Personal, Professional, Performance
Member of Western Music Association
Skilled & Experienced Western History Educator in Kansas
There is something in the air of New Mexico that makes the blood red, the heart to beat high and the eyes to look upward. Folks don’t come here to die- they come to live and they get what they come for. Francis Aubrey, 1852
History is anything but boring when Jeff Davidson teaches it. This gifted musician uses words and song to tell the tale of the Old West. From Jeff Davidson Music, you learn Western history education through musical performance, complete with narration.
Currently Jeff presents five different programs (your choice). He is often able to reference a bit of “local” history in his presentations as well.
General history of the western United States
Jeff entertains with lyrical lessons about the role the Old West played in shaping the U.S. economy, ideology, and heroism. The West was host to early explorers that traversed parched plains as they explored the vast Louisiana Purchase. It beckoned to the traders on the Santa Fe Trail and the pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The West did not escape the heartbreak of the Civil War, but the post-war cattle drives created the greatest American hero and the symbol of the West — the Cowboy.
You travel with Jeff and his multimedia presentation through Western history, from the time of Coronado to the end of the 1800s. You traipse the Plains with early explorers, drive spikes on the first railways, plow in new ground, ride for the Pony Express, and stop a stampeding herd. Sit back and take a deep seat — the "winning of the West" was not for the faint of heart.
History of the state of Kansas
Most of western US history has a Kansas connection. The Santa Fe Trail, Oregon Trail, and Smoky Hill trail saw many wagons rolling west. The Chisholm and Western trails were beat down by countless thousands of hooves following the Civil War – which had its beginning in the state of Kansas. The Pony Express route has many miles through Kansas, and early railroads made the Texas to Kansas cattle drives possible while shortening the distance wagons needed to roll on the Santa Fe Trail.
History of the Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was used for six decades and is the oldest overland route through the Great Plains of North America. It was a trail of immense trade beginning in 1821 after Mexico revolted from Spain and won their independence. The story of the American west and the Mexico north cannot be told separately. It was a trail of great opportunity, but also great danger. The scarcity of water, the harsh living conditions, disease and the resistance of Native Americans all presented grave concern for freighters who dared the trail.
History of the Chisholm and Western Trails
Following the Civil War, Texas had countless numbers of beef cattle, some of which were roaming free. During the war immigration had continued and the North was needing beef to supply a growing population. The railroad marching through Kansas (Abilene) presented the opportunity to move Texas cattle to the railhead in Kansas for shipment to the northeast. The cattle trails introduced us to the “cowboy” and generated many stories (some true) which found their way to the silver screen era some hundred years later. In 2023, we celebrate 150 years since the Cox cutoff of the Chisholm, (also called Ellsworth cutoff) began taking cattle to Ellsworth rather than Abilene.
History of the Western songs you know so well.
Learn the background and stories behind famous western songs such as Red River Valley, Riders in the Sky, Streets of Laredo and more. There are stories not only about the songs, but also about those who wrote the songs. Some of our more famous western songs come from the “silver screen” era and are based on the movies which they represent. You can learn of the interesting background to many of famous western songs.
Sing along as Jeff Davidson shares the history of the Old West.
Listen as Jeff performs the Ozark Mountain Melody.
Learn Old West tunes by heart and history in your head.
Hear Western favorites, as well as melodies Jeff wrote, in his history lessons.
Memberships in These Organizations:
- The International Western Music Association
- The Santa Fe Trail Association
- The International Chisholm Association
Your Musical History Lesson
The West was host to early explorers that traversed parched plains as they explored the vast Louisiana Purchase. It beckoned to the traders on the Santa Fe Trail and the pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The West did not escape the heartbreak of the Civil War, but the post-war cattle drives created the greatest American hero and the symbol of the West — the Cowboy.
You travel with Jeff and his multimedia presentation through Western history, from the time of Coronado to the end of the 1800s. You traipse the Plains with early explorers, drive spikes on the first railways, plow in new ground, ride for the Pony Express, and stop a stampeding herd. Sit back and take a deep seat — the "winning of the West" was not for the faint of heart.
Schedule a musical history lesson with a singer who croons the tales of the West — Jeff Davidson.
Contact
Service Area
Entertaining & Educating in the State of Kansas
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