Beginning in the early 1900s, many African Americans moved from the “Deep South” to other places in the United States. In many cases, people were trying to get to larger cities further north, such as: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Detroit. They moved in pursuit of greater economic and academic opportunities, and to leave the oppressive Jim Crow laws that governed the South. As people migrated, their music traveled with them. In this lesson, we will explore how the blues changed as African American musicians moved from more rural areas to more urban areas of the United States.

Lesson Paths & Learning Objectives

1. The Great Migration and Music

   • Explain why people moved from the “Deep South” to other places in the United States during the early 20th Century.
   • Explain what happens to music when people migrate.
   • 45+ minutes

2. Urbanization: Sounds of the Electric Blues

   • Explain how migration from rural to urban areas affected the evolution of the blues.
   • Identify musical and stylistic characteristics of different electric (urban) blues sub-genres.
   • 15+ minutes

3. Singing with Big Mama: Part 2

   • Demonstrate (through performance) how performers of urban blues convey intent through their interpretations of music elements and expressive qualities (tempo, dynamics, instrumentation, texture, etc…).
   • Explain how performers convey the intent of a musical composition and why they change their interpretation from one performance to the next.
   • Explain why Big Mama Thornton's contributions were so important to the evolution of blues music and other American musical styles.
   • 30+ minutes