Midwestern Region

The Midwest

The Midwest is a unique region of the United States, as it contains many diverse populations and heritages. It consists of Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. 

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History of Midwestern Music

As an area predominately shaped by native American and frontiersmen culture, there is an incredibly wide variety of musical influences and styles that emerged from, and were shaped by, the people of the region. The roots of midwestern music center around the great plains, and the cowboy traditions that grew from the area, and from the Mississippi River, carrying ideas and tunes from the deep south. Because of this, jazz and blues, as well as styles developed from Appalachian folk traditions, found a home in this area.

Jazz- The True American Art

It is impossible to talk about jazz without discussing Chicago and Detroit. The factory-intensive areas from Ohio through southern Michigan and up to Chicago produced a strong middle class, one that was very ethnically diverse and influenced by the music floating up the Mississippi River. Motown was the most important sub-genre to emerge, but many early jazz artists found their fame in one of the major cities that dot this region. King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton, two major stars of the genre made their home in Chicago, and many of the incomparable Louis Armstrong's greatest recordings were made in the same city.

                                             Jelly Roll Morton- Riverside Blues

The Recreation of Appalachian Traditions

The so-called "Rust Belt", stretching from Chicago to Pittsburgh was home to much of the industrial revolution in America. Because of this, lower income workers poured into the area from surrounding farming and coal lands, bringing with them the Gospel and Folk traditions that defined West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The Staples Singers are one example of the strongly influenced Gospel singers of the Chicago area. I would be remiss not to mention the Detroit-based Aretha Franklin as another shining example of this synthesis of styles.

Popular Music in the Midwest

Centered again around Chicago and Detroit, popular music of this area was defined by a number of exemplary musicians, including Madonna, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, and a variety of Rock icons, including Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, and the aptly named Chicago. While these bands are just a few of the iconic acts that emerged from the area, the rich influences that come with being in the very middle of a country blooming with artistic strength led to the creation of many of our country's most recognizable performers.

                                          Madonna- The Immaculate Collection

            

                                                 Ted Nugent- Stranglehold