Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 17)
St. Louis has long been known for its cultural crossroads, particularly when it comes to music. From blues and jazz to rock and hip-hop, the city has played a significant role in the development of American music. I picked this specific topic because I genuinely enjoy music and I didn’t necessarily have a specific background in the area or when it comes to the information of music venues in St. Louis. There are many different artists and venues that have helped shape St. Louis for its music history culturally and locally.
Many music sites in the St. Louis area have typically made diverse pathways between different border and cultural dynamics and backgrounds. Things like segregation and more black music that are common to this day that have shaped the way black and other urban areas are represented.
Question
The main question that I am looking at is How have St. Louis’s music venues changed , and are effected by, the city’s cultural and social changes over time? More recently state of smaller, independent venues that are just as important as the ones that are highly represented.
Main view
I’m going over this topic more geographically looking at things such as the culture looking at things like the physical space within the venue and who preformed at these said places and the community around them.
Technology
For this project I used technology like google maps to show the visual spaces of the venues and the area. Although it’s mostly beneficial for navigation you can also use this tool to create your own custom map for plotting data.
( google maps and local St. Louis music venues)
These are very beneficial because it gives descriptions and visuals of each of the sites the two mentioned above were primary example. Each one of these will include some historical information and photos over time with google maps the street view can also be helpful especially when taking into consideration the neighborhood landmark view to notice the changes over time among the area.
Conclusion
Overall this project was more of an overview for different music venues within the area and more interesting how they have changed over time and how we can use technological tools to visual the changes and differences of different music venues over time.
I’m realizing a lot of my research is on the “Not proficient” path in the game, while the “Proficient” path more puts a solution in perspective. So.. keep that in mind if you play it.
https://twinery.org/2/#/stories/ef4a3c5d-dceb-4bfe-a63c-4a131d499701/play
Sources
https://stlgives.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Digital-Divide-Summary-Report_22.pdf (Where I got general information as well as the solutions to the problem) [MAIN ARTICLE]
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1465239/us-adults-digital-literacy-by-age (Where I got the statistics on age having a correlation on proficiency)
https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local-news/efforts-to-close-the-digital-divide-in-st-louis-slowly-making-progress-in-underserved-communities/ (Where I got statistics on households and their proficiency)
https://technologymagazine.com/company-reports/the-city-of-st-louis-digitising-the-american-frontier (CTO’s plan)
https://www.fcc.gov/acp (Affordable Connectivity Program)
Project Overview
Soccer is more than just a sport in St. Louis; it’s a tradition, a community identity, and a reflection of the city’s deep cultural history. While cities like Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta have made recent headlines in the soccer world, St. Louis has been quietly but powerfully shaping the American game for over a century. Known for its deep connection to immigrant communities, Catholic schools, and working-class neighborhoods, St. Louis has long been considered one of the most important, and often overlooked, cities in the development of soccer in the United States.
This project, Soccer Roots: Mapping the Legacy of St. Louis Soccer, aims to explore the historical and cultural impact of soccer in the greater St. Louis region using a StoryMap, a digital storytelling tool that allows for the combination of maps, text, and media. By identifying and presenting seven key locations connected to St. Louis’s soccer legacy, the project will not only trace the city’s contributions to the sport’s past but also highlight how those foundations continue to shape its present and future.
The locations chosen range from early immigrant neighborhoods where soccer first took root, to high school and college programs that produced national talent, to professional venues like CityPark, the home of the city’s new MLS franchise. One of these locations is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), whose men’s soccer program has played a significant role in developing local talent, including myself, as a current player. Through a mix of personal perspective and historical research, the project emphasizes how St. Louis functions as both a historical center and a living system that still nurtures soccer culture today.
The decision to use a StoryMap as the project tool was based on its ability to blend geography with narrative. Soccer in St. Louis is tied deeply to specific places, church fields, local stadiums, city neighborhoods, and understanding its development requires a spatial lens. Rather than writing a traditional research paper, this project allows users to interact with each site and see the broader network of influence through mapped storytelling.
The information in this project draws from a combination of primary and secondary sources. A key primary source is the match report and historical coverage of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, in which five St. Louis players helped the U.S. team defeat England in one of the most famous upsets in tournament history. This moment has become a cornerstone of the city’s claim to soccer greatness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v_England_%281950_FIFA_World_Cup%29
A valuable secondary source is the Wikipedia article “Soccer in St. Louis,” which provides a comprehensive overview of the city’s soccer history, including the development of amateur and professional teams, notable players, and the city’s influence on the national soccer scene.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_in_St._Louis
Additional details and current perspectives are also drawn from the official website of St. Louis City SC (https://www.stlcitysc.com), which provides information about the club’s foundation, goals, and community engagement efforts. This source reflects how professional soccer is now returning to the city with long-term infrastructure, fan support, and youth investment.
Together, these sources help paint a full picture of soccer’s past and future in St. Louis, from church leagues to World Cup glory, and now to professional stadiums in the heart of downtown. The interactive nature of the StoryMap will allow viewers to engage with each story geographically and historically, seeing how the culture of soccer is spread across the region and continues to grow.
Problem Statement: The Role of Music Venues and African American Jazz and Rock performers that Shaped St. Louis’s Culture Identity.
Observation, Background, and Context: St. Louis is to be recognized as one of many central points for Music, specifically Jazz, Blues and rock. Some venues like the Pageant, Gaslight Square, and Blueberry Hill have provided performance spaces for iconic musicians while also giving and showcasing local talents. What inspired me to do this topic was I use to be in the band in middle school and played Saxaphone and clarinet. It’s interesting how these venues not only serve as entertainment for these musicians but also cultural spaces, which can mold the city’s identity and give the community a sense as well. As time continues with anything in life, there are economic shifts and gentrification that have affected these historic sites. Some thrive and expand while others have closed or shut down due not to meeting certain expectations. This brings me to the question as the impact of music venues on the city’s culture in the face of economic changes.
Problem at Hand: The challenge in understanding how music venues have impacted St. Louis cultural identity over time. What roles have these venues played in a social life of the city of St. Louis, and how they have molded to changing times? Another question to consider is how the impact of some places does be closed and not closed impact the local community, the musicians and the city’s landscape itself?
Technology to present this work: To do this research effectively, I will use an interactive storytelling map to visualize the changes in St. Louis’s music venues over time. By integrating these digital tools, I seek to get my audience attention and interact with the material while also having these informative resources that showcase the relationship between music, space and cultural identity.
Below are some sources that give a background to St. Louis history of Jazz and RocknRoll music that were used in this project:
The Old Rock House | Gateway Arch Park Foundation
List of Jazz musicians from St. Louis – FamousFix List
Unraveling the Legendary Rock Music Venues of St. Louis
Jimmy Forrest: The Tenor Saxophonist Who Bridged Blues and Jazz – Jazz Daily
Hamiet Bluiett, Giant Of The Baritone Sax, Has Died At 78 : NPR
Big budget Hollywood films could be shot anywhere in the world including the gateway to the west: St Louis, Missouri. Since the start of large scale film productions, St Louis has had involvement in multiple feature length films. The relevance of St Louis as a filming location has declined steeply over the decades. Through this project I want to detail the rise and fall of film productions in St Louis, Missouri and the potential of a return by Hollywood to the Show Me State.
St. Louis has been the setting for several notable films. The 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis, while filmed on backlots in Los Angeles, California, brought national attention to the city with its portrayal of the 1904 World’s Fair in St Louis. In 1981, Escape from New York used East St. Louis as a stand in for New York City in a dystopian future. More recently, Up in the Air (2009), starring George Clooney, was primarily filmed in St. Louis, featuring scenes at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Affton High School, and other local landmarks.
Despite its earlier popularity, St. Louis saw a decline in film productions due to several factors. The main contributor was the expiration of Missouri’s film tax credit program in 2013, which had previously incentivized productions to film in the state. This lapse made Missouri less competitive compared to other states like California, Illinois, or Atlanta, which offered more attractive tax incentives. This resulted in the local film infrastructure, including crew availability and equipment rental service to decline as the years went on. These factor’s all impacted the appeal of the city to big studio filmmakers.
In 2023 the Missouri government decided to put the Show MO Act in place, which reintroduced film tax incentives to attract productions to return to the State. The act offers a base 20% tax credit on qualifying expenses, with additional incentives for filming in rural or blighted areas, hiring Missouri residents, and positive depiction of the state. . The Show MO Act is in place through 2028 and aims to bring the local film industry back to its former glory by encouraging productions to utilize Missouri’s diverse locations and talent. The act’s implementation has already shown promise just a few years separated from its initial signing, with increased interest from filmmakers and potential economic benefits for communities like St. Louis.
St. Louis’s rich cinematic history, from classic films like Meet Me in St. Louis to newer pieces like Up in the Air, showcases its potential as a filming location for big budget Hollywood productions. While the city experienced a decline in film productions due to the expiration of tax incentives, the introduction of the Show MO Act presents an opportunity to rejuvenate the local film industry. By using its unique settings and the benefits offered by the new incentives, St. Louis may once again become a sought-after destination for filmmakers from around the world.
SOURCES:
“Filming Locations for Escape from New York (1981), in Missouri, Los Angeles and New York.” The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations, movie-locations.com/movies/e/Escape-From-New-York.php. Accessed 6 May 2025.
Hawkins, Ty. St. Louis Rises as Major Filming Location with Motion Media …, 22 Apr. 2025, fox2now.com/news/missouri/st-louis-rises-as-major-filming-location-with-motion-media-tax-credit.
“Meet Me in St. Louis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 May 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Me_in_St._Louis.
Narula, Vidhi. “Up in the Air: Where Was the 2009 Movie Filmed?” The Cinemaholic, 2 Nov. 2022, thecinemaholic.com/where-was-up-in-the-air-filmed/.
SB94 – Establishes Tax Credits for the Production of Certain Entertainment, senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?BillID=44658&SessionType=r&utm_s. Accessed 6 May 2025.
“Tax Credit Program Putting Missouri Back in the Spotlight for Filmmakers.” Missouri Chamber, mochamber.com/news-archive/tax-credit-program-putting-missouri-back-in-the-spotlight-for-filmmakers/. Accessed 6 May 2025.
“Up in the Air (2009 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 May 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_in_the_Air_%282009_film%29?utm.
Problem : The challenge of St. Louis Metro Bus Systems
As a student in today’s world and modern lifestyle, public transportation can play a huge role in our lives. Public transportation is something quite a few people use to get from point A to point B. The St. Louis Metro system has been a transportation source for years. The metro is a source of transportation for many students and employers. The St. Louis Metro system is something that is heavily relied on among many people of different walks of life. This source of transportation can make us question the historical development and its effectiveness and also how it can better the future of the St. Louis metro systems.
To analyze the St. Louis Metro system from a broader perspective, we can focus on its historical growth, accessibility concerns, and how technology can help the future. Public transportation in St. Louis has continued to be able to adapt to change in recent developments and demographics. Therefore, when it comes to limited service and cutting services and value, there are some issues and concerns.
Technological advancements like data-based service planning, tracking apps for buses, and paying services allow people to have a smoother experience with the Metro system. Although there are some questions about advancement and how they will make things easier to access for the community.
Exploring issues like these can help us make use of historical records. Metro transportation usage shows trends and service over time. Studies have shown knowing the importance of social justice and also urban mobility can be considered as additional information. This will show a timeline of the historical system’s development and data. The studies provide an understanding of St. Louis metro bus systems and their urban challenges and question what kind of improvements are needed for the future for long-term benefit by using historical research. There are also some questions of concern.
After taking this course semester. Ive had a lot of time to fully understand digital humanities. To me digital humanities is the studyof how digital tools and technologies can be used for research as well as present different topics in humantities for example things like history and lierature some of these include use of digital archives and other mapping tools.