fall tour and we met up at the Skä•noñh Center, a former living history museum that’s being transformed into […]
On February 20th the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) wanted to highlight these visits with their latest exhibit: The History of Rock ‘n Roll in Syracuse.
Violist Dan Chitwood, a biologist who ordinarily studies leaves, employed the skills and analysis methods normally used to quantify leaf shape over time to study how string instruments have evolved.
Take a trip with Making Music to the 20 Important American Music Museums across the country that you absolutely need to visit if you’re a music lover.