The years between 1860 and 1920 saw an extraordinary explosion of new musical styles in America, but much of it is at risk of being lost to history.
“Sheet music in the 18th and 19th centuries was considered disposable, much like newspapers today,” explained Rick Benjamin, adjunct instructor of music at Susquehanna University. “Add to that the delicate nature of the materials used at the time and poor storage conditions and America’s musical history is at risk of crumbling away.”
This early American music — from spirituals, brass bands and string ensembles to the rise of ragtime, blues and early “jass” — will be presented at Susquehanna University’s Symposium on Historic American Music: Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation, from Oct. 16–18 in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. It will include live performances, scholarly lectures and research, and interactive workshops.
“The symposium is designed to bring this music to life in the way it was first experienced — as vibrant performances that shaped the culture of a young America,” Benjamin said. “By pairing scholarship with live demonstrations, we can help audiences understand both the artistry and the history behind these sounds.”
Performers at Susquehanna’s Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation include Grammy Award–winner Dom Flemons, the 8th Green Machine Regiment Band and the Roof Garden Jass Band, as well as Susquehanna’s Symphonic Band under the direction of Eric Hinton, director of bands, department head and associate professor of music at Susquehanna University. The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, which Benjamin founded, will be the featured performance and will showcase the music of America’s early World’s Fairs.
Tickets are required for the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra’s featured performance, which will showcase the music of America’s early World’s Fairs. Tickets are $20 per person. Seniors may purchase a discounted ticket for $15, while students may purchase tickets for $10. Tickets may be purchased online through the Degenstein Center Box Office, or by visiting the box office or calling 570-372-ARTS. Box office hours are Monday through Friday while classes are in session, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Speakers include Columbia University’s John H. McWhorter, who is also a columnist for The New York Times, and American musicologist and author Edward A. Berlin, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on ragtime and composer Scott Joplin.
Benjamin has led an acclaimed effort to preserve America’s musical history. He discovered thousands of early 20th-century orchestra scores belonging to Victrola recording star Arthur Pryor in 1985. Since then, he has built a 20,000-title collection of historic American orchestra music, much of it recovered from attics, basements or dumpsters destined for landfills.
