References: Music rehearsal with Paul 6-3-11

Here's brief coverage of several things we went over today!

His Name Was Cole House Walker

Stevedores were dockers that loaded and unloaded ships (often cargo) while at port. They worked long hours in all types of weather (popularizing the beanie), had to be physically fit, and were required to have the knowledge and safety precautions in order to conduct machinery. Stevedores did not often have fixed jobs but would show up to the docks every day in the hopes of finding work.

*Fun fact: Stevedore was slang for a person who was overly muscular and foul-mouthed.*

Gettin' Ready Rag
The Charleston was not popular until the 1920s, so Flaherty and Ahrens (the composers of Ragtime) took some creative liberties in making "Gettin' Ready Rag" sound how it does. The Charleston, a dance not a type of music, yet similar to rag music, came out of the African American society. Despite it's origins, the Charleston is most associated with white flapper girls and speakeasies as a way of mocking the Prohibition and "drys." However, as Paul and I discussed on break, if it only became popular in white society by 1923, there's a possibility that it may have floated around in African American communities prior to the 1920s.

Henry Ford
"Speed up the belt, Sam!" refers to Henry Ford's most notable invention, the assembly line. This only made building things like a model T Ford more efficient and affordable, thus increasing output and lowering cost for buyers.