Prove it On Me

• Prove it On Me, Ma Rainey (1883-1939)
• Instrumentation: Vocals (Rainey singing and a man beat boxing?), piano, perhaps trumpet with mute, kazoo?
• Texture: While there may be a few instruments used for this piece, Prove it on Me maintains a thin texture throughout. The majority of the time there are two lines of music; the vocal line and the instrumental line. At points, they are in unison, and there is an instrumental section that breaks into two lines. The thin texture emphasizes the feel of the piece. Ma Rainey's songs appealed to a group of people who were not wealthy, and had she been backed by a full orchestra like the one found in some of Amy Beach's compositions, it would not have attracted the same audience.
• Range: The vocals to do not explore a large range, and the instruments do not explore much more. The small range does not detract from the song, but rather allows for the focus to be on the lyrics. It also allows you to get lost in the song without the trance being broken by some ear splitting high note. The ability to get lost in the song is very representative of early African American songs, which originated in the fields and were meant to pass the time.
• Tempo: The song maintains a slow tempo throughout but does speed up for a bit in the middle.
• Meter: Duple meter; could march slowly to this song.
• Volume: The volume remains fairly constant throughout. It is a fairly loud song, one I would never picture being played/performed softly.
• Lyrics: Ma Rainey is singing about going out with her girl friends, drinking, getting in fights, and wearing men's clothes. The lyrics prove the point that anything a man can do, a woman can do too ("it must have been women, cuz I don't like no men"). This also breaks the social norm in hinting at Ma Rainey's bisexuality, something that was by no means accepted at the time.