Harlem Renaissance Music Analysis

“But there are certain very practical things American Negro writers can do. And must do. There 's a song that says, the time ain 't long. That song is right. Something has got to change in America and change soon. We must help that change to come”(Hughes). The change did come, and it was the Harlem Renaissance. That song came about because of the Harlem Renaissance, it was the change that we needed. The song said that we needed change and that change was the song. Harry Herbert Pace had a big influence on the Harlem Renaissance with his company Black Swan Records, which recorded many legendary songs.
Harry Herbert Pace was a light skinned african american who wore many hats, but most importantly was a promoter of ‘Race Records’. “He was born …show more content…
Pace was able to get a thirty thousand dollar loan to start his phonograph company. He was told no by many banks for the thirty thousand dollar loan for his company, but soon he found one to tell him yes. The bank that told him yes was the bank that know all about him and loved his music. This shows that his music had a very large impact on people if it was able to help him get a loan that big. Thirty thousand dollars was a lot back then. You could say that his music saved him. “In 1912, after moving to Memphis, Pace met W.C. Handy. The two men became friends, writing songs together” (Manos). W.C. Handy was one of the major contributors in the Harlem Renaissance with his divine music. He wrote many notable songs like Yellow Dog Blues and Mr. Crump, and this is what he was know for. He would not write songs with someone that was no good at it. Would you want to play catch with someone who kept throwing the ball too far? No, that is why Pace must be a very good songwriter who made a large contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. “ By the onset of the Harlem Renaissance, Harry Pace had already established himself as a successful banker, insurance administrator, and lyricist” (Wintz and Finkelman 946). Harry Pace was a very successful man which means that he was a powerful man. Powerful people have very great influences on the community. That means that he had a very large impact on the …show more content…
Often referred to as the "Father of the Blues," Handy 's pioneering vision also lives on through Alabama 's annual W.C. Handy Music Festival”(Biography.com). What this quote is saying is that Handy is the center of the Harlem Renaissance. The company that Handy and Pace built was the center of the Harlem renaissance because of the singers and musicians. Pace helped create the company that was the center of the Harlem renaissance. The market was growing fast, but large mainstream companies like Paramount and Columbia were popping up, but Black Swan was holding on. The only reason that Black Swan was still producing records is because they were the best and they had the best musicians. The market was growing and expanding, but Black Swan was not staying up to date with the people’s taste. They started experimenting with other music styles, but the blues music was the best selling. Pace’s business started in his basement and now it had thirty employees and had an annual income of one hundred thousand dollars. That was a lot of money back then. That is about three million dollars today. That all started from a loan of thirty thousand dollars. If that does not show that you are a big impact on the