Music of Utah
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| Music of the United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Local music | ||
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| History (Timeline) | Ethnic music | |
| Colonial era | Native American | |
| to the Civil War | English: old-time and Western music | |
| During the Civil War | African American | |
| Late 19th century | Irish and Scottish | |
| Early 20th century | Latin: Tejano and Puerto Rican | |
| 40s and 50s | Cajun and Creole | |
| 60s and 70s | Hawaii | |
| 80s to the present | Other immigrants | |
| Genres (Samples): Classical - Folk - Popular: Hip hop - Pop - Rock | ||
Utah music has long been dominated culturally by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the "Mormons"), although other groups have also played an important role. For example, the local music scene thrives in clubs although active Latter-day Saints rarely patronize them, since drinking alcohol is discouraged in the Church. However, the musical history of Utah, and much of its current distinctiveness, is owed to the LDS Church.
Contents |
Mormon folk music
Main article: Mormon folk music
Mormon folk music constituted some of the earliest white/euramerican music in the boundaries of modern Utah. These songs, simple and easy remember, were usually sung without accompaniment because of the scarcity of musical instruments in territorial Utah. Although they often employed the same tunes as folk music elsewhere, Mormon folk is distinctively Utahn. The songs often include unique pioneer-era Mormon culture references such as crossing the plains, Mormon ecclesiastical leaders, and LDS religious convictions.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Since 1847, the Latter-day Saint influence in Utah music is manifest in the state’s most famous musical institution: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Named after the Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 300+ member choir is world-famous. The LDS Church supports the choir both for prestige and as a proselytizing tool for spreading familiarity of the church. The choir performs at least weekly at the Tabernacle for a radio program called "Music and the Spoken Word" which is the longest-running national radio program in the US. The Mormon Tabernacle choir has released innumerable albums since it first recorded in 1910.
Other Utah music institutions
The Utah Symphony [1] was founded in 1940 by Maurice Abravanel and performs at Abravanel Hall, a modern concert hall in downtown Salt Lake City. Controversially, the symphony merged in 2002 with the Utah Opera Company [2], which was organized in 1978. At the time the organizations were the largest two arts organizations in the state. Some opera and orchestra aficionados claimed that combined production quality would decline. Furthermore, there were questions about the wishes of the symphony's late founder. However, critical response to the merger has been good so far.
The Utah Valley Symphony [3] is a community orchestra organized in Utah County, Utah in 1959.
Notable mid-20th century musicians from Utah
Donny [4] and Marie Osmond [5] and the other Osmonds hail from Ogden, Utah. In the 1970s they rose to prominence with Donny even becoming a teen idol.
The Deseret String Band [6] formed in 1972 has gained some notoriety and performed across the world. They play a mixture of old-time music, Utah pioneer songs and Celtic music.
Contemporary Utah music scene
Venues and trends
In addition to the overtly religious music, Utah has a typical music scene featuring local blues, rock, and punk groups. However, these groups are sometimes marginalized because local bands usually play in bars and clubs, which are infrequently patronized by the sizable LDS population. Notable clubs for local music include Burt's Tiki Lounge [7], Liquid Joes, Monk's House of Jazz, Todd's Bar & Grill [8], the Urban Lounge [9], and the Vortex [10]. A small venue called Kilby Court [11] in Salt Lake's aging factory district caters to groups and fans that might not be suitable for bars due to their youth or raucousness.
Straight edge punk is especially popular because the straight edge culture (steadfastly refusing sex, drugs, and alcohol) fits nicely into many youthful Mormon's lifestyle. However, violent outbreaks in some past punk shows compelled several venues, including Kilby Court, to ban groups they consider "hard" punk.
As evidence of Utah's burgeoning club music scene, over 200 bands submitted tracks for a 2004 compilation by a local music zine, SLUG ("Salt Lake Underground" [12]). The 15 year-old free monthly zine trimmed the submissions to 59 selections featuring diverse music types such as hip-hop, jazz, jazz-rock, punk, and a healthy variety of rock and roll.
Rock groups
One band, Erosion, was perhaps the best-known local group before disbanding after a show on November 11, 2003. Erosion won several awards including a Salt Lake City Weekly battle of the bands. The four-person group encompassed a wide variety of styles, but was never sent to SXSW, a notable regional music festival. For this reason, SLUG referred to them as "the Susan Lucci of local music."
Several current rock bands have a following in the Salt Lake City music scene. The Red Bennies [13], playing since 1996 have toured the West and released many albums. Starmy [14], winner of several Salt Lake City Weekly recognitions (including best local CD and 2002 battle of the bands). Loud rock group Thunderfist [15] is noted for their sometimes raucous stage mannerisms in Salt Lake clubs. Similarly loud, punk/rock band Form of the Rocket has a very loyal local fanbase. Tolchock Trio, named after a A Clockwork Orange verb meaning "to hit" plays eclectic and often experimental-sounding rock. The Debonairs, a three-man Ogden group, successfully mix rockabilly and punk styles. The New Evils [16] whose members have punk rock roots extending back into the 1980s, started a label, Sound Co Records [17]
A cappella
Utah has a flourishing a cappella music scene. Popular groups include Voice Male, InsideOut, Octappella, Eclipse, The Standards, T Minus Five, and Sixth Gear.
Other groups
Artists outside the rock tradition include Bob Moss [18], an older beatnik and folk music performer who has had albums released on Sound Co Records. COSM [19], an electronica group is known for their "organic breaks" and vocals over walls of synth and drum machine sound. Hello Amsterdam [20], a five-member group with only two of its originals left is known for syncopated indie music sound. Stacey Board [21] is one successful Salt Lake City folk music singer and her group has performed in several out-of-state acoustic music events. The Park City Club and Bar & Grill scene is predominantly frequented by strong vocal solo artists such as Guitarist Dave Hahn,[22] Piano Man Rich Wyman,[23] Vocalist/Instrumentalist Jojo Hahn,[24] and Joy & Eric. Another well-known popular Vocalist/Pianist from Park City is MaryBeth Maziarz[25] who is known for her contributing music for the popular television show "Dawson's Creek". The Numbs [26], are a team of five DJs and emcees from Provo who have been played on TV shows, movies, and video games. Also "The Used" and "The Killers" started in Utah.
New Mormon music
Beginning in the 1960s, gospel music gained some success, and Mormons played an integral role in the development of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) into the 1970s. Since then, Michael McLean [27] from Heber, Utah and Kenneth Cope [28] in Salt Lake City have become relatively popular among mostly-older Latter-day Saints for their religiously charged easy listening music.
Another new strain of music that is marketed primarily toward youthful Latter-day Saints is sometimes called "Mormon pop". The well-reviewed acoustic-heavy musician Shane Jackman [29], local band SweetHaven, and the acoustic pop group Colors arguably fit into this category. Mormon pop has received a boost from the new phenomena of Mormon cinema and their accompanying soundtracks. Some Mormon cinema soundtracks sold well. In light of this success, independent Utah-heavy collections of youth-oriented LDS music have been released. Often they feature traditional LDS hymns that are rearranged into heavier rock songs. Some groups perform these songs almost exclusively while others like the established Salt Lake band Magstatic [30] record LDS-themed music on the side.
External Links
- Official site of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- SLUG, a 15 year-old Salt Lake City music 'zine
- Salt Lake City Weekly 2003 "Slammy Awards" (for local music)
- University of Utah student newspaper article on local music
