Music as Communication

MUSIC AS COMMUNICATION

HomeThesisHarriet TubmanHistorical
ContextOrigin of Slave
SongsUnderground
RailroadMusic as
CommunicationMultiple
PerspectivesHistorical
ImpactResources

Original book from negro spirituals.

Original book from negro spirituals, library.si.edu

"Follow The Drinking Gourd" Youtube, uploaded by SingAnAmericanStory, 24 Feb, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw6N_eTZP2U

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot - The Plantation Singers" Youtube, uploaded by RTL Nieuws New York, 22 Feb, 2012, https://youtu.be/ljup8cIRzIk

The negro spiritual songs or the African American spiritual are the most significant form of American folksongs. These songs were also called map songs or coded songs. These songs were used in the everyday lives of African slaves to escape the cruelty of slavery.

Night sky illustration of the Big Dipper, or Drinking Gourd, in relation to the North Star and Little Dipper.
North Star to Freedom, July 9, 2018, nps.gov

Songs were also the mode of communication since many of the slaves didn’t know how to read and they were not allowed to speak with other slaves. Songs were also used to motivate during tough times. The songs were a great communication strategy for Harriet Tubman and other slaves in their journey for freedom.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot lyrics,
​​​​​​​Slideshare.net

“Even some of them that ended up in  traditional songbooks and  some of those songs actually came out of slavery.  They would sing songs about wade in the water,  but that was about the escape route of going along the riverbanks, those songs had messages that led them to freedom”. ​​​​​​​

Gayle Lowery, American Descendant of Slavery(ADOS)
​​​​​​​Source: Personal interveiw with Gayle Lowery.

Slave songs poster explaining music as communication.
​​​​​​​Music Final Project, glogster.com

Gospel hymns, a book of Spirituals, original copy. 
​​​​​​​the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Wade in the Water

​​​​​​​Slideshare.net

A visual of Harriet's song.

"Stand Up official lyric video" Youtube, Uploaded by Focus Feature, Oct 25, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/sn19xvfoXvk

 Music being used as a form of communication.

"Slave Songbook : Origin of the negro Spiritual" Youtube, Uploaded by blackhistorywalks, Nov 17, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/8zeshN_ummU

Underground Railroad
Multiple Perspective