In the works An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson and Slave Songs of the United States by William Francis Allen, Charles Pickard Ware, and Lucy McKim Garrison, both stories include the music themes from an African-American perspective. Although both works are quite different, there are some similarities between the stories. An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Slave Songs of the United States both show the difficulty of an outsider trying to transcribe music from a somewhat “unknown” and challenging perspective. Although they are similar in this respect, their plans, understanding of music and musical experience differ greatly from each other. An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man tells the story of a man's journey living as a biracial person in the days of legality. racial segregation in the United States. The novel not only depicts the narrator's life but also highlights his journey to becoming a skilled pianist. The story describes his upbringing, family history, and adulthood experiences. As a child, the narrator was unaware of the concept of race. This, in a certain sense, led him on a journey to discover African-American culture. Growing up in a privileged family, he was unaware of the typical African-American experience. As a child he thought he was “white”. For example, he talks about an occasion when his elementary school teacher asked, "'I would like all the white scholars to stand up for a moment (11)'." Because the narrator was unaware of his race, he stood up with his white classmates. This experience led him on the path of discovering race, racial segregation and the differences between whites and African Americans. This journey took him to the South and......middle of paper......rgence, he was not registered and recognized. Both the narrator and the authors of SSUS express emphasis on the importance of this music. The narrator felt so fascinated by the music that he decided to bring it to a different audience and environment. SSUS writers also expressed the importance of remembering and trying to recreate the original songs of African American slaves. While both stories place a great deal of emphasis on these songs, the musical experiences are quite different. The narrator provides a raw and detailed emotional response to the music. Meanwhile, the authors of SSUS choose to focus more on the context and technical aspects of the music. Aside from their similarities and differences, these stories go a long way in showing how music can help record a historical period, showcase different examples of musical music, and help show the importance of some of music's original roots.