Chapter 9 Response - Anooj Shah

Question: How did the rise of radios affect Americana culture and/or music?

Since the radio was brought into the world of media, there has been an increase in musical talent and popularity. Not only have the artist become more talented but they have definitely brought a greater good to the table. In It Still Moves by Amanda Petrusich, she moves her journey to Kentucky where she investigates her inquiries on the radios affect on Americana culture and music. I have come to believe that the radio disc jockeys and artists that went mainstream on the radio were veterans and used their experience to teach the younger generation.
In Chapter 9 of the book, it goes into talking about how George D. Hay launched hillbilly radio shows called The WSM Barn Dance and Grand Ole Opry. Then, Uncle Dave Macon an eight year veteran entertainer joined Opry and brought plenty of music including vaudeville songs, blues, and gospel. This also goes to show that the rise of radios made older folk music much more popular and brought new genres to light.
"By 1930, federal census reports claimed that 12,078,345 American families owned radios; with its invisible, indiscriminate sound waves, radio effectively bridged the social and geographic gaps between rural and urban music listeners" (Petrusich 153). The rise of radios in Americana culture greatly impacted Americana music because it helped bring together different races, create an up rise in new genres, and clearly bring new artists to the musical world.