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For Further Study
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1
Jimmie Rodgers is considered the father of country music. His "discovery" by Ralph Peer opened a whole new world of music to commercial possibilities. Read about this in a short essay Peer wrote for Billboard magazine found at http://www.silcom.com/~peterf/ideas/jr-rpeer.htm

Follow up reading the essay with a discussion on the ways country music has changed since its earliest days.

2
Today when most people think of the classic "Western" movie, they conjure up images of John Wayne. During the 1950s, when the western movie was a romantic vision of the frontier a "western" had different implications. Watch Gene Autry in "Back in the Saddle." In what ways does this story (and its music) reflect some of the political activist movies of more recent time (like Sally Field in "Norma Rae")? How does the music in "Back in the Saddle" contribute to the movie's message?
3
From 1969 until 1996 the weekly television series "Hee Haw" presented good music and really corny jokes to American audiences. Many of these shows have been released on DVD. Consider how this show is like a minstrel show. Do you think the success of such a comedy reflects on the attitudes found toward country music in some parts of the United States? Explain your reasoning in a short essay.
4
Many of us know the work of Linda Ronstadt. The Ronstadt family has been a music making family since the 1880s. On the internet web site at http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/images/ronstadt/bordermn/bmhome.html read about Federico José María Ronstadt (great-grandfather of Linda) and the fascinating account of music-making in the Southwest. Prepare a short synopsis of Federico José María Ronstadt's musical experiences to share with your class.
5
In recent years there has been much "cross-over" marketing of country music. One of the most successful of the cross-over works has been those made by Mark O'Connor, Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. Listen to either Appalachian Waltz or Appalachian Journey by these artists and discuss the differences you hear in this "new" blend of music over the more traditional styles of country music (including bluegrass, hillbilly and other subgenres).





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