One of American greatest exports provides the world with dozens of fascinating products that they cannot get enough of. And that is our culture. The American culture, from fashion to movies to gossip to the internet, fascinates the world. You can see it in how countries all around the world imitate and develop local versions of American customs and culture to become as much like Americans as they can.

And of all the different elements of our wonderfully diverse culture, American music stands out as a genuinely unique cultural phenomenon that captivates the world as much as it captivates us. There is a certain “sound” that is so uniquely American that it could not have developed in any other nation than this one. That sound is big and bold, full of life and optimism and excitement. That is because the nature of American music is that it reflects the spirit and the heart of what it is to be an American.

Probably the first type of music that became known as distinctively “American” is what came out of Broadway. While England and other countries have vibrant theater districts, this thing we came to call the Broadway show tune could have come into being nowhere else but in this big sprawling country. Of all those tunes, the lyrics from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma capture that American feeling as well as any

We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand!
And when we say
Yeeow! Ayipioeeay!
We’re only sayin’
You’re doin’ fine,
Oklahoma! .

The exuberance, the pride and the excitement of that song is as much an expression of what it means to be an American as you can find. But Broadway is not the only place you can find music that is so distinctively American that it could have come into being nowhere else but here. Jazz is an outstanding example of a uniquely American music that has spread around the world. This rich and sultry musical style grew out of the swamps of Louisiana, spread to Chicago and then to the world to become one of the most addicting music styles of its time. And to this day those who become jazz fans are jazz fans for life.

And we cannot leave our discussion of a music style that shows off the greatness of the American Spirit without mentioning Rock and Roll and even Hip Hop. These much maligned styles of music are very American because they are bold, in your face, challenging and not afraid to say what needs to be said. At the same time they are complex, fun, interesting and once you are hooked on them, you are hooked for life. What better way to describe the American spirit. And what better export to the world than a music that gives to mankind the spirit of America.

They say that if you listen to the music of a people, you can genuinely get a feel for the spirit of that people. Sometimes we don’t think of ourselves as a people in the same way a country that is largely populated by one ethnic group is. But America is a culture with a rich history, a set of cultural values, a language all our own and a unique view of the world that is totally American. From Bye Bye Miss American Pie, to Oklahoma to the great songs of Jazz, Country and Folk music, the richness of the American culture is fully expressed in her music. And that music is something Americans prize and take joy in every day. And we know our music is truly great because the world cannot get enough of it either.

American Music Awards

The ‘09 American Music Awards featured performances from blockbuster stars like Whitney Houston, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, Green Day, Eminem and Rihanna, but newcomer Lambert was selected to close out the show, and his performance was advertised as “eye-popping” and something you’d be talking about tomorrow.

With an army of dancers clad in gear that looked like it was inspired by the Haus of Gaga, Lambert strutted across the Nokia Theatre stage, dragging some of his dancers outfitted in S&M gear by harnesses and stopping to caress the legs of others — both men and women. As his band turned out the techno-crunch of his debut single from For Your Entertainment (out tomorrow), Lambert bounced around the stage in black leather, hitting his signature high notes. During the bridge, he sat on a chair below a female stripper on a pole, then made his way back across the stage, singing, “Do you like what you see? Let me entertain you until you scream” as the lyrics to his song (”Can you handle what I’m about to do?”) came off like a direct challenge to the audience.

For his first televised performance since the Season Eight finale of American Idol, Adam Lambert aimed for the kind of controversy Britney Spears and Madonna are known for generating, completely stunning the audience at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre and the millions watching the American Music Awards live on ABC with a risqué rendition of “For Your Entertainment.” Rolling Stone didn’t label Lambert the Wild Idol for nothing, and Glambert definitely delivered on his promise of a “sexy” performance as he closed the live show with simulated oral sex from a male backup dancer, a brief make-out session with his male keyboardist and a giant mirrored prop so the audience could see the looks on their own shocked faces. Rolling Stone has learned that producers weren’t informed about the guy-on-guy kiss in advance, and after the show, Lambert told RS the musician he kissed is a straight man.

Lambert also told RS that if ABC decides to cut any parts of his performance for the West Coast rebroadcast, it would amount to “discrimination.”

American Music Store

In 1973, regional bands and lounge musicians playing one night dance/concerts had dominated for over a decade. It was a time of 45 single records, AM radio, and powerful agencies booking NW bands from Canada to California. Names like the Kingsman, the Wailers, Paul Revere, The Sonics, Dave Lewis and many others hail from that time. The 70′s saw a shift toward bar and tavern jobs as the children of the 60′s came of age. This led to the rise of club dance bands playing bluesy rock and R&B, original groups like Jr. Cadillac, Sweet Talkin’ Jones, Epicenter, Rail & Co. and show bands like Burgundy Express. American Music was a busy place, supplying the changing needs of working musicians playing up to 6 days a week 5 hrs a night, putting their equipment to demanding use. We were loaning new gear to try out, repairing the old, finding special instruments for musicians and provided a meeting place to meet with other players, and form new bands with new gear needs.

In 1981 large music festivals like Bumbershoot and Bite of Seattle became the reason to add large sound systems to the Rentals division and build up our new specialty in back line: amps keyboards, drums kits and just about anything else concert musicians need. High production values in recording and show bands during the Eighties had raised the stakes to run a performing rock band. NW bands acquired bigger sound and light systems and elaborate multi-keyboard setups led by groups like Heart and Queensryche, Stryker, Epicenter and Push touring and recording in Seattle. Players of the 60′s rock touring bands were now working lounges and clubs.

Now that the pro music scene in Seattle was more polished, the underground was heating up: flannel clad musicians hit the streets with a new/old approach featuring a gritty and raw portrayal of life and social issues, a new style would sweep the world with it’s popularity. During this time American Music and other music business were promoting NW bands to the rest of the country via the Northwest Area Music Association (NAMA). These activities helped set the scene for the music revolution known as the Grunge Explosion of the 90′s. American Music was a social center for the group of musicians who founded the guitar bands that would go on to make history, supplying their equipment needs and providing a place to hang and exchange information. Members of bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, My Sisters Machine, Alice in Chains, The Posies, The Presidents and many more geared up.

As the 90′s closed, the post-Grunge music industry in Seattle was in upheaval. A period when famous groups disbanded, while others became international mega-stars. Big record companies and famous musicians found a home here. Seattle had become a serious music town with management and record company agents, a place where an artist can get signed, and many do. Music styles are morphing into new sounds and new instrumentation, with new song writers and many hopeful performers looking for a chance to move ahead.

Today our staff of musicians continue to play music in the clubs and studios, doing shows, using the gear we carry so their experience can inform their advice and guidance to customers in choosing the right gear. The performers, the hopefuls, the just starting, the famous and the emerging stars are in the store and playing in this city and beyond. In the new century, we’re a store run by musicians for musicians, active in the Northwest music community.

Society for American Music

The Society for American Music was founded in honor of and originally named for the first critical scholar and bibliographer of American Music, Oscar G. T. Sonneck.
The Sonneck Circle was established in 2003 to honor the memory of Oscar Sonneck, and offers its members additional benefits.
The mission of the Society for American Music is to stimulate the appreciation, performance, creation and study of American musics of all eras and in all their diversity, including the full range of activities and institutions associated with these musics throughout the world.
At the annual business meeting held on March 21, 2009 in Denver, the following awards were announced:

Irving Lowens Award for distinguished scholarship in American Music (book):
Michael Broyles & Denise Von Glahn, authors of Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (Indiana University Press, 2007).

Irving Lowens Award for distinguished scholarship in American Music (article):
Nancy Yunhwa Rao, author of “Ruth Crawford’s Imprint on Contemporary Composition,” in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Worlds: Innovation and Tradition in Twentieth-Century American Music, ed. Ray Allen and Ellie Hisama (University of Rochester Press, 2007).

Wiley Housewright Dissertation Award:
Ayden Adler, for “Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music”: Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, 1930-1950 (Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester).

Mark Tucker Award (student paper):
Christine Fena, for “The ‘Piano Technician’ and his ‘Unfortunate Piano’: Henry Cowell in the Machine Age.”

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Horace Clarence Boyer, in recognition of his inspiring leadership in the study, performance, and appreciation of gospel music.

Honorary Membership Award:
Tony Isaacs, in recognition of his monumental achievements, through his recording philosophy and techniques, in keeping traditional music alive within American Indian communities, and far beyond.

Distinguished Service Award:
Ron Pen, in recognition of his deep commitment to bettering our community of the lovers of American music and with sincere appreciation for his dedicated efforts toward furthering the mission of the Society.

American Music Center

The American Music Center is dedicated to building a national community of artists, organizations, and audiences creating, performing, and enjoying new American music. Since its founding in 1939 by composers Marion Bauer, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Harrison Kerr, Otto Luening, and Quincy Porter, AMC has been a leader in providing field-wide advocacy, support, and connection.

AMC advocates for the community through NewMusicBox, its award-winning web magazine, and Counterstream Radio, a 24-hour online station broadcasting music by a broad range of United States composers. AMC supports the community by making grants to composers and ensembles each year, and by offering professional development resources for new music professionals. AMC connects the community through an array of information services, and through engagement with the broader performing arts field, including the AMC Online Library, a vast, searchable database of more than 45,000 works by American composers; publications compiling opportunities in new music and other information useful to industry professionals; and benefits and services for nearly 2,400 members in all fifty states and twenty-five countries around the world.

American Music Journal

Now in its 28th year, American Music publishes articles on American composers, performers, publishers, institutions, events, and the music industry, as well as book and recording reviews, bibliographies, and discographies. Recent article topics have included: Duke Ellington and early radio; John Cage’s HPSCHD; the WPA music copying project; defining the Easy Listening era; Milton Babbitt in academia; the soul roots of Bruce Springsteen; the benefit concerts of Jack Benny and Danny Kaye; and the boyhood of Henry Cowell. The journal also includes interviews with composers and reviews of books, recordings, films, websites, and concerts.