Project "Voice and Singing in Popular Music in the U.S.A. (1900-1960)"

Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), 12/2011-11/2014

Our group aims at describing singing voices in popular music. We analyse voices, vocal expression and singing styles in order to interpret them in social and cultural contexts. The research project covers popular music of the USA from the beginnings of recordings around 1900 until 1960 and includes three major tasks:
  1. Thorough inspection of vocal recordings of popular music of the USA between 1900–1960 and information regarding circumstances of recording processes.
  2. Systematization and formal description of vocal techniques in popular music genres, such as Blues, Gospel, Rhythm&Blues, American Popular Song, Country and Folk music as well as Jazz and Rock'n'Roll
  3. Interpretation and analysis of selected recordings and singers with regard to musical, social and cultural background.
This project is located at the department of musicology Weimar | Jena, school of music Franz Liszt Weimar and it is funded by the German Reasearch Foundation.

To the project's website

Leitung

Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter

Dr. Christian Bielefeldt

Dr. Thilo Hähnel

Dr. Katrin Horn

Dr. Tobias Marx