The Relationship Between Music and Setting

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the workers would sing to help them carry on and pace themselves. While completing the strenuous and wearisome jobs that they were forced to do, the work song aided in taking them somewhere else and to break up all of the tedious tasks. Often times with the chores assigned to them, they would require a team effort. In this case rhythm would help and coordinate the workers to move simultaneously. Even though many people would mainly associate these work songs with African American slaves, several other cultures, like the West Indies, can be associated with these tunes as well. Titon also claims that these songs could have very well originated from the work songs of the British. He refers to a quote by Frederick Douglas, an ex-slave, which, summed up, says that the overseers were not very fond of slaves that were silent while they worked. The masters would announce to “make a noise.” Even after Emancipation, the singing was said to have continued. Another important type of an ...

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