Introduction

Hi guys! I'm Andrew and I am from Burkesville, Kentucky. I am a first-year and I aim to major in International Studies. I consider myself a Lutheran, but I grew up in the Baptist church with my family. We went to a church in the middle of nowhere and I actually recall singing some of the songs that we have looked at. I didn't think of them as African American Spirituals at the time, and I actually didn't even know the history of them until talking about them in class which is pretty cool. 

I have no experience with actual music whatsoever unless you count trying to play the guitar a couple of times in elementary school. I do however love listening to music and am very interested in music because of that. 

I am very excited for this class and for what we are going to learn. I hope to get a better understanding of spirituals and the history and evolution of them during our time in this class. This is my first time taking a music class and I am looking forward to our trips to the museums to highlight the ideas and different types of spirituals we are going to be talking about. I am very excited to learn new things in this class and gain a better understanding of the history of race and music. 

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah

The video is of a church choir singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah. I chose this spiritual because it reminds me of my childhood and the type of songs that were sung in the church I was raised in. The most noticeable characteristic of this song is the simplicity and repetitiveness of it. It also showcases the clapping of hands and movement of feet that is mentioned in the textbook that presents itself within the soul of a person. The repetition in the song is shown in each line being sung twice, going back and forth, and then going on to two more different lines. The melody is very easy to catch on to and makes it a very catchy and engaging song to sing and listen to. Call-and-response is also shown here by having the leader sing some lines with the choir in the background. Overall, I love this song and it is very interesting to listen to it after knowing the different techniques used and the history which it comes from.