Prompt Cast
The Birth of the American Music Industry in Tin Pan Alley
TLDR Tin Pan Alley in New York City was the birthplace of the American music industry, where the sale of sheet music became the first commodity in the business. It was a place where Jewish and African-American songwriters and composers coalesced, and where tactics like "booming" were used to promote songs and sell sheet music.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Tin Pan Alley was a place in New York City where the American popular music industry was born, and it was named after the sound of cheap pianos.
05:28
The birth of the music industry in Tin Pan Alley was predicated on the widespread availability of pianos and the solidification of copyright law, leading to the sale of sheet music as the first commodity in the music business.
10:07
The early music publishers in Tin Pan Alley were often salespeople who saw the opportunity to make money off of original music once copyright laws were enforced, leading to the coalescence of Jewish and African-American songwriters and composers in New York City.
14:43
Tin Pan Alley music publishers would buy songs from musicians, sometimes changing the name of the songwriter, and then use songpluggers to perform the songs in music shops and theaters to promote and sell sheet music.
19:19
In Tin Pan Alley, songpluggers would use tactics like "booming" to promote songs, where they would have people in the audience sing along to the song being performed, creating a sense of FOMO and encouraging people to buy the sheet music.
23:41
In Tin Pan Alley, songwriters like Irving Berlin were making a lot of money from selling sheet music, with Berlin making about $100,000 a year in royalties in 1917, and many of these songs became classics of the early 20th century.
28:04
Irving Berlin's song "America the Beautiful" was originally written for a musical review, but it became an American standard and survived long after the show ended.
32:51
The debate over whether Tin Pan Alley should be designated as a historical landmark is ongoing, with some arguing that it was a place where African American arts were exposed to a larger population, while others believe that it was co-opted for popularity and not meant to be offensive.
37:08
The hosts briefly discuss their experiences with karaoke and mention that Irving Berlin also created ASCAP, the American Society of Composers and Performers, which protects and registers copyrights for artists.
41:27
The hosts conclude their discussion on Tin Pan Alley and mention that there should be a movie about the early music industry, and they receive a heartfelt email from a listener thanking them for helping with their mental illness.
Categories:
Society & Culture
