Ong and the Orality of American Song (page4)

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(vi) Agonistically toned
In this section, Ong stresses the importance of, "verbal and intellectual combat," in oral cultures (44). This verbal competition should be seen as, "not a real fight but an art form" (44). Likewise, a nearly identical form of competition can be seen in many forms of American music. Probably the most significant form of this combat seen in American music takes root in the jazz jam session. A jam session is generally described as a gathering of musicians that gather to play for their own enjoyment. Jazz musician Coleman Hawkins described the nature of many jazz jams, "What you're calling today a jam, we used to call them cutting contests. Like I hear about regular tenor players playing down there, and I had to go down and cut them, you know" (206, DeVeaux). Scott DeVeaux, author of The Birth of BeBop, explains, "the focus in jam sessions was on competition…This ritual of competition was deeply ingrained in African American culture" (210).
This African American tradition can also be seen in rap and hip-hop. In VH1's Behind the Music, Snoop Dogg talked of the importance of developing one's skills and earning respect by very similar forms of verbal competition. This form of competition is not just a phenomenon of the African American tradition. Many white rock 'n roll guitarists also attribute the function of competition to the furthering of their skills and musical fluency.

(vii) Empathetic and participatory rather than objectively distanced
American music, just like oral culture, has importance, "encased in the communal reaction, the communal 'soul'" (46). Concerts are a working example of this function. No matter what the scale, coffee shop to arena show, live performance and communal reaction are imperative to the importance of our culture's musical tradition. Ong explains that writing allows for a, "sense of personal disengagement or distancing," (46). Live performances, on the other hand, keep an audience engaged and allow for an active form of feedback. The ability for communal reaction to a concert is limitless. People can dance if they feel the music, they can clap to the beat; they can boo for disapproval, or chant, "one more song," at the end of a night of great music.

(viii) Homeostatic
Because of its social significance, American music has lived very much in the present just like oral societies. Ong says that oral societies keep themselves in equilibrium or homeostasis by, "sloughing off memories which no longer have present relevance" (46). In the same manner, American music has always been concerned with the current social condition of the day. Early blues dealt with the harsh conditions of life in the South, protest music of the 60s called for social change when our nation was at a breaking point, and the music of the 80s displayed the excess of our new consumerist culture.
Just as song reflects the relevance of current society it also maintains new slang and colloquialisms while dismissing old ones. As Ong says, "Words acquire their meanings only from their always insistent actual habitat," and this is consistent with song examples (47). While "Mr. Tambourine Man" was referred to as drug related lyrics in their day, no longer do songs reference a tambourine man as a person to score drugs from or puff the magic dragon as a marijuana reference. Today, drug references are seen in songs such as Weezer's "Hash Pipe" and many rap songs that use newer slang terms as doja.

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