The Afro-american Slave Music Project

191 Pages·2017·2.73 MB·English

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Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019
2013
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Laura Cepero
University of Central Florida
Part of the Public History Commons
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Cepero, Laura, "The Afro-american Slave Music Project: Building A Case For Digital History" (2013).
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2899.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2899
THE AFRO-AMERICAN SLAVE MUSIC PROJECT:
BUILDING A CASE FOR DIGITAL HISTORY

by

LAURA L. CEPERO
B.A. University of Central Florida, 2010

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of History
in the Department of History
in the College of Arts and Humanities
at the University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Spring Term
2013

Major Professor: Scot French
© 2013 Laura L. Cepero

ii
ABSTRACT
This public history thesis project experimented with the application of new technology in
creating an educational resource aimed at twenty-first century public audiences. The project
presents the history, musicology, and historiography of Afro-American slave music in the United
States. In doing so, the project utilizes two digital media tools: VuVox, to create interactive
collages; and VisualEyes, to create digital visualizations. The purpose of this thesis is to assess
how the project balances the goals of digital history, public history, and academic history.
During the production of the Afro-American Slave Music Project, a number of the
promises of digital history were highlighted, along with several of the potential challenges of
digital history. In designing the project, compensations had to be made in order to minimize the
challenges while maximizing the benefits. In effect, this thesis argues for the utility of digital
history in a public setting as an alternative to traditional, prose-based academic history.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xiv
CHAPTER ONE: PROMISE AND PERIL .................................................................................... 1
An Introduction to Digital History .............................................................................................. 2
Research Agenda ........................................................................................................................ 4
Historiography ............................................................................................................................ 6
The Afro-American Slave Music Project ................................................................................... 9
Content .................................................................................................................................. 12
Organization .......................................................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER TWO: DIGITAL HISTORY AND THE AFRO-AMERICAN SLAVE MUSIC
PROJECT ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Overview of Digital History ..................................................................................................... 20
Visualizing History ................................................................................................................... 20
The Promises and Challenges of Digital History ...................................................................... 25
Technology and Social Science Education ............................................................................... 32
How the Afro-American Slave Music Project Utilizes Digital History ................................... 36
iv
CHAPTER THREE: PUBLIC HISTORY AND THE AFRO-AMERICAN SLAVE MUSIC
PROJECT ...................................................................................................................................... 39
Making History Public .............................................................................................................. 39
African-American Public History ............................................................................................. 42
Social Science Education .......................................................................................................... 45
Presenting a Difficult Past ........................................................................................................ 48
CHAPTER FOUR: THE AFRO-AMERICAN SLAVE MUSIC PROJECT .............................. 51
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 51
Website ..................................................................................................................................... 52
VuVox ....................................................................................................................................... 54
Navigating the Collages ........................................................................................................ 55
VisualEyes ................................................................................................................................ 60
Navigating the Visualizations ............................................................................................... 63
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 70
Future Expansion of the Afro-American Slave Music Project ................................................. 71
v
APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTION TRANSCRIPT .................................................................... 73
What is Afro-American Music? ................................................................................................ 74
Music in Africa ......................................................................................................................... 74
Rhythm .................................................................................................................................. 74
Vocality ................................................................................................................................. 75
Function ................................................................................................................................ 75
Music in Europe ........................................................................................................................ 76
Distinction with Traditional European Music ....................................................................... 76
The Music ................................................................................................................................. 77
Characteristics ....................................................................................................................... 77
Historiography: The Scholars’ Debate...................................................................................... 79
The Frazier-Herskovits Debate: Did Slaves Maintain Their African Heritage? ................... 79
Recent Historians .................................................................................................................. 80
Videos ....................................................................................................................................... 82
Singing Fishermen of Ghana ................................................................................................ 82
vi
APPENDIX B: FOLK TRANSCRIPT ......................................................................................... 83
The History ............................................................................................................................... 84
Context .................................................................................................................................. 84
Limitations to the Continuation of African Culture .............................................................. 84
Creolization ........................................................................................................................... 86
The Music ................................................................................................................................. 86
Rhythm .................................................................................................................................. 86
Vocality ................................................................................................................................. 87
Improvisation ........................................................................................................................ 88
Call and Response ................................................................................................................. 88
Work Songs ........................................................................................................................... 89
Historiography: The Scholars’ Debate...................................................................................... 90
Mark Miles Fisher ................................................................................................................. 90
Lawrence W. Levine ............................................................................................................. 91
John K. Thornton .................................................................................................................. 92
Videos ....................................................................................................................................... 92
vii
Afro-American Work Songs in a Texas Prison .................................................................... 92
Pizza Pizza Daddy-O ............................................................................................................ 93
Home Across the Water ........................................................................................................ 93
Gandy Dancers ...................................................................................................................... 94
APPENDIX C: SPIRITUALS TRANSCRIPT ............................................................................. 95
The History ............................................................................................................................... 96
Slave Conversion to Christianity .......................................................................................... 96
Historical Context ................................................................................................................. 97
Ring Shouts ........................................................................................................................... 98
Spirit Possession ................................................................................................................... 99
Revivalist Camp Meetings .................................................................................................... 99
The Expansion and Sophistication of Black Spirituals in White America ......................... 100
The Music ............................................................................................................................... 101
Distinguishing Between: ..................................................................................................... 101
Types of Spirituals .............................................................................................................. 103
Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 104
Themes ................................................................................................................................ 106
viii
Historiography: The Scholars’ Debate.................................................................................... 109
The Origins of Black Spirituals .......................................................................................... 109
Dating Spirituals ................................................................................................................. 112
Videos ..................................................................................................................................... 113
Black Delta Religion ........................................................................................................... 113
APPENDIX D: BLUES TRANSCRIPT ..................................................................................... 114
The History ............................................................................................................................. 115
Early Development ............................................................................................................. 115
Major Phases ....................................................................................................................... 116
The Music ............................................................................................................................... 118
Influence of Slave Folk Music ............................................................................................ 118
Origin of “Blues” ................................................................................................................ 118
Form .................................................................................................................................... 119
Lyrics .................................................................................................................................. 119
Blue Notes ........................................................................................................................... 120
Major Types ........................................................................................................................ 120
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