Editing Federal Music Project (section)

==Background==
In the grips of the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] proposed to sharply increase public projects in order to raise employment.  This overarching strategy was known as the New Deal. Roosevelt realized the importance of the arts in American culture, stating that the "American Dream… was the promise not only of economic and social justice but also of cultural enrichment." In July 1935 a New Deal program known as Federal One was created. This included five arts projects, including the FMP.<ref name="Bellmore and Jackson">{{Cite journal
|title=The New Mexico Federal Music Project: Embodying the Regional Spirit of Roosevelt's New Deal.
|volume= 69, Number 1
|author=Bellmore, Audra and Amy S. Jackson
|journal=Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association
|issue= September 2012
|issn=0027-4380
}}</ref> This project was the first where Federal money was used on culture.

The Depression had compounded a downturn in the fortunes of American musicians. At the same time musicians were also being affected by advances in technology. Sound recordings were beginning to replace live musicians at functions and events.