In 1852 Stephen Foster wrote: "I have done a great deal to build up a taste for the [minstrel] songs among refined people by making the words suitable to their taste, instead of the trashy and really offensive words which belong to some songs of that order." Over the course of his career, Foster's desire for refinement changed his style dramatically. Yet European and American musical traditions, politics, and even financial necessity influenced his work as well.

Foster the Songwriter (97k)
A Flash plugin is required. Download the free Flash plugin from Macromedia's Web site.
Text-only version

Please tell us what you think about "Foster the Songwriter".