American music is less of a melting pot than its people are, still it's fun to trace back where our varied music came from, what influenced us and what didn't. Many things have captured but not held our collective fancy - polkas, bossa nova, ragtime, Dixieland, country blues, big band, a cappella gospel, modern jazz, calypso ... And they all go into our big melting pot, along with religious influences, ethnic traditions carried over from a nearly forgotten homeland, slavery, politics... and out comes the American people, as diverse as our backgrounds, yet, still American in our identification and feelings.

(NOTE: There are sub-pages with the actual repertoire, but so your time isn't wasted, here are some funnies.)