Something New: American Music & Society in the 1940s

Join us for a fun and fascinating exploration of the 1940s in America! This period brought about great changes in music, reflecting the shifts in the country and the world. Under the shadow of World War II, the 1940s ushered in cultural evolution and revolution, with new concepts taking hold around economics and youth. Meanwhile, a reimagined musical landscape began treating popular music as art instead of mere entertainment. Though the scope of this program will be broad, we will focus on four key figures to represent these changes: Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Along the way, we’ll check in with Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Bob Wills, the Andrews Sisters, and others, and learn how a little-known musicians strike inadvertently created reverberations through music history that we are still hearing today.
This event is free and open to the public. For questions or directions to the library, call 207-865-3307 or visit freeportlibrary.com.