Welcome back to Austin classical music / San Antonio classical music 101! Today we’re talking about the history of the San Antonio Symphony. San Antonio classical music’s beginnings hail back to the 1880’s, when the first complete symphony in the state of Texas was performed by a 49-piece orchestra. It […]

In 1987, the US House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill that defined jazz as a unique form of American music stating “…that jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it […]

In the 1970’s jazz fusion became all of the rage. It was developed by combining jazz improvisation with rock rhythms, electric instruments, and the highly amplified stage sound of rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. Although jazz purists protested the blend of jazz and rock, some of jazz’s significant innovators […]

The 1960’s was a decade of rapid change and unrest for Americans and their way of life. The Vietnam War tore the country apart and racial tension increased as African Americans began to conduct non-violent protests against segregation. In 1963, Martin Luther King made his famous “I Have a Dream” […]

During the 1950’s, Americans began to turn to new form of entertainment – the television. As a result, the dance halls where jazz bands once played began to close all across the country. The Milton Berle television program introduced America-at-large to Elvis Presley and his fresh, energetic sound. This newer […]

Through the mid-1940’s, many jazz musicians were drafted to fight in World War II. Big dance bands had troubles finding musicians. In the United States, there were war restrictions on the use of plastics, which meant that fewer records were produced in order to conserve plastic. In addition, gasoline was […]