Southern Music

Southern music is a massive cultural force. Its eruption has dramatically changed the face of the entire music industry.

If music is the language of the soul, the South may have more soul than it can handle.

Frankly, the South has produced a wide variety of art that extends beyond music. Playwrights (like Tennessee Williams) and novelists (like William Faulkner) deserve their own share of the South’s cultural legacy. 

However, the tremendous creative flow from the South is best reflected in its music.

Genres of Southern Music

• The South’s long tradition of religious commitment has perpetuated this genre of music. While it grew out of old hymns and spirituals, it has continued to evolve and maintain its relevance today.

• This banjo-playing genre is typically associated with Kentucky and the regions around Southern Appalachia. Although it famously inspired many modern “jam bands” it is still very popular in its own right.

• This New Orleans generated genre incorporates soulful improvisation played to swinging time. It has grown to become a respected contemporary of classical music.

• Born out of the suffering in the Mississippi Delta, the Blues have impacted nearly every aspect of modern popular music. Driven by soul, this genre deserves its place among the ranks of cultural greats.

• Rock and Roll is hard to define because it has grown so incredibly large. Certainly, it was influenced by other genres (like the Blues) but it became a popular cultural force when Elvis came to the scene.

• Typified by Macon Georgia’s Capricorn Records in the 1970s, this genre returned to the roots of blues and rock while mainstream rock continued to progress. Its soul influenced many artists to return to purity to their music.

• This popular genre, “headquartered” in Nashville, has evolved often to accommodate a growing constituency. Of all the genres mentioned, country is the most deliberate at describing and “glorifying” Southern culture and values.

 
Undeniably, these genres of Southern music have influenced each other profoundly. But aside from their musical similarities, they all reflect the Southern soul, character, and culture.

When Southerners are at their best, they stubbornly follow their own hearts and express their soul within the channels of virtue and character. 

Examine Southern music, and you will have a good sense of how this can be done.