1. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Diversity of Music in Southern Maryland
Crosby Cofod
St. Mary’s Project
April 21st, 2016

2. 1
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
COUNTRY,BLUEGRASS, AND FOLK………………………………………………………………………...4
ROCK…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
JAZZ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19
CLASSICAL…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….26
SPIRITUALMUSIC………………………………………………………………………………………………….31
DISCRIMINATIONWITHINTHE MUSIC ENVIRONMENT………………………………………….36
MUSIC EDUCATION………………………………………………………………………………………………..40
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………44
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………………………………...46

3. 2
Abstract
This project investigates the musical and cultural territories that have not yet been
explored in Southern Maryland. Through interviews and recordings with local performers,
educators, and music lovers, this study forms a collection of data that is representative of
the current music environment of Southern Maryland. My research primarily focused on
the following topics: discrimination within the music environment, music education, and
various analyses of the musical genres that exist locally. I drew several conclusions after
reviewing all of the recorded material and keeping these topics in mind. When it came to
the genres in the area, many exist and are supported, but country music was the most
prevalent within my research and is the most dependable for drawing out and entertaining
crowds. With regard to music education, music programs in Southern Maryland have
grown drastically since the 1960’s, but have recently stopped in their tracks as they are one
of the first to be put on the guillotine during budget cuts in schools. The most difficult topic
to cover, that of discrimination, revealed that various forms of discrimination are not
widespread within the music environment of Southern Maryland. This does not mean
discrimination never occurs and it is simply hard for people to talk about this topic due to
its touchy nature. In summary, we can see that Southern Maryland is a diverse location
musically, but it is also supportive and welcoming in general.

4. 3
Introduction
Over the past 10 months, I have interviewed musicians, music managers, and
educators who play a role in the music environment in Southern Maryland. In addition to
the interviews, I recorded and attended upwards of 25 concerts and events in order to get a
better understanding of the Southern Maryland music environment. While conducting
these interviews and hours of fieldwork, I realized that I had to narrow the scope of my
project a bit. There were so many topics that I could focus on, but I had limited time. The
topics that were concentrated on within this study were: diversity of the music
environment within Southern Maryland, discrimination within the local music
environment, music education, and an analysis of each the musical genres that were
encountered within the area during this study.
In order to be able to think critically about all of the information that I was taking in
throughout this process, I had to learn about what I was actually observing. This meant
researching every genre of music that I knew existed in the area, learning about local music
education, and even studying examples of discrimination that could be found within the
musical environment of Southern Maryland. As I conducted interviews and did multiple
recordings, it became obvious that country music was the most accepted and widely
popular genre in the area. This conclusion was quite surprising to me considering the fact
that the venues I live close to (Calvert Marine Museum, Ruddy Duck Restaurant, etc.) tend
to host musical acts that are acoustic based and mostly classic rock.

5. 4
Country, Bluegrass, and Folk
As I continued to learn about the genre of country music itself, I realized that this
genre has been popular in the area for a very long time. More will be discussed about
exactly how long country music has been in Southern Maryland later on. The theme of
listening to country music and having it as a reliable fallback was a comment that remained
consistent within my interviews. Many of the local music managers said that if they were in
doubt, country music was always a good choice here in Southern Maryland (Cofod, 2015).
In almost every interview I did, the interviewee said that country music is and has always
been very popular in Southern Maryland, but what does the term “country music” even
refer to?
Country music, also referred to as “hillbilly music,” has its roots in the southern
states of America. This genre evolved from small folk/traditional or “old-time” bands that
would play with instruments such as violin, guitar, banjo, and lap steel guitar. It is because
of this instrumentation and style that country music was initially seen as too “primitive”
and “simple” to be mainstream before the 1920’s (Malone, p.33, 2002). It was within the
early 1920’s that folk and country were heard on the radio for the first time. Country music
may not have been popular on the radio at first, but it was still present in the communities
and venues during the early 1900’s in Southern Maryland. Jay Guy, performer and teacher
in St. Mary’s from the 1930’s-1950’s, said that his parents used to listen to radio stations
out of Nashville during the 30’s that played country music. Country music was able to
spread throughout Southern Maryland by the use of the radio. The music of the radio

6. 5
spread all sorts of new genres and instrument licks all over the nation and allowed people
to hear what sounded “good.” The practice of country music in Southern Maryland was
most likely spread from the radio and just through families and acquaintances that would
show the children how to play.
One first hand account I have found in relation to country music in Southern
Maryland was from Leo Weiland. Weiland was a choir director and multi-instrumentalist
who performed in St. Mary’s County in the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Weiland states in an
interview with Jenni Hartsig that there were very good groups that performed in the area
when Weiland moved back to St. Mary’s County in 1946. He said that these groups played
“ballroom dancing music…mostly country music” (Weiland, p.2, 1991). This is the earliest
account that I found that discusses country music within Southern Maryland.
Another person who provided some insight into the country music world of St.
Mary’s County was Mr. Jay Guy. Guy taught and performed music in St. Mary’s County from
the 1930’s to the 1980’s (Cofod, 2015). Guy sang in choirs at American University and also
took classes at St. Mary’s College in 1952 when it was a women’s school. He was able to do
this simply because he applied and he got it! Guy says that there were about six men that
were attending St. Mary’s College from 1952-1953 (Cofod, 2015). Guy did not make it seem
like it was an obstacle to attend the school at all, but I was unable to clarify if there were
certain hoops he had to jump through to make this work since there were such few males
in attendance. Regardless, Guy and his parents thought it was a smart choice to attend St.
Mary’s for a year since it was close to home, but it would still get him acclimated to the
world of college (Cofod, 2015). Aside from talking about his experiences at the college, Guy
also stated that country music, or better referred to as “hillbilly” music at the time, was

7. 6
what his parents loved to listen to on the radio (Cofod, 2015). Guy listened to many
different genres on the radio, but he said that country music was always prominent in St.
Mary’s County.
One of the very first “hillbilly” or “country” talents to be recorded was Eck
Robertson. Robertson was a fiddler who had won many fiddling competitions in various
states and simply decided in 1922 that he wanted to record a few songs (Malone, p.35,
2002). Robertson recorded himself on solo violin and is seen as one of the pioneers of
country music. During this period, record label managers realized that people wanted to
hear and purchase music that was created by someone of the same race. This is how these
talented individuals from the south were even found. Scouts were sent to the southern
states because they knew that “rural southern blacks, whether back home or in Chicago”
wanted music that they had heard and preferably wanted to purchase music by someone
that was the same race (Malone, p.35, 2002). These scouts would find these types of
musicians and come back with the artists that caught their eyes and ears.
Many of these performers that were discovered and played this genre of music were
referred to as “hillbillies” starting in 1925 when a band called “Al Hopkins and the Hill
Billies” formed in Washington D.C (Malone, p.41, 2002). These musicians also performed
music that was available to them from family or community resources (Malone, p.42,
2002). Country music continued to evolve throughout the years and perhaps one of the
most notable contributors was Hank Williams. Hank reached a point of popularity that
nobody from the country music genre had reached before (Malone, p.242, 2002). He began
his rise to fame in 1946 and had that quality of sincerity that allowed him to be so popular.
Williams brought country music to a whole new plane in terms of popularity.

8. 7
Although Williams did succeed in bringing country to a new level of acceptance, rock
n’ roll music threatened the genre in the late forties and fifties (Malone, p.254, 2002).
Artists wanted to change the sound of country music because of this threat of rock n’ roll.
They started to see the sound of the fiddle and steel guitar as too “rural” (Malone, p.254,
2002). This period in the fifties marks the time when people began experimenting by
mixing the sounds of pop with country. This fusion can be seen with songs like “Ballad of
the Teenage Queen” by Johnny Cash, which was written in 1958. There is a group of singers
that harmonize the chorus part in this song, which sounds very different from the country
music that had been produced before. Tactics like this became common and over time
country music has come to be more “pop-country” when compared to the folk or classic
country music of the 20’s.
The instrumentation to fit this pop-country music changed a little with the violin
and steel guitar being seen as “tacky” but the classic country instrumentation is still used
today in some songs. The instruments that were dominant on the early country records
were “fiddle, five-string banjo, and guitar” (Malone, p.43, 2002). This instrumentation
seems to have stayed for bluegrass or folk music today, but what we now refer to as
“country music” is more likely to include bass over banjo and the fiddle is seen as a special
addition to a song. This is made clear in my interview with Sam Grow, a rising talent in the
country music scene. Sam Grow is from Mechanicsville, Maryland and moved to Nashville
in 2013 (samgrowmusic.com). In my interview he stated that his normal instrumentation is
“guitar, bass, and drums” (Cofod, 2015). They do not include violin in any songs and even
use synthesizer pedals for their guitars so that they are able to compete with the “pop”
sound that makes up modern day country songs.

9. 8
The genre that many people associate with country music is Bluegrass. Many get the
two genres confused and that may be because the instrumentation is quite similar for both.
Both genres include fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and vocals that are simplistic in nature and
generally stick to one pitch at a time. Although the two genres may have similar elements,
bluegrass is considered to be completely separate from country music. Bluegrass came
about in the mid-forties with its creator, Bill Monroe, and the name “bluegrass” did not
come about until the fifties (Malone, p.323, 2002). Bluegrass is one of the few genres where
acoustic instruments, “high-lonesome singing, and down to earth songs can still be heard”
(Malone, p.324, 2002). The genre includes virtuoso styles of playing and now battles with
identity issues just as country music did. There is now traditional bluegrass and
progressive bluegrass. Traditional bluegrass seems to maintain simple chord progressions
and standard instrumentation like the violin, banjo, and guitar, while progressive bluegrass
implements jazz-like components and pushes the boundaries of tonality when it comes to
solos and chord changes.
Progressive bluegrass in modern day music can be seen with bands like the Punch
Brothers who utilize complex chord changes and composition strategies in many songs. A
good example would be their song “Familiarity,” which is quite abstract in its tonality, yet it
is still considered bluegrass mainly because of the standard instrumentation that is used. A
modern example of a traditional bluegrass band would be Trampled by Turtles. We can
hear the difference between these two sub-genres immediately when we listen to the
latter’s song, “Wait so long.” There is noticeably less production work done on the
traditional bluegrass example and this gives the listener a traditional style experience.
Earlier bluegrass music was not edited and made to sound perfect. Traditional bluegrass

10. 9
was most likely played in “jam-like” environments with simple chord progressions so that
anyone and their friends could play along. In this setting, things are not going to be super
clean cut so this could be the cause for the lack of production work done.
One of the local bands that perform traditional bluegrass is called “15 Strings.” The
instrumentation in this group involves a guitar, an electric bass, and a banjo. It is just a
three-piece band and the only thing not so “traditional” is the electric bass that is used
instead of a stand-up acoustic bass, which is more common in the bluegrass genre than
electric bass. The band plays songs with chord progressions that are only made up of three
or four chords, but all of their songs are at fast tempos. Solos are passed from each player
to the next in most of the songs and the musicians tend to stay in the key of the song and do
not push the tonality of the music like jazz does. The guitarist in the band plays a Martin
HD-35. This is unusual since the most common guitar for bluegrass is a Martin D-28
because of its great bass-tone (Malone, p.332, 2002). Woody Norris, 15 Strings’ guitarist,
said that the HD-35 “has lighter bracing than a D-28 which is supposed to allow the top to
vibrate more freely and give the guitar a better bass response so when you’re strumming
rhythm it really booms” (Cofod, 2015). 15 strings is a great example, which shows that
Bluegrass music is still alive and well here in Southern Maryland.
Country music has evolved and gone through many different variations over the
years but has remained in one form or another. The country music that we hear today from
bands like Sam Grow may not be the same country music that was being played on the
radio in the 1920’s but it is still considered country music. The same goes for bluegrass
music. Bill Monroe created the foundation for others to build upon and drive the genre

11. 10
forward on to progressive bluegrass. These genres have changed since the early 1900’s but
remain strong in Southern Maryland today.
Another relative to country music is American Folk music. Folk music began with
the combination of musical traditions and instruments from African slaves and Europeans
that came to America. “Europeans contributed fiddles and pianos, while Africans brought
the knowledge of making and performing upon banjo-like instruments with them” (Lornell,
p.6, 2012). Fiddles, pianos, and banjo-like instruments began to be played by people of all
colors, “but often in very different ways” (Lornell, p.6, 2012). People of different
backgrounds were exposed to different styles of playing so they would often end up playing
the same instruments in different ways because of these different influences. Folk music is
often seen as “the forgotten music of America” because it is a genre that formed from a very
diverse background and a lot of folk music was just about everyday life (Lornell, p.14,
2012). Songs would be about anything from love, sadness, all the way to aspects of nature.
American folk songs were generally inclusive as well; meaning that everyone could relate
to them since the lyrics talked about things every common man or woman could do.
Folk music was formed with a combination of different cultures and people, but it
has many common characteristics. Folk music keeps “short forms and predictable patterns”
as its backbone even though the music as a whole may be very complex due to the
performers abilities, the common layout it follows is quite simple. Another common
characteristic of folk music is the fact that the origins of the songs are usually not known
and many folk songs are passed on just by word-of-mouth (Lornell, p.13, 2012). Some
common folk instruments are “pianos, string bass, and drums,” but folk also is the home to
many uncommon instruments like the “kazoo, one-string bass, and jugs” (Lornell, p.27,

12. 11
2012). Fiddles, banjos, and guitars are normal instruments in folk music as well. “Since the
late eighteenth century, fiddles have been among the most prominent folk instruments in
the United States” (Lornell, p.30, 2012).
These are some of the elements that make folk music the genre that it is. I have not
yet recorded any specific folk music, but many of its sister genres like bluegrass and
country music were present in local areas in Maryland. In fact, on March 11th in 1974 “the
Washington Post headline correctly trumpeted ‘D.C is also Nation’s Bluegrass Capital’”
(Lornell, p.359, 2012). Country music has also been played on the radio in Washington D.C
since the 1920s (Lornell, p.359, 2012). Country and bluegrass has remained in local areas
ever since and all of these genres have been in Southern Maryland as well. Folk music may
not be as popularized as other genres of music, but it is sure that “once you dig below the
surface you discover folk, grassroots, and ethnic music throughout the United States, from
the grittiest bar on the Southside of Chicago to the grittiest coal mine in West Virginia”
(Lornell, p.375, 2012).
The only example of folk music that I was able to collect was from a St. Mary’s
College of Maryland band called “Teeth and Tidewater.” The band is quite large (7-8
people), but the instrumentation is typical for what we would expect out of a folk band with
a few exceptions. There is a violinist, two guitarists, a mandolin player, a drummer, bassist,
keyboard player, and a harmonica player. The harmonica player plays only at specific
times, but the rest of instruments play constantly in nearly all of the songs. All of the
musicians in the band sing as well, forming harmonies and doubling up on the melody of
each song. The band plays songs that range from classic folk tunes by Lead Belly like
“Where did you sleep last night,” all the way to modern progressive-bluegrass pieces by

13. 12
Nickel Creek like “Hayloft.” The band took part in and won the Battle of the Bands which
was hosted at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in February of 2016 which could be taken to
mean that folk music is still respected and enjoyed on a college campus in Southern
Maryland.
Country music may be hugely popular within Southern Maryland, but it is still a very
accepting location of all other genres. Perhaps the second-most popular genre locally is
rock music. When we are focusing on rock music, classic rock specifically is probably the
most popular in Southern Maryland. This rock subgenre took place from the 1970’ s to the
late 1980’s. To be able to truly identify and critique the rock music that existed in Southern
Maryland, I had to learn about what rock music truly was and where it came from. Some
clarification before reading further: Ranking genres by popularity is not very accurate
considering some individuals may not agree with this order in the first place and others
may refer to a certain type of music under a different genre classification. Regardless of this
fact, these genres are being reported in an order of which they seemed to be most
prevalent within my own research so it is not an end all be all designation.

14. 13
Rock
Unlike some genres like folk, rock music has a specific point in history when we
consider it to have officially started. Rock music is thought to have started in the 1950’s
with Chuck Berry and other popular musicians like Elvis Presley. In reality, there were
several other musicians that contributed a great deal to the genre of rock music many years
before 1950. One of these musicians was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Sister Tharpe seems to go
unrecognized in many instances, but the parallels in guitar work and song style between
Sister Tharpe and Chuck Berry are quite evident. Songs like “Strange Things Happening
Every Day” by Sister Tharpe and “Maybellene” by Chuck Berry have very similar guitar
licks and tone. The similar tone could just be due to the actual equipment they used during
this time period in the 50’s. The tube amps and types of guitars used in the popular rock
tunes produced a similar sound in general. A culmination of these songs and artists
represent the period when rock music began. “Strange Things Happening Every Day” came
out in 1944 and although it was a slower tempo than Berry’s, and even Elvis Presley’s
songs, it still maintained a typical “rock” sound which is a combination of blues and country
music. This means rock, or rock n’ roll specifically, began during the mid 1940’s..
Rock by definition is the “meeting of country music and rhythm’n’blues” (Scaruffi,
2003, p.xi). The involvement of the electric guitar was cemented between 1951 and 1952.
This is when the Gibson and Stratocaster electric guitars were invented. This
instrumentation has remained largely the same since then and electric guitar can be seen in
every single band that I have recorded in Southern Maryland. These electric guitars became
so popular and versatile that they were included in genres outside of rock n’ roll as well.
Electric guitar has been heard in the jazz ensemble from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the

15. 14
25th hour band which plays blues and rock covers, and Back by Sunrise which does modern
pop covers as well as rock covers (Cofod, 2015).
Electric guitar quickly asserted itself as the main instrument of rock and roll, but it
did not begin that way. Guitar may have always been included in rock and roll from the
start, but it did not reveal its true dominance in the genre until the Yardbirds formed in
1963. The Yardbirds are credited with establishing the “supremacy of the guitar” and also
being the first band to utilize feedback effects (Scaruffi, 2002, p.28). They were bound to
bring about significant change since the group consisted of guitar virtuosos such as Eric
Clapton and Jimmy Page. Once the precedent was set with the Yardbirds, guitar solos
within rock music were a necessity. This band simply allowed the genre of rock to be very
dependent on the electric guitar. This trend is one that has stayed and can still be heard
today, including in Southern Maryland.
Guitar continues to be the instrument that is most important and it is almost
necessary to have a guitarist that has a mastery of the instrument. This can be seen and
heard within the footage that has been collected of the 25th Hour Band and Back By Sunrise.
Guitarists in both of these bands take solos throughout their songs and the guitar plays a
very prominent role in the entire set. Whether the instrument is laying down chords and
playing a rhythm role or playing lead over the other instruments, guitar is the one
instrument that does not seem to ever take a break within the genre of rock, country, and
even jazz. It is an essential part of the music throughout these various genres as it is a very
flexible instrument.
Some of the instrumentation that was used has stayed consistent for many years
within rock music, but the lyrical aspect of the genre has not done the same. Rock music

16. 15
took a new turn with Bob Dylan in the 60’s with songs like the ballad titled “Like a Rolling
Stone” which came out in 1965. Dylan used his songs as a form of communication and used
metaphors and analogies that fans would have to look into to find the meaning (Scaruffi,
2002, p.32). Songs like this are still covered in Southern Maryland, but there do not seem to
be any modern songs (covered or original) that have this veil of mystery around them
(Cofod, 2015). The bands that have been recorded so far cover songsthat contain lyrics
that are very straight forward and do not require any analysis to understand (Cofod, 2015).
Part of this may be due to the types of environments that these bands are playing in. These
are beer festivals and bars. Most people coming to these locations and events are not
coming to dive deep into a musical experience or closely analyze the lyrics within the
songs. These are the typical events that seem to include rock music in Southern Maryland
(Cofod, 2015).
It makes sense that rock is one of the more popular genres at events all over the
nation since it inspires people to move. The lead singer of Back By Sunrise said in an
interview “people like anything with a beat” (Cofod, 2015). There seems to be a demand for
rock music at many of the events in Southern Maryland because of this quality. Rock has
been a respected genre for many years and there are accounts of mainstream bands such as
The Eagles playing at Take it Easy Ranch, which is in Calloway, Maryland, back in 1974
(Norris, 2012, pg.1). The genre of “classic” rock, which refers to bands like Led Zeppelin,
The Eagles, and Cream, still exists today in Southern Maryland. This is captured on the
recordings of the 25th Hour Band where they cover some classic rock songs. Classic rock
and blues-oriented rock songs (such as Chuck Berry’s) still exist at many events in the area

17. 16
and even here at St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM). However, we do not see a lot of
progressive rock or jam-oriented rock bands such as Phish in the area.
Phish gained popularity in the 1990s and rode the wave of the jam-band era that the
Grateful Dead started in the 1960’s. Phish brought back “the aesthetics of progressive-rock,
particularly on the East Coast” (Scaruffi, 2002, p.360). Phish is still quite popular in the
surrounding area. Over the summer of 2015, Phish sold out two days of concerts at
Merriweather Post pavilion in Columbia, MD. This genre of progressive-rock has a
following behind it, but it seems to be less popular in Southern Maryland. Of the bands that
have been recorded so far, none have done improvisational songs or progressive-rock
songs. People seem to like the classic-rock songs over progressive or modernrock songs
since they tend to be more predictable and easier to sing than jam-band songs. This is to be
expected, especially when we consider the events that the music is going to be at. In the
interviews with the music managers for BBQ and Brew Fest and Beer Fest, both said that it
is a safe bet getting bands that do recognizable songs (Cofod, 2015). It just so happens that
classic rock is what is most recognized in Southern Maryland. There is even a radio station
based in St. Mary’s County dedicated entirely to Classic Rock called 97.7 “The Rocket.”
Although Progressive Rock and jam-oriented rock bands do not seem to be very
popular in the mainstream and local Southern Maryland context, on campus at SMCM there
seems to be a rise in this type of music. There are bands on campus such as Foggy May that
play classic rock but also focus on progressive rock. This band specifically does the covers
note for note and does not stray from the original material. This is a 3-piece band made up
of all males. Another campus-based band is called The Secondhand Pickles. This band
draws on the jam elements that were introduced by The Grateful Dead and uses them to

18. 17
drive smoothly from one song into the next song within their set list. These bands show
that interest still exists in the genres of progressive rock and jam bands, but perhaps on a
smaller scale. The mainstream forms of rock tend to be what people select to have at large
events in Southern Maryland since they are easier to follow than this jam band music
(Cofod, 2015). Music that is simple and repetitive is marketable and gets people more
involved than a band that keeps going to crazy unpredictable places, musically speaking.
Students on campus do not have to worry about satisfying a crowd or anyone but
themselves.
Rock music began in the mid-forties or 50’s depending on which sources you read
and it started as a combination of blues and country. That is possibly what made it such a
hit in Southern Maryland. Country music was already popular in the area prior to the start
of rock and then rock utilized many of the same elements like simple chord progressions
and simple vocal melodies (Cofod, 2015). The type of country music that was popular prior
to the 40’s may have been very different from what we hear today, but nonetheless,
country music was one of the elements that allowed rock music to come about. Within my
own research, I have found no direct evidence of blues music being popular in Southern
Maryland but I know that almost all local musicians respect the genre and look up to
guitarists who built their careers on the blues (Cofod, 2015). Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B King,
Eric Clapton, are just some of those musicians. Back on to rock; even realizing the fact that
country music was popular before the 40’s explains why rock music gained a lot of
popularity in the area. Rock has a lot of similar elements to country, so it creates a similar
listening experience in some instances. Both can have upbeat tempos, and can include the
same instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums.

19. 18
Many forms of rock music exist in Southern Maryland. The larger events host the
bands that play blues-rock, classic rock, and a limited amount of progressive rock. The
bands that play other forms of rock, like space rock and jam-oriented rock, exist, but are at
smaller venues like local bars instead of big festival stages. Southern Maryland includes
almost all derivations of rock music, but there is a certain type that is selected for the
mainstream events. That happens to be classic rock or blues-rock, which were popularized
by artists such as B.B King and Eric Clapton. Southern Maryland has it all, but some forms
of rock music may be harder to find than others.
Rock is the second most popular genre in Southern Maryland, but what comes after
that? Well, it is difficult to say because after country music, bluegrass, and folk, it can be
hard to find other genres that are as prevalent in local venues. In order to even find these
other genres, I had to go to specific locations in the area. One of the local venues that
supplies music other than rock and variations of country is called the “Lime Lounge.” At
this venue they have a jazz quintet that performs quite frequently and other similar acts
that are more in line with a “city-like environment” when compared to the musical acts at
other local bars (Cofod, 2015). The only other place that has jazz regularly would be St.
Mary’s College of Maryland, which has two student groups that perform regularly. Jazz may
not be considered very popular in comparison to the other genres of Southern Maryland,
but it is still present in specific locations. Jazz music may be less prevalent locally, but it is
not any less important than the other types of music. I had to do the same research to
figure out the history and characteristics of jazz in order to identify and critique it.

20. 19
Jazz
Jazz is a genre of music whose origins can be traced back to one specific location-
New Orleans. New Orleans acted as a huge melting pot and the actual ownership of the city
was passed around ever since the city was founded in 1718 (Gioia, 1997, p.6). In 1764 New
Orleans was given to Spain by France and in 1800, France reclaimed ownership only to give
it up to the United States three years later with the Louisiana Purchase. This sequence of
events pulled people from many different backgrounds to the area. There were European,
Caribbean, African, and American elements all mixing in New Orleans in the nineteenth-
century that allowed for new musical genres such as jazz and blues to come about (Gioia,
1997, p.7). One of the most influential groups that were in New Orleans was the African
American underclass (Gioia, 1997, p.7).
New Orleans was an especially tolerable location when it came to realizing the
cultures and groups that were living in the city. This is shown with the decision the city
council made in 1817 which was to allow official sites for slave dances (Gioia, 1997, p.7).
New Orleans was more accepting of various cultures and races when compared to other
southern states that would punish minorities. Although it may have been a “better location”
for people of color, it does not mean that they were treated very well. Many traveling
shows that featured musical acts would pay African Americans “as little as $2.50 per week”
and some booking agencies were referred to as TOBA, which meant, “Tough on Black
Artists” (Gioia, 1997, p.18). It is the more tolerable locations and not these tough music
agencies that allowed for the growth and mixture of various cultures and musical
influences that led to jazz and other genres.

21. 20
Many elements of jazz music have surprisingly been linked to the churches that
were present in New Orleans. The Baptist churches were said to be the source of many
musical ideas since the pastors would sing in rhythms that were similar to “jazz rhythms”
and the singing itself was similar to the blues music that was being made (Gioia, 1997,
p.31). Another influence that allowed jazz to come about was the obsession of brass bands
that existed in New Orleans following the Civil War (Gioia, 1997, p.31). Brass bands played
quite often for various events and Sunday concerts and set a lot of the instrumentation that
would exist within the jazz genre (Gioia, 1997, p.32). Musicians from these brass bands
were also hired for entertainment and played various genres and song types from polkas,
mazurkas, two-steps, all the way to ragtime music (Gioia, 1997, p.33). Once the ragtime
genre began to rise, songs played with syncopated rhythms started to show up and
musicians began to apply these syncopations and more of a “swing” to older songs from
other genres. “This blurring of musical genres was central to the creation of jazz” (Gioia,
1997, p.33). Jazz was not just created and worked on in New Orleans, but it was also
evolving in other cities like Kansas City, Chicago, and New York City.
Knowing some of the genres and the locations that allowed jazz to be produced is
helpful, but this is a genre that cannot be traced back to one individual. There were so
many people experimenting with new sounds and genres in New Orleans specifically that
jazz seems to just have come out of the mixture of it all. There were individuals of all races
and cultures that were playing around with new musical styles and methods of playing. The
musicians that were doing this innovative playing were mostly black, but also Creole, and
white (Gioia, 1997, p.36). They were applying the sounds and rhythms that were heard in
blues and ragtime music to other genres and inventing new techniques of ornamentation

22. 21
that eventually created an entirely new form of improvisation and melody construction
that can be called jazz (Gioia, 1997, p.36). This new style of playing was done by many
including Bunk Johnson, and later on, the famed Louis Armstrong. The first recordings of
jazz bands were not heard until the 1920’s (Gioia, 1997, p.36).
Jazz was created by musical innovators and pushed boundaries when it was being
played in the 1900’s. It only makes sense that it continued to evolve later on since it was a
genre that had a “tendency to mutate” (Gioia, 1997, p.200). During the 1930’s and 1940’s
jazz musicians began to develop a new and unique style. This would come to be known as
“early modern jazz” and the musicians began implementing new techniques such as
complex harmonies. They utilized flatted ninths, sharped elevenths, and other altered
intervals in their new music (Gioia, 1997, p.203). These new techniques were developed
and first done by “background” musicians. This is because the new techniques of altering
intervals mostly affected the rhythm section of the jazz ensembles with its clashing chords
and “spitfire tempos” (Gioia, 1997, p. 204).
One of the most famous musicians that brought this modern jazz to the spotlight
was Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie did not start out as a solo act and in fact, was the trumpeter
for a bandleader named Cab Calloway in the 30’s and 40’s (Gioia, 1997, p.208). It makes
sense that Gillespie was one of the people to dive into this new modern jazz since he was
the one supplying many of the chord tones and rhythms for the group with Calloway.
Modern jazz was being played with its new complex harmonies until the 1950s when Jazz
went on to push the envelope even with “free jazz” and other genres like jazz-fusion. For
the sake of this project, we will not follow jazz that far since I have not documented or
witnessed this kind of jazz within Southern Maryland yet. Free jazz and various extremes of

23. 22
the jazz genre involve many modified pitches with flats and sharps and are highly
dependent on the musicians to have a commanding knowledge of music theory or to have
experience.
The types of jazz that I have documented have been along the lines of early jazz and
some early modern jazz. The only true jazz ensemble I have been able to record so far has
been the St. Mary’s Jazz ensemble. The instrumentation within this ensemble is similar to
the original jazz bands with its use of brass instruments, but it is different in the specific
type of brass instrument that it utilizes. Within the St. Mary’s jazz ensemble, there are five
saxophones, a stand up bass, guitar, and a drummer. The drums and saxophones have been
regular staples of jazz music, but many other brass instruments such as trombones and
trumpets are normally used in jazz ensembles. The fact that this ensemble lacks these
instruments is perhaps a reflection on how small St. Mary’s of College truly is.
The St. Mary’s jazz ensemble also includes a violin. This is an instrument that is not
often seen in jazz. This may be due to the fact that most violinists simply lack skill in
improvisation since most violin education programs are based on reading sheet music and
classical notation. The violin may also not be seen often in jazz music because jazz
ensembles often play in keys that are comfortable for the brass instruments. Many times
these happen to be keys that are not used often in classical repertoire, so violinists are not
as comfortable playing in them as the brass instruments are. Saxophones like to play in flat
keys like B flat, E flat, and A flat, while violinists begin learning the instrument in keys like
G, D, and C major which have the standard finger placements. The flat keys have altered
finger patterns, which can make it very difficult for some violinists. Although violin may not
be something that is expected in a jazz ensemble, there have been violinists that have

24. 23
popularized jazz violin in the past. These musicians include Stéphane Grappelli and Stuff
Smith.
The SMCM jazz ensemble plays fairly basic jazz pieces when comparing them to free
jazz and modern jazz. The chord changes do not happen very frequently with the ensemble
and the harmonies are not very complex. The musicians often play the third and the
seventh of the chords. The syncopated rhythms are a part of most of the pieces, but many of
the intervals remain unaltered and most of the musicians simply play along the blues scale.
The ensemble sticks to basic jazz that does not involve rapid changing chord progressions,
but St. Mary’s also has a jazz combo that contains the advanced players. This group has
similar instrumentation with two saxophones, a guitar, bassist, and drums, but they do play
more challenging jazz pieces than the jazz ensemble. The combo also includes a female
vocalist on a few songs. The combo is sure to include complex harmonies (with intervals
like flatted or sharped ninths) and almost all of the musicians in the combo group are
skilled enough to alter various intervals within their improvisational sequences. This
group plays mostly modern jazz pieces and the instrumentalists apply their knowledge of
dissonance and harmony to create a complex sound in comparison to the jazz ensemble.
Some of the songs that these ensembles played this past semester were “Bags’ Groove,”
“Blues By Five,” “Equinox,” “Red’s Good Groove,” and “Sister Sadie.” These are some
standard jazz tunes and are played in jazz ensembles all over.
The only other example of jazz that has been recorded for my Senior Project was
from the Chesapeake Orchestra this past summer of 2015. The Chesapeake Orchestra
played a few jazz pieces and had a black female sing the lead parts. The songs that they
played were along the lines of popular jazz and there were no improvisational sections or

25. 24
complex harmonies with altered intervals. The Chesapeake Orchestra includes a full string
section with cellos, violins, basses and violas. There is also a brass section with trumpets,
French horns, trombones and a wind section with flutes, clarinets, and oboes. The
orchestra also contains a drummer, piano player, and guitarist for these specific jazz pieces
to supply the expected “jazz” instrumentation. This example of jazz music is a bit different
than that which exists in the jazz ensemble because it is not a regular genre that is present
in the River Concert Series. Jeffrey Silberschlag, conductor of the River Concert Series and
director of the Chesapeake Orchestra, said in our interview that he likes to add variety into
the series so that it appeals to people of all sorts (Cofod, 2015). This can even be seen
within my recordings. I have excerpts from Don Juan by Richard Strauss (which is a 19th
century tone poem) and I even recorded music from the Game of Thrones series this past
summer at River Concert Series. Game of Thrones was a highly popular television series at
the time, so music like that had an instant appeal to the listeners.
The Lime Lounge venue and the music of the occasional jazz in the River Concert
Series are the only two examples of jazz music that I recorded. The instrumentation in both
examples (SMCM jazz ensemble and RCS when they played jazz) is quite similar. There are
brass instruments, drums, bass, and vocals at least. These instruments have been included
in jazz since the early recordings in the 1920’s and these ensembles allow the original
instruments to remain in the music. There are no examples of very complex jazz that I have
seen so far in Southern Maryland, but there are modern and early jazz examples prevalent
here. Jazz is not as popular as country and rock music in Southern Maryland, but it can still
be found at a few reliable locations. One local venue that hosts jazz frequently is the Lime
Lounge. The manager from the Lime Lounge said in our interview that he tries to have

26. 25
genres like jazz and acoustic music playing so that he can attract the kind of group that
tends to work at Patuxent Naval Air Station (Cofod, 2015).
The type of people that live in a certain area determines the music which is popular
and that is why country music is so popular here in Southern Maryland. It is a rural area
with many working class families, who are more often represented in country music and
rock than other genres like jazz and classical. This explains why country music has been
and still is so popular in Southern Maryland. On the other side, with the growth of Patuxent
Naval Air Station, there are people from all over the world in the area, so venues like Lime
Lounge capitalize on this fact and bring genres, which may have not been as present before.
Jazz may also not be as popular because it is difficult to fit it in at most of the local venues.
Lindsay Own, the singer of Back by Sunrise, said that people like anything with a beat and
as long as it gets them moving (Cofod, 2015). To get a beat that makes people move, it is
easiest to get a rock or country band. Those genres contain simple 4/4 rhythms most of the
times, which are easy to dance to while jazz is full of complex rhythms and melodies, which
are not as welcoming for dancing. Although jazz may not be as popular in Southern
Maryland, it is still present in the area and the genre has a reliable crowd that comes to the
various events.

27. 26
Classical
A genre that is equally as prevalent in the area as jazz is classical music. Just like
jazz, classical music can only be found at certain venues in Southern Maryland. One of the
main venues for classical music is St. Mary’s College of Maryland. In fact, this is one of the
only venues for classical music in the area. The school represents a cultural hub in the area
and it is one of the only places where there is regularly classical music being performed.
There are student recitals every few weeks and frequent performances by ensembles like
the orchestra and even solo acts from faculty musicians like Brian Ganz. Brian Ganz is an
artist-in-residence at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and is a very accomplished pianist. He
has performed internationally as a soloist and has played with major orchestras such as the
National Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony. St. Mary’s College of Maryland is one of
the few if not the only venue that hosts concerts that include accomplished classical
musicians.
Classical music is a difficult genre to define. It is a genre that does not have an exact
starting point because many cannot say exactly what it is. Classical music is an umbrella
term that consists of pieces dating back to the “ninth century” or older, consisting of chants,
religious songs, love songs, and even modern day compositions that are not being played
anywhere but someone’s basement. As Julian Johnson says, “classical music is simply the
music that is taken to be classical music” (Johnson, p.2, 2009). It is also a genre of music
that includes all sorts of instruments, from voices all the way to vibraphones. When we
think of classical music, specifically in an orchestral setting, the instrumentation is very
specific.

28. 27
We will be focusing on orchestral music specifically for this discussion because the
largest classical music event in the area, River Concert Series, involves mostly orchestral
music. The instruments involved in a typical classical symphony orchestra are violins,
violas, cellos, basses, trumpets, French horns, bassoons, flutes, oboes clarinets, timpani, and
many others that fill out the sections depending on the needs of the orchestra. Sometimes
orchestras may include pianos, drums, harps, and even singers. One strange thing some
might see at an orchestra concert is a conductor. Orchestras and classical music
performances are some of the few that involve conductors. This is because there are so
many people in the orchestra that somebody needs to be able to keep them all together.
Another thing that classical music has that makes it very different from other genres is the
environments and general aura at performances of the genre.
When people go to classical concerts for the first time, they are often shocked at
how different they are from other concerts. The performers wear tuxedos, the crowds have
to quiet, and there is a person waving their arms towards the musicians. All of these
elements are fairly unique to orchestras, but it is not true that classical music is only
performed by orchestras. Solo instruments, singers, and musicians of all types can perform
classical music. What is interesting is that when it is classical music being performed, the
atmosphere tends to follow it in many situations. This style of music still demands a unique
respect no matter where it is played. People tend to give the performer silence and give
them all of their attention when it is classical music being played. As a performer myself,
sometimes I wish that all music demanded this type of respect. It can make it easier to
perform when you are actually able to hear yourself over a crowd, but on the flip side, utter
silence can make you very nervous. It is because of tendencies like the audience being quiet

29. 28
that makes young adults today think that classical events are only meant for the musically
educated. The whole environment at classical events is one where some do not feel like
they can relax, let loose, and enjoy the music in a way they want to. You have to be quiet in
many cases and cannot support the performer verbally, even the audience dresses up in
many cases and you have to sit down at a lot of the events. Not every single classical
concert is like this and many are quite casual, but it is the stereotypical elements like these
that cause classical concerts to lose appeal from the majority of the modern day youth.
Thankfully, there are classical events (like River Concert Series that Jeffrey Silberschlag
puts on every summer) where these stereotypes and sometimes-unwelcoming vibes are
completely thrown out the window.
The River Concert Series (RCS) happens every summer now at St. Mary’s College of
Maryland. The event draws a large crowd locally and from other states like Virginia. This is
a “classical” concert series, but it is a rare type of classical concert as it is both appealing
and welcoming to the common man and woman who do not have a plethora of knowledge
about classical music. To come listen to the music at RCS you do not have to dress nicely,
you do not have to be quiet (unless in the serious listening section), you can be entertained
with pieces that most people have heard, and yes, you can even bring your alcohol or buy it
there. RCS truly is a concert series that goes against the grain for a typical “classical”
concert. There is even an area at these concerts where children are able to run around
without disturbing the serious listeners.
These are only some of the unique elements of RCS and we haven’t even begun to
talk about the actual music that is played at the concert series. The physical music itself is
very different when compared to other genres. When someone goes to a rock, blues, jazz or

30. 29
even a country concert, they witness impressive feats of memorization and improvisation
all over the place. When we go to a classical concert, we are watching people read off of
sheet music most of the time. Whether this means it is a less creative and demanding
experience for the musicians is another conversation entirely. Classical music still provides
an outlet for creativeness and each performer can put their own spin on a piece to make it
unique. When it comes down to it, they are still reading sheet music and that in itself is a
difference when compared to other genres and it is yet another reason the “classical” world
is seen as being so exclusive. You have to be musically educated enough to read sheet music
at a very high level. This excludes many talented musicians from joining orchestras, but
there is another side to this situation as well. Many musicians who excel in classical
orchestras are unable to excel in other genres that are improvisation-dependent because
they have spent so much time reading sheet music that they do not know what to do
without it. This is not a bad thing, merely an observation from my time as a violinist.
Classical music is one of the only genres that seems to have an extra “barrier” around it that
makes it truly inaccessible to some musicians if they wish to play at a professional level.
You must learn to read music or work four times as hard and memorize the pieces by ear if
you want to play in an orchestra.
River Concert Series really represents the only consistent classical music event that
occurs in Southern Maryland. Although the genre may not exist all over the area, there is
still a huge turnout for the concerts every summer. The closest locations (other than the
college) that host big orchestra concerts and classical music series would be cities like
Washington, D.C and Baltimore. Places like those two are generally more populated than
Southern Maryland and better funded than our events. Contrary to these facts, Silberschlag

31. 30
said that there are thousands and thousands of people who come to the concerts every
summer now from all over the place (Cofod, 2015). Silberschlag also said it can be
unexpected as to what pieces crowds will really love and which ones they wont (Cofod,
2015). This could be due to the lack of exposure that the general public gets with classical
music or it could just be because they are having a very enjoyable summer evening and
loving the music. No matter the reason, it is amazing that there is so much support for a
local orchestra and concert series every summer. Some orchestra events that take place in
the cities do not even get this big of a turnout and I think a lot of it has to do with the very
welcoming environment at RCS. There are some other smaller scale events that include
classical music in Southern Maryland, but none is on a scale that matches RCS. There are
classical musicians, specifically pianists, which play at some of the restaurants in Old
Towne Leonardtown and there are also classical music events hosted at the College of
Southern Maryland. Various artists come to the College of Southern Maryland to perform
and the school is also home to various ensembles including concert band and its own jazz
ensemble.

32. 31
Spiritual Music
Classical, blues, rock, folk, country, and jazz are all types of music that can be found
at local events in Southern Maryland at various times and places. In addition to these
genres, there is one more type of music that is found regularly. This type of music is
performed at least once every week in churches or places of worship. It is what we would
refer to as spiritual music. Spiritual music is not normally a genre that is performed outside
of religious services, but during my research I did record several gospel choir groups from
Ridge, Maryland who performed at the St. Mary’s County fair (Cofod, 2015). Other than this
instance, most spiritual music does occur within places of worship.
Whether it be a gospel choir, a lone organ player, or a full choir with multiple
instrumentalists, there is likely to be music at any spiritual service you attend in Southern
Maryland. The music in these locations is used quite differently than other forms of music
that have been recorded for this project. Spiritual music is seen as a tool used for worship
and is not done purely for entertainment purposes most of the time. You can visually see
this in my recordings of the gospel choir from Ridge, Maryland. These individuals in the
choir get very emotional when they sing these songs and hymns; not because of the deep,
meaningful lyrics, or the perfect instrumentation, but because they believe it is a form of
worship and that they are doing the work of God.
Spiritual music may come in many forms in Southern Maryland, but the sure thing is
that it is not respected as much as it used to be. Mr. Jay Guy, singer and teacher in Southern
Maryland from the 1930’s-1980’s, said that every Saturday there used to be music at the
churches (Cofod, 2015). Whether this was simply a choir singing, an orchestra from

33. 32
Washington D.C that had come down, or a country band, churches were centers of
entertainment. Although this was not specifically spiritual music, it shows that churches
played an important part in bringing music to the public. This was a time before television
and big time movies were widespread so people flocked to real-life versions of
entertainment. People admired and respected live arts whether it was because they were
bored or there may have just generally been a greater respect for instrumentalists and
singers. It can be considered that maybe people attended these events, and even religious
services, FOR entertainment even though the music is not directly written for that purpose.
With only radios around and no television, I am sure people were more inclined to go to
church just to see musicians and have something interesting in their day. There are a huge
number of factors that could have led to the decline in interest of live music and taking part
in spiritual music, but television and radio are most definitely some those factors.
Aside from the declining interest in spiritual music, it is also difficult for churches to
maintain a good quality of music. Churches are hit “with the difficulty of retaining boy
choristers, of securing the services of qualified organists and choirmasters” therefore it is
difficult for a church’s music to be any good at all (Palmer and Rhys, p.5, 1967). Although
the quality of the ensembles may be different than they were in the past, there are still
common characteristics that describe a majority of spiritual music. Most often, “in church
music, these creative people are non-professional musicians” (Palmer and Rhys, p.5, 1967).
The musicians that play in the ensembles are rarely professionals and if they are, they are
mostly found in churches, more populated areas, or areas of higher wealth when compared
to many parts of Southern Maryland.

34. 33
Church music may have gone through many different stages of development in the
past, but the role has remained the same for spiritual music in almost all religious services.
Church music is “the psychological aid- to worship, and it must take its proper place in the
general scheme” (Palmer and Rhys, p.29, 1967). Specifically Christian music serves the
purpose of enabling the “Christians to enter more fully into the worship of God” (Palmer
and Rhys, p.29, 1967). Music has many different roles in various religions. Music can allow
individuals to worship God “better” or it can be for specific tasks such as calling people to
prayer in the Islamic religion with the adhan. On a whole other plane of conversation, these
various examples of “music” may not even be considered “music” to the people that use
them. The adhan is not considered “music” to the people that use it, but a recitation of
words that happens to be beautiful (Randel, p.422, 2003). Music like the adhan (Islamic call
to prayer) serves a specific purpose and is used like a tool, similar to the way Christian
music is intended to be used. Christian music is supposed to aid in the worship of God
while some Islamic “music” tells people when to go worship.
Some typical instruments seen in Christian churches may be an organ or a piano, a
choir, and perhaps other various wind and string instruments like flute, guitar, or violin. In
Gospel churches there are other instruments involved like drums, electric guitar, electric
bass, and solo voices. This comes with the nature of the music. It is high energy and often
times much louder than other forms of worship music like solo hymn singing. I have
recorded a Roman Catholic mass for this project and there was a choir, a piano, violin,
guitar, and a clarinet being played the entire time. The choir sings a variety of harmonies
and some of the arrangements of the Christmas songs that were performed involved a lot of
dissonance and intervals like thirds and sixths (Cofod, 2015). The ensemble is not always

35. 34
this big according to musicians at the church (Cofod, 2015). Kevin Cofod, regular guitarist
at Our Lady Star of the Sea, said that the choir and this many instrumentalists playing
together is pretty rare unless it is a holiday (Cofod, 2015). The music groups normally
consist of a vocalist, a pianist, and one other instrument as long as someone is available.
Normally that other instrument is guitar or violin.
Aside from the Roman Catholic mass that I attended, the only other spiritual music
that I have recorded so far has been the Gospel Choir from Ridge, Maryland. Gospel music
has a heavy beat from the drums, similar to rock, the “best (gospel) tunes were filled with
vivid imagery, the writers evidencing great subtlety in finding Bible passages relevant to
black life” (Heilbut, p.27, 1971). Most times gospel music has a chorus where the entire
ensemble sings together, but in many songs, talented singers improvise the verses without
any support from the choir. The format of the songs that are played varies. Some are sung
all together throughout the entire song and in others, the band is able to take a little
moment to jam and improvise, just like the singers. There would also be hymns where the
singer would sing one portion and the choir would respond with a phrase or two.
Gospel music started around 1932 with the first meeting of the Gospel Singers
Convention (Heilbut, p.65, 1971). This music was similar to the blues in some ways, talking
about the struggles of everyday life and how the performer hopes to be saved from them.
During the Great Depression, people just wanted a way to spice up something in their lives.
Singers such as Thomas A. Dorsey came in at the perfect time to do this. Dorsey listened to
a lot blues, jazz, and hymns (Heilbut, p.65, 1971). He then took these similar qualities of
improvisation and types of instruments and brought them into the Church music world
with some other gospel singers such as Sallie Martin in the early 1930’s (Heilbut, p.65,

36. 35
1971). 1945- 1960 marked the golden period of gospel music and it has maintained a
similar tone and style ever since (Heilbut, p.65, 1971).
The gospel choir from Ridge, Maryland used drums, electric bass, guitar, and then
the entire choir when I recorded them. The songs varied in terms of who performed each
one. People took turns soloing on some songs and other times the entire choir sang the
whole song. The improvisational parts were done by perhaps the strongest/most talented
individuals in the group. Some songs were more traditional hymns when compared to the
jazz influenced instrument-dependent pieces. The traditional hymns had simple call and
response melodies with just vocals. Other hymns were modernized and depended on the
instruments, including drums, to carry the songs. The outfits that the singers wore were all
coordinated red robes. Similar to an orchestra wearing all black, this shows that they are
the performers and belong together and are here to worship and spread their faith and
songs together. Nace Bowman, manager of the gospel choirs at the fair, said that it is nice
just to have gospel music at the fair on a Sunday and people of all races and backgrounds
come out just to hear the music (Cofod, 2015).
Gospel music and Roman Catholic music are the only two types of spiritual music
that I was able to record. What I enjoyed about both of these examples was the fact that the
people performing the music appreciated an audience of any religious affiliation. At the
gospel music event, the performers said they were just happy to spread their gospel music
and give music to everyone at the fair (Cofod, 2015). This speaks a lot about how diverse
the Southern Maryland environment is and how accepting the people are. The performers
sing and play for people of any background, color, or religious affiliation.

37. 36
Discrimination within the Music Environment
This theme of being accepting of people of all walks of life seems to be pretty
consistent when it comes to musicians in Southern Maryland. All of the musicians that were
recorded within this project were asked if they had witnessed or experienced any form of
discrimination within the Southern Maryland environment. All of the musicians said they
had not experienced any form of discrimination specifically in Southern Maryland. As
Silberschlag said, “musicians tend to be more open” (Cofod, 2015). If you are good at what
you do, most musicians will not think about race or background. It is about making music
and that is all most of the time. This may be the case within the performance realm, but it
may have been a bit different within music education at specific periods of Southern
Maryland’s history.
When asked if there was any noticeable tension within the Southern Maryland
school system after desegregation, Harold Herndon, who is African American, replied,
saying that “You never can speak to all, but at least the majority of the students were able
to accept that desegregation process and go from where they were, “(Herndon, 2003, p. 8).
Mr. Herndon said that he did not witness any specific discrimination within the classroom,
but there were some things that happened that are considered to be examples of
discrimination. One of these was the fact that Herndon taught at Great Mills for a year,
basically saved the music program because the previous music teacher left, but then the
school hired a different teacher at the end of the year (1960) without telling Herndon.
“Nobody bothered to ask me whether I was interested (in the job)” (Herndon, 2004, p. 18).
It is expected to at least inform the current teacher of a position opening, but nobody

38. 37
informed Herndon about the position even though he gave so much to Great Mills High
School. A similar event happened to Herndon when he applied to be principal at
Leonardtown High School when it was about to open in 1978. He did not get the job and
there were “no black high school administrators in St. Mary’s County” (Herndon, 2004,
p.23). These events are examples of discrimination considering the circumstances and they
show that there was obvious racism that occurred in relation to the educational
environment at least.
The only other account I found within my research related to discrimination and
music in Southern Maryland is from Mr. Leo Weiland. This account relates more to
discrimination within music performance instead of education. Weiland led several choirs
within the 30’s and 40’s in St. Mary’s County and talks about how race is not an issue in an
interview that took place with Jenni Hartsig in 1991. Within this interview, Weiland said
that some of the choirs he managed were made up of all males and included all races
(Weiland, 1991, p. 1). He went on to say, “why should I care whether white or black,”
referring to who was in his specific ensembles (Weiland, 1991, p.1). This attitude seems to
still be the same in Southern Maryland, although it has not been obvious in many of the
bands and ensembles that I have recorded in my research. Aside from Jazz ensemble and
the Chesapeake Orchestra, many of the rock bands were made up of only white males with
a white female singer. This may just be a coincidence though, considering there are rock
cover bands in the area, such as “FunkZilla” that cover rock music and include an African
American drummer.
In my own research, I did not record a single account of discrimination within the
musical environment of Southern Maryland. Specifically within the area of contemporary

39. 38
music performance, I did not have someone say that they have witnessed or been a victim
of discrimination. There has however been discrimination in areas like education, which
was covered with Herndon. In my online interview with Carol O’Neill, lead singer of the
25th Hour Band, she said, “Emphatically NO. Southern Maryland demonstrates one of the
least discriminatory environments I have personally ever experienced—musically and
socially—this includes race, sexual preference, and religion…I have never experienced
prejudice regarding any of those areas” (Cofod, 2015). In my other phone interview with
Jay Guy, he stated that he did not ever witness discrimination within any of the ensembles,
but did acknowledge that blacks would play music at some different venues than the white
musicians (Cofod, 2015). I believe this is evidence enough to say that there were counts of
discrimination in the past related to the music environment, but I lack examples of specific
instances. Guy said there were black men in some choruses with him when he sang during
his time in Southern Maryland and he did not say there were any instances of
discrimination specifically within music, as I stated (Cofod, 2015). I also interviewed Nace
Bowman who was the manager of the gospel choirs at this years St. Mary’s County fair and
is African American. He said that he has not experienced any form of discrimination within
Southern Maryland and said “We are very blessed in St. Mary’s County” (Cofod, 2015). The
last individual that responded to this question about discrimination was Alan Stewart, the
bass instructor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Stewart said that he is not from the area
so he could not comment on experiencing discrimination within Southern Maryland, but he
did say that he had “other experiences that range from subtle prejudices to overt racism
and homophobia in his career as a black/gay classical musician” (Cofod, 2015).

40. 39
These interviews as a whole did speak a lot about the power of music. There was
definitely discrimination present in Southern Maryland in other fields (especially during
tension periods like the 60’s), but when it came to the area of music, it seems that if you
were a good musician, you were a good musician and it didn’t matter what else you were. I
have accounts from educators and musicians from periods when there could have been a
lot of racial tensions considering schools were being desegregated, but nonetheless, there
were still no accounts of discrimination in music that I have recorded within my research. I
am sure some events occurred in the past in Southern Maryland as nasty events do occur
everywhere, but I am happy I did not hear of any and think the general attitude of “a good
musician is a good musician” has stuck in this area. One thing to be noted about my results
considering discrimination in the area is the fact that many of my interviewees, specifically
some of the white musicians, felt very nervous even discussing the topic. This is still a very
touchy and especially hot topic today, so some people were uncomfortable when asked a
question about this. I was not expecting these types of reactions when I asked the questions
regarding discrimination, but it is something to be noted about my results.

41. 40
Music Education
The last topic that my project covered was music education. In order to have music
in Southern Maryland at all, someone has to teach it. Many genres and styles of playing
instruments were passed down through families, but in modern day most of the musicians
are educated within the school systems. Music education as a whole has changed rapidly
within the past 40 years alone within Southern Maryland and many educators have helped
to drive this change. Many local music programs started out with almost no materials, but
things changed for the better from the 60’s up until the past 15 years or so. Music
programs are generally better financially supported than they were in the past, but that
financial support is now being taken away all across the nation. We will dive further into
this below. A lot has also changed when it comes to instances of discrimination within the
education system itself after the 1960’s.
When looking at discrimination within the Southern Maryland music environment,
there has always been a lot less tension within the actual music ensembles and programs
than compared to the discrimination that exists or existed outside of the music programs.
The attitude that seemed to be had (even in the early 20th century) here in Southern
Maryland was: if you could play/sing, the color of your skin did not matter. Regardless of
this general attitude within the music environment, races still tended not to mix if they had
that option, especially before the 1960’s. During the mid sixties was when schools were
officially desegregated in Southern Maryland. Within the education environment, the same
attitude was carried into the classroom that “if you could play nothing else mattered,” and I

42. 41
believe it is because of this that there did not appear to be any examples of discrimination
in relation to music education within my own research.
Musical education itself has seen a financial rise since the 1960’s (up until recently)
and, in turn, better equipment is had in the school systems (Herndon, 2003). Teachers are
also able to focus on teaching the students now instead of doing activities like fixing
instruments half of the class period which some teachers had to do in the past (Herndon,
2003). Activities like having to fix instruments were described in an interview with Mr.
Harold Herndon, a music educator who taught music at Great Mills High School and
Washington Carver High School, which were both in St. Mary’s County during the 50’s-60’s.
Herndon stated that “There was no instrumental music in the public school system,” and he
went on to say that “along with teaching, I had to learn how to repair” (Herndon, 2003,
p.12). Herndon had to repair instruments on a regular basis because the only way
instruments were available was if people “had previously been some place else and
belonged to a band” or done something where instruments were available (Herndon, 2003,
p. 12). This meant that a lot of the instruments being used were old or damaged.
Music education has improved in terms of financial support and quality since the
1960’s in Southern Maryland. Strings and band classes are now offered from elementary
school through high school and the arts are easier to access within the school systems. The
budget has no doubt increased since the 1960’s when there was barely a budget at all,
according to Herndon’s accounts (Herndon, 2003, p.11). There may have been increases in
the budget since the 60’s but that growth has recently stopped as I hinted to above. Music
departments are often times the first on the cutting board not when schools are adjusting
their budgets. Aside from this fact, instruments are accessible and most schools in Southern

43. 42
Maryland even have a set of extra instruments available if a student is unable to get their
own. This does not mean everything is perfect now, considering over the past couple
decades the budget for music programs has been cut in public schools “because music and
the arts aren’t government-tested like reading, writing and math” (Hurley, 2004, p.1).
However, music programs overall have come a long way in Southern Maryland aside from
the constant pressure of budget cuts.
Music education has not only evolved in Southern Maryland, but also in surrounding
areas such as Prince George’s County. “The period beginning in 1940 and extending into
the early 1980s was an upward spiral in the cycle of music education in Prince George’s
County”(Moore, 2004, pg. 14). Music education programs grew during this time and classes
involving band instruction grew in popularity (Moore, 2004, pg. 14). In 1957, the launch of
the Sputnik made the nation focus on math and science (Moore, 2004, pg. 32). Events like
the space race, shuttle launches, and the desegregation of the school systems in the 1950’s
created somewhat of a void in music education. Luckily people realized how important it
was to keep music within the school system and teachers began using different techniques
to keep music appealing to the students and staff.
One of these techniques was utilizing music that the students enjoyed. Maurice
Allison used this technique in Prince George’s County when he began teaching in 1956.
“Rather than shun teen music, [such as] rock ‘n roll, Allison used students’ music as a
springboard for learning” (Moore, 2004, p.137). Allison used music that was popular as a
“springboard” by using it to teach standard music knowledge like rhythms, harmonies, etc.
Great teachers like Allison kept music alive in the school systems. As an educator,
especially in the fifties when the nation was dead set on math, we can imagine how difficult

44. 43
it must have been to defend music within the school system. Even today, budgets continue
to be cut in the arts departments’ way before science, math or even sports departments and
we do not even have a space race going on now. It takes strong teachers like Allison to go
with the punches and learn to adapt to the environment. In his specific case, that meant
being able to use the music that was popular at the time to get the students interested and
involved. If he had stuck with a different curriculum and not adapted, perhaps the students
would have been bored and his program could have been cut. Nonetheless, educators
(specifically in arts departments) always have to be prepared to defend their subject and
adapt so that they are able to keep it useful and productive.
Another music educator that changed the system in Prince Georges County was
Dorothy Pickard. Pickard began teaching in 1967 and stayed until 1992. Within this time,
Pickard created “two internationally recognized high school orchestras” (Moore, 2004,
p.173). She started the orchestra at Parkdale High School in Prince Georges County and
also developed the orchestras at several elementary and middle schools within the area of
P.G County. Teachers such as Pickard, who were willing to devote extra time to their
passion, changed music education for many students by creating ensembles and teaching in
new ways. This group of effective teachers includes Harold Herndon, who made a huge
difference in advancing music education at high schools in Southern Maryland. If it wasn’t
for teachers like these, who knows if music would have been kept within the public school
system curriculum. Today, there are string, band, choir, jazz, and even percussion
ensembles in our public schools in Southern Maryland. These did not appear out of thin air
and the teachers that were discussed (and many others alike) struggled to make sure they
would be around for people to enjoy.

45. 44
It is the teachers that allow there to be a continuation of music and musical events in
Southern Maryland. Teachers like Jeffrey Silberschlag start events like River Concert Series
and they remain as long as they are kept up for everyone to enjoy. Teachers at all of the
elementary schools make classes fun so that musicians will be supplied 10 years down the
road in their lives. Looking at the big picture, all of the educators in Southern Maryland
create a cycle that allows there to be a flow when it comes to the music that is being made.
Musicians are educated, events are created and kept running, and people come to watch
the magic that is being made when it is all put together.
Conclusion
In the end, Southern Maryland is home to people and music of all sorts. As Sam
Grow said, it is truly “a melting pot.” (Cofod, 2015). Whether it is teachers, performers,
music managers, or listeners, everyone plays a role in the music that is present. This
project represents a collection of data on the music environment of Southern Maryland. As
stated earlier, after review of my data, I have come to several conclusions. The first is that
country music is the most popular and dependable genre (for music managers) in Southern
Maryland. The second part to this conclusion is the fact that this area may have a genre that
is the “most popular,” but Southern Maryland is a very welcoming location that accepts and
supports music of ALL types. From the cover bands playing rock n’ roll in the corner of a
local bar, to the sweet sounds of a full symphony orchestra during the warm summer
weather, to the fast paced bluegrass or jazz bands that play around town, Southern
Maryland is truly an area with a lot of musical variety. In regard to discrimination within

46. 45
the music environment in Southern Maryland, I am happy to say that I did not find any
examples of racism, sexism, or any other type of intolerance. This area is accepting of
differences and it seems to have been this way even before major events like desegregation
within the schools. Musicians seem to have always enjoyed the presence of other musicians
no matter their sex, race, or religious affiliation here and this shows that the music
environment is very welcoming.
One final point that became evident within the study was the fact that music
education grew rapidly after the 1960’s in Southern Maryland, but recently we have
reached a point where it is no longer growing. Programs are in danger at many local
schools and most have to resort to fundraising to be able to get things like new uniforms,
instruments, etc. instead of just having enough money from the school. Music education
grew from nothing here, but sadly the growth has come to a halt.
This project has opened my eyes as to what makes up Southern Maryland musically
speaking. It is a place where anyone is welcome to come play, create, and listen. It is a place
where you can find any type of music, but you may just have to look a bit harder depending
on each specific genre. It is a place where teachers allow students to become proficient
musicians and it is a place I am now proud to call home as a musician myself. Anyone can
find their niche here and it was truly a great experience being able to see and talk to the
musicians that are apart of this little music ecosystem, which, when I took the time to look,
I realized wasn’t so little at all.

47. 46
Sources
Cofod, Field Notes, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 2015.
Gioia, Ted. The History of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Grow, Sam. “Sam Grow.” Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
http://www.samgrowmusic.com/
"Harold Herndon." Interview by Merideth Taylor. December 19, 2003. Slackwater Oral History
Collection. St. Mary's College of Maryland Archives, St. Mary’s City, MD. 18 April 2016.
Heilbut, Anthony. The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times. Updated and revised, first
Limelight edition. New York: Limelight Editions, 1985.
Hurley, Ryan. "Cuts in arts programs leave sour note in schools." Wisconsin Education Association
Council, 2003-2004, pp.1-15.
Johnson, Julian. Classical Music: A Beginner's Guide. Oxford: Oneworld, 2009.
"Leo Weiland." Interview by Jenni Hartsig. March 28, 1991. Slackwater Oral History Collection. St.
Mary's College of Maryland Archives, St. Mary’s City, MD. 18 April 2016.
Lornell, Kip. Exploring American Folk Music: Ethnic, Grassroots, and Regional Traditions in the
United States. Third edition. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2012.
Malone, Bill C. Country Music, U.S.A, Austin, Texas, University of Texas, 2002.
Moore, Judy W. “Music Education in Prince George’s County, Maryland, From 1950 to 1992. An Oral
History Account of Three Prominent Music Educators and Their Times.” Ph.D. Diss. U of
Maryland College Park, 2004.
Norris, Joseph. "Keeping a Folk Music Legend's Legacy Alive." Southern Maryland News, 13
Jan. 2012. Print.
Randel, Don Michael. The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP,
2003.
Rhys, Stephen, and King Palmer. ABC’s of Church Music. Boston: Crescendo Pub. Co., 1967.
Scaruffi, Piero. A History of Rock Music 1951-2000. New York: iUniverse, 2003.