The Aluminum Street Dance

Memories of a seemingly endless summer lingered in their minds. Brisk winds had filled the air with freshness, tinging the leaves with a special kind of beauty as if brushed from an unknown feather, turning from green to varieties of gold, russet and crimson. Blinded by a fiery brilliance, the autumn sun dimmed the signal of death and decay of the impending winter ahead.

On the contrary, a lighter tone was set for the evening. Although families had been separated by war that had transplanted its sons, fathers and husbands to a distant land to fight tyranny, Murfreesboro was learning to endure, pushing back the forlorn darkness through the light of celebration and dance. Staying close in community with family and friends was the antidote in this time of hardship and crisis.

The smooth, romantic, down-home tones wafted through the atmosphere, accompanying the cool of the evening. The young had come to dance—circle up and swing your partner—but most had gathered on the Square to deposit their scraps of aluminum, pieces that had been crushed, cleaned and saved for the war effort. After all, salvaged aluminum was another way folks could make a personal contribution toward bringing victory nearer. Scrap metal could be used for weapons of war: grenades, binoculars and machine guns.

What a sight! Under the amber glow of the street lights, the music playing over the huge loudspeaker was propelling the dancers madly in the center of the crowd. A growing swarm of enthusiastic onlookers gathered around the circle, laughing and clapping. For a brief moment, the flurry of sounds seduced the crowd into forgetting the great peril and sacrifices that World War II had brought to their community.

When America declared war in December of 1941, the Swing Era was already in full bloom. American popular music of the 1940s offered a dreamlike world, creating an atmosphere of conviviality and familiarity throughout the culture which actually made the horrors of WWII seem more endurable. More than any other media, it was the “big band” music of the day that ignited and drew together a truly communal spirit all across America.

In big-band music, the soaring brass riffs and driving rhythms, combined with memorable tunes and sometimes bittersweet lyrics, knit their hearts together with their longings for loved ones who, stationed so far away from every familiar county, village, town and city, struggled, sacrificed and dreamed to be home again. In our community in 1943, many recall a celebration that affirmed this very strength of fellowship and common purpose, known as the “Aluminum Street Dance.”

Oral tradition has it that this event was the first to be broadcast in Murfreesboro. This significant moment in our community’s history paved the way for the creation of local radio station WGNS in 1947. In addition, the broadcast marked the first time when a slice of traditional American folk styles (string band music) merged with mainstream American swing band fare. Southern music would be changed forever as it cross-pollinated and scattered across America, blending with other genres.

Early hoedown bands from the first part of the 20th century drew from rural traditions of family and folk music, which included gospel traditions as well. Although the older styles and instrumentation were maintained, no doubt the new, original songs were influenced by the introduction of modern jazz, Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville and pop music heard on the radio between the 1920s and the early 1940s.

Relieved of the tormenting reminders of war, the boisterous crowd celebrated as a fall breeze tossed the descending leaves that scampered across the courthouse lawn. The seasons were changing, and so were the lives of this isolated and innocent rural community here. Many dreamed of another time, treasured scenes when parlor rugs would be pulled back and where porches would be filled with buck and clog dancers dancing wildly in syncopated rhythm on splintering wooden floors.

Across Middle Tennessee, including all of the South, radio had begun to dramatically expand the musical horizons blending the hoe down and string bands with orchestral sounds of big-band music evolving into a type of Southern swing sound. Even barn dances featured artists using satiny-smooth harmonies culled from styles heard on the radio of the day. As a square-dance caller directed dancers into intricate designs on the floor, a master fiddler could easily play a breakdown or a waltz with the same precision.

War involves personal trauma, changing the lives of its participants, both directly and indirectly, across the decades. Only when we study the rich history of turbulent times in our past do we appreciate their complexity and cultural impact. In American society, from its earliest colonial beginnings to the 21st century, the private thoughts of men and women are documented in its creative expression in music and dance. No less through the generations, the private side of our community here in Murfreesboro was changed by larger events and political movements as well. The universal language of music and dance successfully communicates with the masses, almost magically providing catharsis and lifting spirits in troubled times.

The power of this creative expression lies in its ability to influence the culture. Throughout the ages, music and dance have been embedded in our daily lives, weaving images and emotions through our thoughts and actions, often birthing still newer ideas for creative expression in song and dance. Somehow, no matter how fearful or destructive the outlook up ahead might be, hope and strength are found as long as mankind uses the magnificent mind to summon them through creative expression.

There seems to be a theme in human history—an eternal, ongoing battle that bombards our peace starting with lust, fear, greed and the power tugging at us from both heaven and earth. For those who reach to heaven for the answers found in the universe, we perceive but a glimpse of the everlasting peace to come. Somehow in the midst of this worldliness, through the wasteland of war, humanity has the capacity to shut out the struggle and learn to live and love again through music and dance. Once more in our day, let’s celebrate, dance and live!