Author: mharrow

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Still Waiting

Music in America has been forefront in the efforts to change the world. From Nina Simone to Jimi Hendrix, musical artists have used their medium to speak out against oppression and voice their opinions. John Mayer offers his own take on this in his single, “Wating on the World to Change.” The song is one of Mayer’s most popular; it won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The official music video from JohnMayerVevo

The music video on YouTube has nearly 41 million views. The video opens with pictures of New York City. John Mayer walks stoically along the East River. He looks out over the river, waiting for something to happen, waiting for the world to change. The video cuts to three graffiti artists, Futura 2000, Tats Cru, and Daze. They are gathering supplies for some large graffiti projects across the city. The rest of the video shows broken clips of them working on their art. It is in slow motion, with a blue filter that gives a laid-back and chilled out mood, fitting the music very well. We do not see their completed art until the end, creating an element of suspense as the song progresses. When it is revealed, we see that their art relates to the theme of the song. The first image is the word “Exploited” written on a wall, with the ‘O’ exploding into pieces. This depicts the exploitation of humans and the planet that happens in the US and around the globe. The next image is the words “wake up!”, with the ‘K’ constructed of assault rifles. This points to anti-war efforts and gun violence. Across the city, we see pictures of a circular design which perhaps depicts an atom, warning about the horrors of nuclear weapons. Finally, the word “Think” is written in bold letters on a billboard. All of these things illustrate the horrible things about the world that we must change. As the song says, “we see everything that’s going wrong, With the world and those who lead it.”

A still shot from the music video

From war and gun-violence, to exploitation and environmental issues, the problems are rampant. However, the song’s response to these issues has caused controversy. It states, “We just feel like we don’t have the means, To rise above and beat it.” Mayer feels powerless against the systemic problems he encounters. He and his friends, like the graffiti artists, are outsiders, they’re “standing at a distance” which means “It’s hard to beat the system.” Mayer is content to sit back and wait for changes to occur, until his generation “rules the population.” Critics take issue with this stance. As YouTube user Sebrina Greggs points out, “all it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.” User Elani Aniyvwia elaborates: “We need to stop waiting for the change and be the change. Dr King didn’t wait. Neither did Mother Theresa. They became the change and changed the world!! We are the ones that have the power to change the world. We need to stop waiting and be the change.” TheBuddyLama says “Waiting = Apathy.” This critique of Mayer’s hit song comes from other sources. An NPR article claims that “Rather than urging people to change the world, he seems to say, there’s nothing we can do.” Mayer comes to his own defense: “Look, demanding somebody do anything in this day and age is not going to fly…All I want a song to do is just to kind of present an idea…”


We are the ones that have the power to change the world. We need to stop waiting and be the change.

-Youtube User Elani Aniyvwia

So where is the line between political action and making demands that will turn off others? How do we seek change in a way that does not alienate others, but instead brings them in as allies? Mayer seems to suggest the moderate approach of starting a conversation, but not being overbearing. Like the graffiti artists, Mayer outlines a problem that must be solved but does not offer a solution. He is content to begin a conversation and back away. But will this really “bring out neighbors home from war?” Mayer is ok with waiting, and says that, “All I want a song to do is just to kind of present an idea…”

Whatever the critique of John Mayer, whether wittingly or unwittingly, Waiting on the World to Change” began a conversation which has continued on years after the song’s release. Perhaps it worked; for the world to change, first we must have these conversations. At Mayer’s expense, perhaps the wait has grown a little bit shorter.

Sources:

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/john-mayer/waiting-on-the-world-to-change

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/john-mayer-waiting-on-the-world-to-change/

https://borderlessnewsandviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Waiting_on_the_world_to_change_by_PaLiLinz.jpg

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7765148

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We Insist!: Max Roach’s Bold Call for Freedom

“A revolution is unfurling-America’s unfinished revolution. It is unfurling in lunch counters, buses, libraries and schools-wherever the dignity and potential of men are denied. Youth and idealism are unfurling. Masses of Negroes are marching onto the stage of history and demanding their freedom now!” These fiery words from Civil Rights leader John Philip Randolph capture the call to revolution in the 1950s and 60s. The United States were in upheaval as Black Americans fought for equality in a nation which claims that “All men are created equal.” Around the nation, freedom fighters were participating in sit-ins, boycotts, and other forms of protest. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, in 1957, the Little Rock Nine braved the harassment of their school, and in 1960, Max Roach recorded an album that would prove to be a jazz anthem the revolution happening all around him.

John Phillip Randolph, the Civil Rights Leader who’s words appear in the “Freedom Now!” liner notes (biography.com)

Max Roach was a virtuoso jazz drummer, a legend to this day. But the jazz stars of the 1950s and 1960s were not excluded from the harsh reality of racism and segregation. The copyright system was set up so that songwriters and producers gained the biggest checks. This left performers with little compensation for their talents. The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), which controlled access to the biggest gigs and venues, had been segregated since it’s founding. The AFM also controlled radio contracts, and made sure that white bands were favored in local and national broadcasts. In fact, it wasn’t until 1946 that Nat King Cole broke the prime time radio color barrier. Jazz musicians of the caliber of Sarah Vaughn and Cab Calloway were beaten by police and civilians alike. So although jazz musicians received some measure of status, they understood and experienced racism and segregation just like the rest of the black population.

The Album Cover to “We Insist!” depicts a sit-in, with three black men sitting at a what is most likely a white bar

It was into this scene that Max Roach inserted his musical call for freedom, the legendary album, “We Insist! The Freedom Now Suite!” The album had been politically motivated from the beginning. The liner notes suggest that the NAACP had hired Roach and vocalist Oscar Brown Jr. to write a piece for the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which would occur in 1963. Although the Brown/Roach collaboration would be ended due to differing political views, the theme of freedom remained. Roach was joined by Vocalist Abbey Lincoln (who would be his wife from 1962-1970) and a star-studded cast of instrumentalists such as Booker Little (trumpet) and Julian Priester (trombone). The album captures Roach’s transition to the be-bop jazz-club scene to the harsher, grittier avant-garde style of the 1960s. This transition suits the harsh subject matter extremely well and provides a powerful picture of his world. The liner notes begin with the revolutionary quote from John Phillip Randolph. Roach and company were intentional about getting their message across. They wanted freedom, and they wanted it now.

The Album is composed as a chronological history of black culture in the US. “Driva Man” is a reference to pre-civil war slavery; “Freedom Day” recalls the excitement, anticipation and tension of Emancipation Day; “Triptych: Prayer, Protest, Peace” paints a vivid picture of the troubles blacks experienced in both the US and Africa; “All Africa” is a celebration of African culture; and “Tears for Johanassburg” is a response to the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa.

A live version of “Freedom Day” performed in 1964. In this version, Roach plays a powerful solo near the beginning of the tune.

The performances on the album are all noteworthy, showcasing extreme virtuosity and expression. Particularly, “Freedom Day”, the most arranged tune on the album, stands out. Although the melody is simple, the tempo is absolute breakneck. Roach manages to keep up with this extreme tempo throughout, and provides a beautifully motivic and powerful solo near the end of the song. He begins simply, and then builds these simple motives to a thundering conclusion. Equally impressive is Little’s trumpet solo. Despite the extreme tempo, Little provides a fiery solo that is motivically sound and technically impressive. The tutti sections before and after the solo sections is particularly effective thanks to the powerful bass pedals that change shift under the dense chords of the horns. The lyrics, sung hauntingly by Lincoln, show an absolute disbelief that freedom day has come. This can be seen as powerful commentary of current events in the 50s and 60s. Although the Emancipation Proclamation provided some measure of freedom, true freedom still evaded black Americans. Roach himself stated that “we don’t really understand what it really is to be free. The last song we did, “Freedom Day” ended with a question mark.” This explains the mournful quality in a tune which subject matter would suggest jubilation.

The original Album version of Freedom Day
Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln

Indeed, “We Insist!” provided a turning point for Roach. After it’s release, he told Downbeat that “I will never again play anything that does not have social significance. We American jazz musicians of African descent have proved beyond all doubt that we’re master musicians of our instruments. Now what we have to do is employ our skill to tell the dramatic story of our people and what we’ve been through.” Roach’s call for freedom has not gone unheard. Although it was not well received, a tendency of avant-garde music, time has treated it well. The Guardian hailed it as a “landmark jazz album”  and Penguin Guide to Jazz gave the album a rare crown accolade. To this day, his message applies as the United States still seeks to sift through generations of racism and abuse. Perhaps we can think of “We Insist!” as Max Roach’s version of kneeling during the national anthem, championed infamously by Colin Kaepernick. Similar to Kaepernick, Roach used his status to make a bold and obvious political statement. Both Kaepernick and Roach were not well received at first, but both succeeded in getting their point across, whether or not the public was ready. Roach believed that music was political, and did not hesitate to use his talents for his cause. And sathough it is close to its 60th birthday, “We Insist!” still relates to current events and can still inspire and inform a new generation of jazz lovers and Americans.

More live music from Freedom Now Suite
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Timpani Through Time

A very prominent online dictionary defines the timpani as follows: Timpani — The greatest set of orchestral drums ever created. Admittedly, this definition comes from the urban dictionary, potentially a less than scholarly resource, but I can’t help but agree. Perhaps I am a little biased, being a timpanist myself, but the timpani are perhaps the most powerful and dramatic instrument in the symphony orchestra. They can roar or they can whisper, heightening the impact of the moment. The Timpani occupy a percussive category of their own; they have the ability to play specific pitches. The head of the drum is tensioned by a hoop that pulls down on the head to tighten it. On contemporary drums, a mechanism called the spider links this hoop to a foot pedal. This allows the pitched to be raised (by pulling down on the hoop and tightening the head) or lowered (by letting up on the hoop and loosening the head) with the feet, while the player continues to play with his hands. This allows the timpanist to play complex melodies, playing the notes with his hands and quickly changing the pitches with his feet. Here’s a great example:

Percussionists at the Texas Music Festival play an arrangement of the Stars & Stripes Forever

But timpani have not always been so technologically advanced. In fact, the pedal mechanism was not invented until the 1870s. The history of the timpani predates this.

In fact, the very first timpani date from 12th century Arab empires, such as the Ottoman empire. These timpani were much smaller than modern drums. Primarily, they were used in military bands. Although there is little information on these ancient drums, the historical record fills out when European crusaders and Saracens brought these drums back home with them to Europe. In the 15th century, larger timpani, similar to the drums we use today, began to show up. These new drums were played from horseback, with one mounted on either side of the horseman. They were used in battle and to herald the grand entrance of royalty.

A timpanist on horseback from Nick Woud’s Art and Prints

From these militaristic origins, the timpani began to expand into civilian life. Around the 16th century the timpani were adapted for church music. Still, their sound was most often paired with trumpets and used to summon a militaristic aura. These drums would evolve into what modern timpanists consider baroque timpani, drums which were hand- tuned with screws. It would not be until the late 1870s when the German instrument maker Carl Pittrich would patent a pedal mechanism similar to what we see today on modern drums

Early pedal timpani

But how were the timpani made before methods of modern construction? Contemporary drums are manufactured in specialized workshops with machinery that makes the process efficient and exact. Here’s an interesting video showing how Yamaha produces their drums.

But in its earlier days, there were no specialty factories. Instead, it took the skills of many different craftsman to construct the timpani. Firstly, the bowl (or kettle) was made by an expert metal worker. Primarily, the bowl was made copper, although other metals, such as brass of silver, could be used. Interestingly, most timpani bowls are still made from copper. Next, a tanner would fabricate the drum’s head from an animal skin, most commonly a calf. Most contemporary drumheads are made from plastic, although some professionals still favor the sound of calfskin. Finally, a machinist would be responsible for making the counter hoop (the metal hoop that pulls down on the head), the tuning screws used to tighten the head, and the mounting hardware for the screws (these are often called called lugs).

It was a painstaking process, but worthwhile. The timpani were considered a compelling instrument during their early period. German Composer Johann E. Altenburg wrote in 18th century that, “An accomplished timpanist, by utilizing a large variety of techniques and artful beatings, can keep his audience’s attention for quite a length of time. He compensates for the lack of pitches with numerous Schlag-Manieren.” The term Schalag-manieren refers to a series of artful patterns and rhythms that the timpanist would improvise over their part. Timpanist and musicologist Ben Harms demonstrates this in this video.

As you can see, the timpani have a long and rich history. And their evolution continues, with the introduction of new ensemble and solo pieces that push timpanist to unprecedented technical extremes. Who knows where we will end up in another couple hundred years!