Blog #15--Music--Jessica Moore

Outside Reading--Music can be both functional and meaningful in the way it communicates culture. It allows messages and ideas to be relayed within a culture. It also acts as a ritual. Music has greatly influenced the oral culture of Black Americans. Sacred music was a crucial player in maintaining culture when slavery was predominant in America. African Americans were able to maintain their religious practices through the rituals given to them through music. African Americans have used sacred music as a medium for an outlet against racism in the United States. Music for African Americans kept their culture alive amidst the hardest, most challenging time in their history. This is a common quality for music all over the world. It can act as a reminder, and even hope, for many cultures of their ancestors, their history, and their meaning in the world.