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Commercial music in Context
Recap
Cultural and Social Contexts
Technological Contexts
Industry Contexts
Commercial Music in Context
Tin Pan Alley
The four key musical discourses
American Civil War
The Post-War EraOver 25,000 new pianos a year were sold
By 1887 over 500,000 people were studying piano
Demand for sheet music grew rapidly
New York began to emerge as the music publishing centre of America
28th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway
Tin Pan Alley
Composers hired under contract, giving the publisher exclusive rights to their work
The market was surveyed to determine what style of song was selling best and then the composers were
directed to compose in that style
Songs tested with listeners to determine which would be published
Song pluggers would play the work in music shops to drive up sales
The Tin Pan Alley Business Model
The lyrics of music from this period suggest that the USA was a peaceful, happy and prosperous place
Musical entertainment became a chance for people to escape the realities of the hardships of life
