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Title
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Going off the Rails: Exploring the Impact of the Railroad on the Development of Musical Culture in Kansas City, Missouri
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Description
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Thesis in musicology presented to the faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree - Master of Music. Abstract: Kansas City, Missouri, is a musical oasis in the United States. In addition to being considered one of the four original jazz centers, local audiences also enthusiastically welcome art music and experimental music of all kinds. This deep appreciation for music and the arts can be traced to the development of the railroad in Kansas City and how it connected the city to the artistic lifeblood of the country. This thesis explores the existing research about the establishment of Kansas City as a railroad hub and the subsequent cultural blossoming experienced in the city at the turn of the century. This thesis project makes a connection between the railroad and the growth of music culture. The development of various aspects of music in Kansas City including, band, orchestra, opera, theater, vaudeville, music education, and music publications which the research in this thesis indicates is traced back to the societal impacts the railroad had on the frontier town in the last three decades of the nineteenth century. Next, this thesis project provides commentary on the function of demographics, including a brief consideration of gender, in the musical culture of Kansas City - specifically the way women defined culture and programming. Finally, this project summarizes and contextualizes the trends, habits, and preferences that make up the music culture in the city within the musical expectations and culture specific to the United States. The establishment of the railroad in Kansas City connected the city to the musical trends of the United States; because of this artistic connection, Kansas City developed into a musical microcosm of the United States’ musical narrative.
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Date
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2021
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Object Type
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Manuscript
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Title
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Orpheum Theater
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Description
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Postcard of the Orpheum Theater.
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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Willis Wood Theater
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Description
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Postcard of the Willis Wood Theater that once stood at 11th Street and Baltimore Avenue.
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Date
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1909-08-20
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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Grand Opera House
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Description
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Postcard of the Grand Opera House, once located on Walnut Street between 7th and 8th streets.
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Date
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1912
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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Willis Wood Theater
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Description
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Postcard of Willis Wood Theater.
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Date
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1907-07
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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Gayety Theater
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Description
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A promotional postcard for the Gayety Theater.
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Date
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1912~
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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Main Street Theater
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Description
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Postcard of the Main Street Theater.
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Date
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1923-06-29
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Object Type
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Postcard
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Title
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SC223 Folly Theater Collection Finding Aid
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Description
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Open since 1900, the Folly Theater has assumed several names and identities over the decades, from a vaudeville, burlesque, and Shakespearean playhouse to an X-rated movie theater. Today, it serves as Kansas City’s oldest performing arts venue. The Folly Theater Collection contains photographs, scrapbooks, posters, administrative and financial records, building blueprints, and various artifacts that document the theater’s diverse history.
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Date
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1877/2014
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Object Type
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Finding Aid
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Title
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Loew's Midland Theater
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Description
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View of Loew's Midland Theater; located on the northwest corner of 13th and Main streets.
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Date
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1928~
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Object Type
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Artwork
