Federal Music Project
Encyclopedia
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
program Federal One
Federal One
Federal Project Number One was the collective name for a group of projects under the Work Projects Administration, a New Deal program in the United States. The five elements of the program were:*Mathematical Tables Project*Harry Hopkins-External links:...
, employed musicians, conductors and composers during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. People in the music world had been particularly hard-hit by the era's economic downturn. In addition to performing thousands of concerts, offering music classes, organizing the Composers Forum Laboratory, hosting music festivals and creating 34 new orchestras, employees of the FMP researched American traditional music and folk songs, a practice now called ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
. In the latter domain the Federal Music Project did notable studies on cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
, Creole and "Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
" music. The FMP's director—for the majority of its brief life—was Nikolai Sokoloff
Nikolai Sokoloff
Nikolai Sokoloff , was a Russia-American conductor and violinist. He was born in Kiev, and studied music at Yale. From 1916 to 1917 he was musical director of the San Francisco People's Philharmonic Orchestra, where he insisted on including women in his orchestra and paying them the same as men...
. During the Great Depression, many people visited these symphonies to forget about the economic hardship of the time.
1935-1939
The Federal Music Project began in July 1935, and ended in 1939. The Federal Music Project was followed by the WPA Music Program, and this lasted 1939-1943. People that were into music before the Federal Music Program were distraught, by the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The Great Depression played a tremendous role on why the Federal Music Program is here today. The purpose of the Federal Music Project was to give different types of musicians an occupation, during the Great Depression, and it was also to teach others about music, and create entertainment and educate people about the wondrous music that these musicians created. Some of these musicians included: singers, music teachers, and instrumentalists. Pieces from the Federal Music Project included many orchestras (symphony orchestras, dance orchestras) it also included string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, the teaching of music, and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Vocalists and singers also played a great role in the Federal Music Project. There were singers, and vocal quartets, and soloists. Grand opera
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
had key pieces as well. Dr. Nikolai Sokoloff
Nikolai Sokoloff
Nikolai Sokoloff , was a Russia-American conductor and violinist. He was born in Kiev, and studied music at Yale. From 1916 to 1917 he was musical director of the San Francisco People's Philharmonic Orchestra, where he insisted on including women in his orchestra and paying them the same as men...
was the director of the Federal Music Project. Before the Federal Music Project Dr. Sokoloff was originally the conductor for the original Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
. In addition to Dr. Sokoloff there were five Regional Directors, twenty three State Directors, and five Administrative staff.
The Federal Music Project was created for the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. It is also known as the WPA. The project helped to break away from the debates of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and it created something for people to do, during the hardships. These musical concerts were either a very low cost, or they were free. It created lessons for adults who are underprivileged, and it created a musical program for children. The creation of music was more popular, and the appreciation for music arose. The amateur musicians became better, and there were more musical participants. The project formed new orchestras, singers, dancers, vocal groups, and vocal producers. The music project supplied performers and teachers of music an occupation. It also created many new orchestral pieces of music. This project was the first where Federal money was used on culture. The Federal Music Project helped people use their time for relaxation more innovative. The Federal Music Project was for the use of everyone, and it didn’t single anyone out. Even though the project was thought to be this picturesque, ideal, and perfect plan, there were still many challenging facets that occurred during its time. One of the more general obstacles the Federal Music Project had to go through was the types of culture going into the project. The project caught on so much in the 1930s that most schools had their own music program.
In 1936, the Works Progress Administration also began to add on to the Federal Music Project. The WPA’s didn’t center towards original music. In 1937 Charles Seeger
Charles Seeger
Charles Seeger, Jr. was a noted musicologist, composer, and teacher. He was the father of iconic American folk singer Pete Seeger .-Life:...
developed into assistant director of the project. After he became assistant director, many varieties of music became available. Seeger’s ambition was for everyone to take interest in music, and become a part of it.
In 1939, the Federal Music Project’s finances declined, by Congress. This wasn’t the only decline in finances; many other projects like the Federal Music Project were reduced. In 1939 the Federal Music Project was renamed. Its new name was the WPA Music Program. This didn’t last long though. A year later the Federal Music Project/WPA Music Program was terminated.