Music was scarce during the Gold Rush times, but bands in the towns did come together to entertain the weary miners. These bands were made up of amateurs who had musical talent and wanted something to do besides panning for gold. There was often competition between these brass bands and many think this is where the "battle of the bands" originated. Music was a part of picnics, parades, dances, and Fourth of July celebrations. Music was a way of bringing people together in a difficult environment.
Popular songs spread from one mining town to another. They would many times use eastern tunes and change the words to fit their circumstances. However, much of the music was original to California.
A lot of the music that was written during the Gold Rush was lost in fires, floods, and earthquakes. Musical pieces were many times given to band members and simply lost. Popular pieces such as Oh, Susanna!, that did survive the times, were transcribed for piano and the tunes have been passed down from generation to generation.
Read about other aspects of the culture associated with the Gold Rush:
