Race & the Blues in St. Louis Conversation - The Past: Stigma of the Blues

Conversation # 1

The Past: Stigma of the Blues

Date: Sunday, 2/4/18

Time: 2-3:30 pm

Questions:

    What were some of the industry practices for crediting/compensating blues artists and the long-lasting effects of those practices?

    When did the blues come to St. Louis and who was playing it? (Address the stigma)

    When white rock ‘n’ rollers borrow from black blues artists is it plagiarism (stealing) or preservation?

    Did copyright laws help support blues artists, or serve as a roadblock? (Could be beneficial to explore the shift in thinking that had to come about for an artform steeped in oral traditions, adapting others songs, etc. The idea of music as intellectual property vs. a shared cultural tradition)