Category: Assignment No. 2

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Battling Complacency Through Song

Although the population of the United States is comprised of a variety of cultures, it has not had an easy time embracing this identity. Slavery, oppression, and maltreatment for people of certain ethnic backgrounds are cemented in the history of the nation and remnants of the like are still traceable today. Evidence of this is scattered throughout several landmark cultural pieces. Even the Star Spangled Banner throws up a red flag, its original lyrics bearing lines glorifying slavery. While discussing how the song and American flag were contextualized with slavery, William Robin writes; “the anthem has functioned as a powerful articulation of citizenship.”

President Donald Trump shows the mentality that Kaepernick is fighting against by taking a knee during the Anthem.

Citizens of America have not forgotten this. San Fransisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a stand against the anthem in 2016 by taking a knee rather than standing and saluting the flag. He is quoted, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick does not feel that he can personally be represented by the American flag. His bold action indicates the massive power held in this song from its origins in slavery and further historical contextualization.

While America has come a long way in adhering to its diverse population, institutional racism still exists in subtle forms. In discussing the tensions of racial division in modern day America, Daniel Kuehn states that “fairly mundane prejudices can have divisive impacts,” and justifies that “complacency in the face of racial disparities—simply because they are not overtly racist—can be very harmful.” According to his actions, Kaepernick feels that the people of America have remained complacent towards the initial intentions that the National Anthem was written with.

“Your Last American Girl” -Mitski

Indie rocker “Mitski” addresses her own experience with complacent forms of racism in her underground hit “Your Best American Girl.” In its chorus she sings “Your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me, But I do, I think I do, And you’re an all-American boy, I guess I couldn’t help trying to be your best American girl.” In these lyrics, Mitski expresses the feeling that she outsider to American culture a result of her Japanese heritage, and implies that there is pressure to adjust to the customs of the “American” boy. Like Kaepernick, Mitski is utilizing the position of power she has over listeners to share this message and not leave her feelings on the matter fall into the shadows.

Mitski speaks about the message of the lyrics in a Song Exploder podcast. She gives some background information on her own upbringing. “My Mother is Japanese and my father is American and so I never grew up with a sense of community, my sense of family is very different. I think I grew up more with a sense of everything will be lost at some point.” This exemplifies the divisive impacts that prejudices can have according to Kuehn, as this is a person whose life has been shaped by the feeling of being an outsider.

In an interview with Trevor Noah, Mitski is asked about the meaning of her album title “Be The Cowboy.” She states “I’m an Asian woman and I think I walk into a room and feel like I have to apologize for existing. I was so attracted to that idea of freedom and arrogance.” Here we see Mitski continue to battle complacency in her music. Centering an entire album on this concept is a bold statement. Explaining it with this level of depth on live television shows that Mitski is intent with her purpose. h

Cover artwork for Mitski’s 2018 “Be The Cowboy.” Mitski’s irritated expression can be attributed to her lack of control over the makeup being applied to her face.

As we can see, music can be a very influential place when it comes to sharing ones beliefs. Both Colin Kaepernick and Mitski utilized their own respective positions to take a stand against complacency. With this in mind, it is essential for anyone in a position like this to remember the power they have, and for every listener to take note in what they are listening to and what it means.

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Strange Fruit: A Declaration of War

It was a March night in 1939 New York City. You and a group of friends decide to go out to Cafe Society, a new night club in the former speakeasy on West 4th Street. Billie Holiday, the 23 year old up-and-coming black jazz singer, is performing. She in all her melanin splendor with a single gardenia adorned on her hair, is standing on the stage of the L shaped hall, about to perform her last piece. The lights dim to darkness and a single spotlight illuminates her golden face as she begins to sing:

Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

Whispers quickly spread amongst the audience.”Lynching? Is this song about lynching?” someone says. The song continues and the chatter quickly dies out as every single ear and eye is on Holiday. The room is still, the air frozen.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.

After the last word, the room snaps to black. When the lights are brought back up, Holiday is gone. No one moves. Do you applaud for the “courage and intensity of the performance, stunned by the grisly poetry of the lyrics, sensing history moving through the room? Or do you shift awkwardly in your seat, shudder at the strange vibrations in the air, and think to yourself: call this entertainment?”

This is “Strange Fruit.” Although not written by Billie Holiday, her deeply personal and visceral vocal performance ultimately made the song an instant anthem for anti-lynching during the Civil Rights movement . The song began as just a poem written by Jewish communist Abel Meeropol, when he was inspired by this photo of a double lynching. Meerpool later composed the melody. Even though lynching was in decline at the time of piece’s composition, the image of a black person being lynched in the American south acted as a universal and incredibly vivid symbol of American racism as a whole during the Civil Rights movement, making this piece truly one of protest.

“‘Strange Fruit’ was not by any means the first protest song,” writes Dorian Lynskey for The Guardian, “but it was the first to shoulder an explicit political message into the arena of entertainment. Unlike the robust workers’ anthems of the union movement, it did not stir the blood; it chilled it.” Never before had a piece of music so explicitly called out the injustices in America by name, which is part of the reason why Holiday’s primary recording company, Columbia, refused to record the song. Holiday eventually had the piece recorded by Commodore Records, and within its first year was added to Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

Emmett Till (1941-1955)

Holiday’s piece had struck a nerve among the American people, and sent a surge forward in the progress of the Civil Rights movement. Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun called the song “a declaration of war… the beginning of the civil rights movement”. Which couldn’t be more fitting. This piece began a wave of publicizing lynchings; bringing them out of the shadows of their perpetrators and into the light–forcing the American people to face the injustice happening in their own backyards. “Strange Fruit” paved the way for future lynchings to be more publicized as a result. Take, for example, the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 Mississippi, who at the age of 14 was lynched after being accused of offending a white women. Emmett’s body, disfigured beyond recognition when it was discovered, was displayed in an open casket funeral for all to see, so everyone will know the horrors and the aftermath of racist acts of violence.

At its core, “Strange Fruit” is a song about injustice: a call to action to stop the lynchings and racist acts of violence. A call that is still incredibly necessary today, in the age of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, and so many others. A call that has been answered boldly by the actions of some, notably San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand during the national anthem stating n an interview with NFL Media., “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color…To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The injustices against our black brothers and sisters, both in the murder of innocent lives and in the subtle microaggressions experienced daily by black people now in this country, can no longer be ignored a pushed aside. Which makes the message of “Strange Fruit,” as an anthem against racism of all forms, all the more relevant today. Just as the way it inspired people during the Civil Rights movement to shed light on the injustices, it inspires people in the today century to do the same. It also begs the question about the longevity of the Civil Rights movement: Did it ever really end or was it just pushed out of the forefront of the social stage to lie dormant until people were once again unable to ignore the injustices happening around them?

And what of Billie, whose voice and soul sparked a movement? Her impact as a performing artist, who seemed to sing with an “immaculate sadness,” still lives on today, even after her death. The music of Billie Holiday and the impact she had on the Civil Rights movement and their lasting effects on so many people today is undeniable. Her act of “war” really was in some ways, a bringing forth of light to show the world that racism in America was no longer something that could be covered up or hidden. Above all else, “Strange Fruit” calls for a willingness to endure–to endure through a world filled with hate until the message embedded in this song is no longer needed.

“Behind me, Billie was on her last song. I picked up the refrain, humming a few bars. Her voice sounded different to me now. Beneath the layers of hurt, beneath the ragged laughter, I heard a willingness to endure. Endure—and make music that wasn’t there before.”

Barack Obama in Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (2007), p. 112
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The Heart says Truth Trumps Lies … Part 4

Diss track and political track both in a comeback makes Kendrick Lamar one of the loudest rappers in our current generation of pop culture. In The Heart Part 4, this single paves Lamar’s big entrance back onto the top of the Billboard chart after laying low since his last album To Pimp a Butterfly which was released in 2015. This six to seven time beat changing song brings all ears to listen to what he has to say after staying quiet for the past two years. He has so much to say that the farther you listen through his song he gets more and more riled up with anger and frustration, he even counts out loud “Yellin’ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, I am the greatest rapper alive”– let’s be real though, is he really being HUMBLE?

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7744248/kendrick-lamar-heart-part-4-zayn-gorillaz-iggy-twitter-top-tracks-chart

There’s a lot that goes on in The Heart Part 4 leading to the song having such great success and popularity. All in a span of four minutes and fifty seconds Lamar manages to hint on his next album release date, throw shade at an unidentified rapper (even though we all know it’s at  Drake), and literally even calls out Donald Trump. That’s not even half of the song but with each point he tries to make the beat changes correlate with his words to create a certain vibe for each message he tries to get out. You have to make sure to listen carefully to his words and try to keep up or you could end up missing something.

https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-the-heart-part-4-lyrics

One controversial topic that has come to listener’s attention is none other than the famous name drop in this song. There are lots of unspoken jabs at rappers such as Drake and Big Sean but the one explicit name mentioned is none other than America’s current President, Donald Trump.

Kendrick Lamar raps in the middle of verse two:

Donald Trump is a chump
Know how we feel, punk—tell him that God comin’
And Russia need a replay button, y’all up to somethin’
Electorial votes look like memorial votes
But America’s truth ain’t ignorin’ the votes

In this phrase Lamar pretty much calls out President Trump and his undercover collaboration with Russia during America’s 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. There had been some past controversy on them both working together to intervene with Clinton’s campaign by attempting to release private information that would greatly affect vote numbers. Lamar goes on to question and express his anger on the law between electoral votes versus popular votes during a Presidential election. He is not one of the first to bring this to attention but he is definitely one that is trying to bring this point to light to try to get something done about this. It’s not that often a President wins through an electoral vote without also having a majority popular vote as well. After this past President Election, having popular vote to win the election is being taken into consideration for America’s 2020 Presidential Race.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/26/popular-vote-could-decide-presidential-election-if-these-states-get-their-way/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3e0ae776bf16

A lot of disses and attacks are made at unnamed people and even to a certain extent there is no discreet in plain site exposure of specific personal wrongdoings in this song. Everything is all strongly implied and probably remained “anonymous” all thanks to his chorus where he repeats:

Don’t tell a lie on me
I won’t tell the truth ’bout you
Don’t tell a lie on me
I won’t tell the truth ’bout you

This chorus pretty much warns others that if lies about Lamar are made, he’ll share all the little secrets that person has to the world. How much does he know and would there be another diss track just for that special someone? Honestly, I wouldn’t mind.

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Messiaen’s Celestial Ambiance

Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1941) (Quartet for the End of Time) is a piece that is filled with pictorial representations of the text upon which he drew inspiration and speaks to a hopeful view of his capture by the Germans in World War II and imprisonment at Stalag VIII-A.

Messiaen was born in Avignon, France on 10 December 1908 into a highly cultured family, his father a literary scholar and his mother a poetess.  At a young age he taught himself to play the piano and began composing.  After the end of World War I, the family moved to Nantes, where Messiaen received his first formal music lessons, and in 1919 he entered the Paris conservatory, where he was a highly successful student until his graduation in 1930. (http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/western-europe/messiaenolivier/)


https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/music/olivier-messiaen.html

He was drafted for the war as an auxiliary nurse because of his poor eyesight. During his time in the war he was brought to a prisoner of war camp, Stalag VIII-A. There he met a clarinetist (Henri Akoka), violinist (Jean le Boulaire), and cellist (Étienne Pasquier). These were musicians caught in the same turmoil as he and he had decided to write this quartet for them and himself to play. (http://classicalfm.ca/station-blog/2018/12/06/war-prison-music-loving-nazi-guard-yet-stunning-quartet-emerged/)

The Quartet for the End of Time is related to, as Messiaen notes in the preface, an excerpt from the book of Revelation; 10:1–2, 5–7:

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire … and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth …. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever … that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished …

The movement I am focusing on is Fouillis d’arcs-en-ciel, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps (Tangle of Rainbows, for the Angel who Announces the End of Time). This movement is considered to be one of the most musically multihued movements in the quartet by Messiaen as he was a synesthete. This movement is described by Messiaen as using the “angel” theme from movement 2, but now the angel arrives in full force, especially the rainbow that covers him. Messiaen feels this movement as though “passing through the unreal and suffer, with ecstasy, a tournament; a roundabout compenetration of superhuman sounds and colors.” (http://www.princetonuniversityconcerts.org/docs/1819_Messiaen_Up_Close_Program.pdf) I interpret his preface as expressing an aural way of escaping the real and political world; to have something purely beautiful and beyond comprehension.

Obviously Messiaen was caught in all the troubles of WWII; casualties, war crimes, genocide, concentration camps, and slave labor, so I believe him to have written this piece as a musical expression of the beauty of his devotion to Catholicism. He wrote this piece to express all the thoughts of the time at the end of time and I interpret that to mean the time after your life has ended. Toward the end of this movement, the piano is arpegiating complex chords and giving a shimiering “rainbow” as a kaleidoscope of color to show a glimpse of his perception of heaven.(http://www.marthasumma.com/pdf/4tet_for_the_end_of_time.pdf) This could definitely be a reason to believe that he wanted something to sound like an out of this world experience and something “beyond.”


Pianist: Matthew Schellhorn
Soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra: James Clark (violin), Barnaby Robson (clarinet), David Cohen (cello)

I have found mixed interpretations of its premiere:

from Messiaen: “Never was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension.” (Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music (All Media Guide, 2005), 843)

and

from the premiere performers: “The audience, as far as I remember, was overwhelmed at the time.  They wondered what had happened.  Everyone.  We too.  We asked ourselves: ‘What are we doing?  What are we playing?'”
(http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/western-europe/messiaenolivier/)

Lamell argued that music and politics “are two entirely different worlds: Political discourse is one realm, and music is another realm.” (http://musicologynow.ams-net.org/2017/09/does-music-trump-politics-dennis-prager.html) I agree with this point and that is a main argument for why I believe this piece to be a morale booster and a heavenly separation from the political struggle during WWII. I believe that music should not be affected by political movements as pieces that are specifically apolitical can be just as beautiful, if not more. The Quartet was meant to be part of Messiaen’s “commitment to apolitical art” (http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/western-europe/messiaenolivier/) and I think his separation is very well accomplished.

Featured photo credit:
https://www.androidcentral.com/get-lost-space-out-world-wallpaper-wednesday

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Thomas Adès’ ‘Asyla’

Thomas Adès

Artists express their political view by inheriting a political connotation to their artwork. It is either to express a personal political viewpoint, or it is to contribute, commemorate, and celebrate political events, protests, or a certain group of minority people by inviting attention. Thomas Adès’s ‘Asyla’ written in 1997 is a four-movement piece for a large orchestra that includes six timpani, roto-toms, tuned cowbells, water gong, washboard, and two pianos with one tuned quarter-tone flat. It is one of his most widely performed pieces and was premiered by the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Simon Rattle conducting. ‘Asyla’ is the plural of Asylum and is sort of a wordplay that represents a double-edged meaning of the word.

Album release

Asylum refers to both a madhouse where people are sent for protection and a sanctuary for refugees (who have been forced to leave their country) as in political asylum. The word itself is contradicting as people in a madhouse are trapped in a facility, whereas asylum seekers are people who stepped outside of their origins and are seeking a new shelter.


Performance of ‘Asyla’

In Thomas Adès’ interview, he explains that the symphony orchestra is no longer a mainstream medium. He argues that composers have evolved, however, the medium – an orchestra, is stagnant in a pre-First World War state. The piece ‘Asyla’ expands the perception of “what an orchestra is”. The wordplay of the title seems to fit the concept of the piece. An asylum seeker is associated with his use of unconventional instrumentations and innovative sound creation, and the trapped people in a madhouse are associated with the piece sticking to a strict four-movement scheme that has succeeded from Haydn (also, the third movement is a dance movement).

Syrian Refugees by Claire Felter and James McBride

Refugees and asylums are huge underground political issues around the world. Not until the day of complete world of peace, there will be refugees and asylums. Around the world, there are 68.5 million people who were ‘forcibly displaced’. The majority of them remained around their home countries, however, 25.4 million of them had to seek asylums and fled to other countries, with more than half being children. The number of immigrants skyrocketed after World War II and 1997 in the UK (when ‘Asyla’ was premiered), there was an increase of immigrants in the UK from the abolition of a law that restricted entrants of people who were married to UK citizens.

Picture of Vatican

In Adès’ interview, he mentions that the original title for the second movement is ‘Vatican’. The Vatican is the smallest country that exists, having a monarchy ruled by the pope (who also carries the role of a king). Citizens of the Vatican are specially picked members who are technically refugees that are given citizenships in order to work for the pope. The Vatican is a source of refuge and hope for immigrants and refugees who have had to flee their homes. However, Adès took away the title after he realized that “it was just too specific to many people”. This made me wonder whether Adès intended to advocate his support of ‘asylums’ for refugees. Nevertheless, his association of artwork to the political concept brought attention and awareness to the public eye, thus bringing significance to both politics and music worlds.

Edward Venn’s Thomas Adès: Asyla

“We write symphonies,” Donald Trump said on July 6th, 2017, during a speech in Warsaw. Article by Anthony Tommasini argues that classical music is often portrayed as the ‘greatest art form’ precedent from Beethoven’s era – “a heroic visionary with a rare link to transcendent realms, creating symphonic works for the ages.” ‘Asyla’ by Thomas Adès is written with a completely different approach (180-degrees to be exact) as the piece deviates from the greatness and highness of the symphonic format. The piece is the opposite from greatness that is full of self-conceit – it is a piece that reflects the greatness of our human nature that looks out for people needing help in times of trouble.

To Listen to full version of the interview (World Premiere):

https://youtu.be/28v6oBv37K0

Another Performance of Asyla:

Interesting Blog Entry: http://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2014/08/thomas-ades-on-his-asyla.html

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The Power of One Performance

Music is definitely an extremely subjective form of art. We cannot give a performance and expect to please everyone – there is going to be at least one person in the audience who will disagree with the music to a certain extent. Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth was considered one of the greatest masterworks of the century, but at the same time also one that went through the most social changes compared to any other work in the Russian music history. Shostakovich has already established his trademark with his use of humor, satire, sarcasm, pathos, etc. This work was supposed to give rise to the Russian literary heritage, as very little was taken from it during the development of the Soviet opera. The opera carries intensity and power through its entirety, ranging from the singers to the orchestra members. Shostakovich noted that the orchestra was not merely just accompaniment, but is actually an integral part of the opera, which is untraditional in other operas. Usually, the orchestra just provides underlying figures and motives to support the singers. This work also breaks the traditional structure of opera in that Shostakovich did not want breaks between scenes, allowing the music to create a continuous flow and to sustain the power all throughout with no interruptions. Since the premiere performance in Leningrad and Moscow, the opera gave successive successful performances for almost two years. Suddenly, this one performance I’m about to explain had completely started the downfall of Shostakovich’s reputation.

During the premiere performance of this work at the Metropolitan Opera, an unexpected audience member, Joseph Stalin, attended and was greatly appalled with the performance. He dashed out of the hall before the final act even began. Stalin completely disagreed with Shostakovich’s attention gained through this piece and his ideas of avant-garde music. At the close of the performance, Shostakovich walks out will feelings of foreboding. Few days later, he opened an article of the Pravda newspaper, titled “Muddle of Music.” This unsigned editorial noted that the work was “an ugly flood of confusing sound…a pandemonium of creaking, shrieking, and crashes.” As if the criticism could not have gone any worse, the article further stated that “To follow this ‘music’ is most difficult; to remember it, impossible.” Though it was anonymous, it was rumored that Stalin wrote it. This basically lead to the end of the era for this piece, where it was banned in the Soviet Union for nearly thirty years. During this period, Shostakovich continued to compose his Fourth Symphony, despite of what happened with the Opera. However, this piece was also a “massive, volatile, dissonant work,” making it a risk to present right after the Opera. Therefore, Shostakovich withdrew it and was not performed for another 25 years until it was post-Stalinist. This Opera was also the last work Shostakovich has ever written with text, as it could be the most easily misinterpreted.

It is clear that there were huge tensions between Shostakovich and the entire Soviet community, merely caused by one performance and one person. This only goes to show that music can be so powerful and, in a way, political, to the point where the society gets affected in a negative manner. A lot of us view listening to Western classical music as a outlet for relaxation and pure enjoyment. Of course we would hope to listen to the music for the music itself, but sometimes we have to understand that knowing the history behind the piece is also an important aspect that can influence the way we interpret the piece. That’s why we should study the piece before performing it right…? Imagine performing a Shostakovich piece without even knowing what he has gone through, and the intentions of his composition…that would definitely not do justice to the piece.

Tommasini’s article about Trump’s take on symphonies provides a similar message to Shostakovich’s reception of his Opera. Trump claims that symphonies are superior to other art forms, making it a very subjective statement. Again, how can you “rank” music when each one is so different from each other? What is the standard? Making these assumptions would eventually lead to problems amongst the public, which is clearly what happened with Shostakovich’s opera. The article also states that “If this art form is so superior, it must be prohibitively high;” however, there is a “plethora of free, or very affordable, high quality classical music events.” In an art form with such diverse styles, there really should not need to be any hierarchy. Below, we can see two extremely different examples of classical music. Of course, Beethoven is much more grandioso, providing a heavier and darker texture, while Haydn portrays a much lighter and joyful character. But that doesn’t make one superior to the other right? We should understand that different music requires a different type of listening and approach to grasp the intentions of the music.

Concert Trump attended in Hamburg, Germany

In conclusion, Trump’s opinion can be viewed somewhat similarly to Shostakovich’s situation with his Opera in that they both place strong views that can influence the public audience. We should be aware of the “assumptions” we make and how others will react to it. For Shostakovich, even after the huge success of his Fifth Symphony, they did not allow him to restore the original version of his Opera. This shows that the impact can be everlasting and in comparison to Trump’s stance on symphonies, his opinion can also have a powerful influence on others, of course not in a positive way.

Let’s just respect all music for what it is….

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“The Future is Female”

In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick sparked a national uproar when he chose to kneel rather than stand during the playing of the national anthem. In an interview with NFL media he said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color… To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kapernick’s critique of his country did not go unnoticed by the president, who took to twitter to complain:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1027892043908046849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

As Trump seems to suggest, Kapernick is a football player. Shouldn’t he just stick to that and stay out of politics? Is Kapernick letting down his fans by using his professional position to advocate for a political position? Or is this type of activism an effective and necessary means for change? People in all professions face these questions. These questions are especially on the minds of female jazz musicians today. Jazz has traditionally existed as a male-dominated field, aside from African American female vocalists. The deeply embedded “jazz patriarchy” still exists, but more and more women are breaking into the field and establishing themselves. Some of these women, though affected by the gender politics of jazz and America in general, do not find their inspiration in politics. They take the stance that gender does not exist in music; that worrying about gender politics only distracts from their musical endeavors. Others are inspired by their experiences in the face of sexism, and choose to use their music as a force for change. Roxy Coss is an example of one of these women.

https://www.roxycoss.com/gallery

In 2018, Roxy Coss released the album “The Future is Female.” Right off the bat, you can tell from the title that this album holds a political message: that women will change the world. The photo on the cover shows Roxy standing confidently and defiantly. To me, this image presents Roxy as an example of a young woman taking on the world, challenging anything that might get in her way, and inspiring other women to do the same.

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Female-Roxy-Coss/dp/B079VD5SVF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+future+is+female+Roxy+coss&qid=1554086712&s=gateway&sr=8-1

The track titles, listed below, provide even more insight to the purpose of Roxy’s work and its relationship to the current political climate.

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Female-Roxy-Coss/dp/B079VD5SVF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+future+is+female+Roxy+coss&qid=1554086712&s=gateway&sr=8-1

“Nevertheless, She Persisted” “Draws its title from words uttered by Senator Mitch McConnell during the process to silence Senator Elizabeth Warren from raising objection to the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.” Other titles address the president, such as “Nasty Women Grab Back,” which responds to Donald Trump’s infamous comment which doesn’t need to be repeated here. “Me Too” is obviously a contribution to the #metoo movement. One title that stood out to me as a young female jazz musician was “She Needed a Hero, so That’s What She Became.” I interpret this title as referring to the lack of female role models in jazz and beyond. Roxy is suggesting here that in the absence of role models, she realized she would have to fill that void so that young women in generations to come would have somebody to look up to and be inspired by.

Aside from the track titles and cover art, the nature of the songs themselves seem to suggest a certain political urgency. Reviews for the album point this out. One Downbeat review reads, “The Future Is Female is all instrumental, but it’s message music through and through… This is hard-hitting post-bop: aggressive, determined and grim.” Another review from allaboutjazz.com says about the song “She Needed a Hero, so That’s What She Became,” “A sense of tension can be felt, a spirit drowning in solitude seeking absolution.” Thus, Roxy’s work has clearly blended music and politics into one. She is not just a musician speaking about politics, her music almost speaks for itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYC9tMS6W2M

In an interview with popmatters.com, Roxy says, “Every single woman I’ve ever talked to in this industry has many stories that are horrible. People need to hear the stories, but the bigger idea is: This is going on, it is rampant, and we have to fix it, deal with it, and do something positive.” Aside from her album, another project Roxy has created to combat issues of discrimination is the founding of the Women in Jazz Organization, or WIJO. This organization strives “To improve issues in the Jazz community: how people in Jazz see and treat us; how people outside the Jazz community see and treat us; and how we see and treat ourselves and each other.”

Again, as a female jazz musician myself, Roxy’s album had a huge impact on me. I was inspired by her musicianship and the message of her music. I was thankful that Roxy blatantly called out political issues and addressed them, rather than disguising her message. Roxy’s album undoubtedly inspires other young women and therefore positively impacts society. Her work proves that music and politics belong together, and that music with a political message can change the world.

  • https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-future-is-female-roxy-coss-posi-tone-records-review-by-paul-rauch.php
  • https://www.popmatters.com/roxy-coss-interview-2556338405.html
  • http://wearewijo.org/about/about-us/
  • https://www.roxycoss.com/about
  • https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/colin-kaepernick-and-the-radical-uses-of-the-star-spangled-banner
  • http://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/the-future-is-female
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Whats going on?…the eternal question.

Whats going on?…the eternal question.

“What’s Going On?” … a question once asked 48 years ago, still rings out loud and clear. It’s a question that can prompt many different responses, yet it does not just target or point to one answer. This question holds the power to be answered by many in hopes only to bring awareness of your surroundings.

On May 21, 1971 Motown records released the legendary album, “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. This record pushed boundaries being one of the first of its kind. For Motown records, “What’s Going On” was the first record to print and give credit to all 39 working musicians who were recorded on the album. It was also a first for Motown in the category of a concept album: an album that revolves around a story or message from beginning to end. Artist such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were some of the pioneers on the Motown label who pushed for a bigger say as an artist and strived for their personal opinions to be heard. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/whats-going-on-251498/

Marvin’s first big success was with his rendition of “I heard it through the grapevine” in 1968. After reaching top of the charts, Marvin shortly became a recluse from the music world in response to his close friend Tammi Terrell’s death. The most famous recording of theirs being “Aint no mountain high enough”. Around the same time, Marvin’s brother Frankie returned home from Vietnam forcing a new perspective on Marvin. He noticed something was different about Frankie. This new outlook and awareness of the world helped to fuel the upcoming album, “What’s Going On”.

“What’s Going On” served as an anthem of social awareness.”

In reaction to the world around him, Marvin strived to speak the truth and ask others to be aware of the world around them in hopes to improve the situations at hand, “I know is what I know and what I feel I know is truth to me, and that is how I live” .The album itself touches upon issues of the violence and the Vietnam war, pollution of the earth, urban life, and stresses the importance of youth in our nation hoping to preserve the future.  Marvin felt he was speaking on be-half of many. He believed in the power of his music and voice in order to expose the observations of life and the conditions of the country. However, through that power he was careful in a sense to not force a right or wrong. In a sense he was only asking for people to take a look a round and “find a way/ to bring some lovin’ here today”.

“It happened through divinity; it was divine.”

The opening title track begins with hoops and hollers of a party welcoming the listener in to a more intimate setting. In the context of the concept album however, the man entering the scene is Frankie, Marvin’s brother. The first verse explains the affect in which the war continues to cause people back home, “Mother, mother/There’s too many of you crying/Brother, brother, brother/There’s far too many of you dying”. Through the smoothness and purity of Marvin’s voice he tries to make people realize the devastation we put friends and family through during times of war and struggle. There is never a sense of anger or aggression in his singing, which creates an even stronger pull on the listener. Next he begins to ask for others to join together and create peace, “You know we’ve got to find a way/To bring some lovin’ here today”. The second verse continues to preach peace with the lines, “we don’t need to escalate/you see, war is not the answer/for only love can conquer hate”. Lastly, the bridge of the song brings forth elements of peaceful protest in hopes that issue can be resolved without violence. The lyrics utilize imagery of “picket lines and picket signs…” in order to create a bigger impact upon the listener. Marvin also touches upon the desire for discussion and for authority to listen and take in to consideration, “…don’t punish me with brutality/ talk to me, so you can see/ oh, what’s going on”. These lyrics above speak from a stance of protests turning violent and authority taking action. He hopes that there is a line of respect for opinions and the right for free speech honored. Through his music and lyrics, Marvin is preaching for peace in hopes that one-day issues can be resolved not at the expense of war.

I believe that this album is so powerful because Marvin talks about personal perspective and experience. He also is able to avoid direct opinions and statements accusing people of being right or wrong. There was never a desire to be a hero with the album. Marvin considered this record to be a “feeler” record. He wanted to avoid being labeled and placed in certain groups. When it first was released, someone labeled it as “a great black album”. Marvin was struck because that was not his intention. He didn’t understand because the word “black” was not stated anywhere in lyrics.

This after thought relates to Ted Gordon’s article regarding Dennis Prager directing the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra. Conflict between Prager and the symphony arise because Prager’s political views do not coincide with what the symphony stands for. Pragers defends himself in the stance that music has the power to bring people together. He wishes that people of the orchestra would tolerate his opinions as he tolerates theirs. It is similar to how Marvin Gaye attempts to create a fluid record. He does not target a specific audience rather he tries to bring people together in hopes they can educate themselves on the world around them. Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion. http://musicologynow.ams-net.org/2017/09/does-music-trump-politics-dennis-prager.html

It’s hard for me to criticize a piece of music using a modern lens if it was written many years ago. Part of Gordon’s article criticizes classical music calling it “ the core of western culture” implying a negative connotation. He is taking music composed in a much more conservative and reserved culture and placing it in a modern environment.  I believe it’s unfair to take it out of its societal context. “What’s Going On” is such an amazing record because it is able to defy the context of time. Marvin Gaye was able to create an honest, timeless piece of art that will ring true for years to come. He is preaching to his listeners a message that forces continuous action and thought. There is no one answer.

  • https://www.npr.org/2000/08/07/1080444/npr-100-whats-going-on
  • https://www.npr.org/2011/05/21/136459286/marvin-gayes-whats-going-on-songs-we-love
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/whats-going-on-251498/
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/honor-thy-brother-in-law-a-visit-with-marvin-gaye-244223/
  • http://aln2.albumlinernotes.com/What_s_Going_On.html
  • https://www.rockhall.com/5-unbelievable-facts-about-marvin-gayes-whats-going
  • http://musicologynow.ams-net.org/2017/09/does-music-trump-politics-dennis-prager.html

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Some things will never change

Bruce Hornsby performing live

This message is embodied in Bruce Hornsby’s The Way It Is released in 1986. The song went triple platinum and went straight to the top of the Billboard 100. It’s personally one of my favorite songs ever because of how catchy it is, but the lyrics brings a new listening experience. It reveals the realities of racism and poverty in America as a political response to the existing conservative government. The message in the lyrics is implying that it is time to take action in order to achieve racial equality, or will things never change? This song was meant to create a palatable melody in order to smoothly deliver a painful message to the American audience. You cannot pull apart this song or find the true intention of this artist by just enjoying the music aspects. This song was written to say that America is not equal in race now, it was not in 1986 and not any time before then either. The music is not meant to be used just for the sake of saying it sounds great, but it is meant to convey a meaning.

The jazz influenced melody/tune has a very relaxing, almost sentimental mood. There is a catchy piano vamp that is repeated in the song, but the lyrics represent a melancholy protest against the political landscape of the 1980’s. Specifically, Bruce Hornsby wrote this piece about the Reagan administration. He was directly targeting the Republican party and accusing them of neglecting the Civil Right Act that was passed in 1964 allowing for equal opportunity and treatment of black Americans. Amazingly, not much has changed today with continued protests about everything from racial profiling, movements such as Black Lives Matter, police brutality against blacks, and disproportionate percentages of young black men being incarcerated for non-violent offenses.

Starting in 2001, Sean Hannity, a conservative radio host, decided to use The Way It Is instrumental version for his theme song. He longer believed that the lyrics were important to the song, and did not want to include them. Hornsby was a liberal democrat and did not like that this was happening; however, he could not do anything about it since he was still receiving royalties. However, it wasn’t about receiving the royalties that mattered, it was that the song was being misused. The song taken without the lyrics is selling it short of its’ intention. This shows the difference of how receptive the audience is for this song. With the focus on just the melodies, the true intention of this song is blurred. The real intention lies behind the larger social implications coming from the lyrics.

Standing in line, marking time
Waiting for the welfare dime
‘Cause they can’t buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old lady’s eyes
Just for fun he says, “Get a job.”

The first verse talks about how there were a growing amount of people cashing out on welfare, waiting in a long line just to catch a spare dime. It calls out the government for not taking the initiative to help people in poverty, and instead ignoring them ruthlessly as useless individuals while the government pockets and spends all their wealth. This also reflects the very high and increasing poverty rate in 1986 (14.6%). The message still rings true today with Trump taking massive cuts to Medicare, Medicade, and Social Security. For years, conservatives were completely against cash handouts to “undeserving” poor people. They believed welfare made people “lazy”. They refused to believe that there were any other benefits to having it unless it was food stamps, since those could only be exchanged for food.

Said hey, little boy, you can’t go where the others go
‘Cause you don’t look like they do
Said hey, old man, how can you stand to think that way?
Did you really think about it before you made the rules?
He said, son

The second verse is pointing out the racism in the attitudes of white people towards black people. Bruce Hornsby’s questions these attitudes from the old white man, asking why people have to think this way? Are people never going to change their minds no matter what rules they make? This type of public perception/attitude that white people have of black people still exists in the United States. I have witnessed it happen to my friends as well as many others. Social movements and protests against this perception that I mentioned earlier are very prevalent as well in today’s social-political landscape.

Well, they passed a law in ’64
To give those who ain’t got a little more
But it only goes so far
Because the law don’t change another’s mind
When all it sees at the hiring time
Is the line on the color bar, no

The last verse talks about the Civil Rights Act in 1964. However, it has not done much to change the way people behave or think about it. Even though the laws have passed, there was still a lot of employment discrimination and racist behavior. White unemployment in 1986 was 6% nationwide while black unemployment was more than twice as much at 14.1%. The differences can still be seen today (2018) with black unemployment (6.3%) at least twice as high as white unemployment (3.2%) on the national level. The highest point of white unemployment is in West Virginia at 5%, not even surpassing the national average of black unemployment.

That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change

The ending chorus statement is what makes this song powerful. It also posses the question of would it be possible for things to change for the better? It takes all the statements that were made and sums them up as a seemingly disappointing status quo. In 2019, it still seems like these racial issues are still just the way it is for some Americans. The lyrics seemed to be very present in the Trayvon Martin case and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. The song was also re-adapted by others reaffirming the same political message, one example would be Tupac’s hip-hop song Changes (1998):

The music has acted as a medium for this important political statement to be made across a large audience. The music was used as a way to increase awareness of issues and to challenge the unfair normalities of society. The music does can’t always focus on the “greatness” of how it sounds, because sometimes the deeper meaning is what gives music that power. The lyrics have really stood the test of time, and they continue ring just as much truth now as they also did in 1986.

Sources:

https://pilotonline.com/entertainment/music/article_a6cc6911-3840-5dde-94c8-f67f2a5441e3.html

https://world.wng.org/2009/09/bruce_goes_berserk

https://www.laweekly.com/music/bruce-hornsby-on-tupac-the-original-changes-was-a-lot-dirtier-had-a-lot-of-the-n-word-2410784

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bruce-hornsby-the-range/the-way-it-is

https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1987/02/art1full.pdf

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/06/donald-trump-snap-tanf-welfare-reorganization

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/brucehornsby/thewayitis.html

https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2600/1*CqIo31XeftQhS_KC2bfOzQ.jpeg

Black unemployment is at least twice as high as white unemployment at the national level and in 12 states and D.C.: The highest African American unemployment rate is in the District of Columbia at 12.4 percent, while the highest white unemployment rate is in West Virginia at 5.0 percent
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Protest Pop Music: the Value in Comprehensibility

The quote “We write symphonies” on it’s own sounds harmless enough, right? Unfortunately, the context is what breaks the innocence of this statement: it was used in one of president Trump’s speeches to promote the superiority of white western culture.

In a New York Times article, writer Anthony Tommasini responds to this statement in a piece of writing titled “Trump Is Wrong if He Thinks Symphonies Are Superior.” In it, he explains why Trump is wrong through the principle that difference does not equal superiority. His argument was quite effective as it was concise yet still detailed and not completely one sided. Admitting that classical music’s culture can foster ideas of classical music as the superior music genre made his writing easier to accept and consider. Then ending his article by comparing ticket costs of classical and pop music concerts proves his point that classical music in our day isn’t really as elite compared to other music genres as some may think. One specific reason touched on by Tommasini why classical music is considered the “elite genre” is because it can be harder to comprehend by the general public. I personally agree with Tommasini’s views because in my opinion, the comprehensibility of a piece shouldn’t be the defining factor of its value because comprehensibility will vary from person to person. For instance, those with little experience in the classical music world may not be able to understand classical music as classical musicians would.

Different from classical music, popular music – especially when it includes lyrics and a music video – can be more easily comprehended by the general population, making it a valuable form of protest.

Fight Like a Girl by Zolita is a good example of the lyrics and visuals being used in pop music to spread a politically responsive message. Written the day after Trump became president, the lyrics and music video speak of woman empowerment and acceptance across all ages, races, and religions. In addition to discouraging discriminatory hate, this song directly responds to Trump and the derogatory comments he has made against women in a way that promotes women having full control over their bodies, specifically through the lyrics ” My body, My choice, My rights, and My voice” that are emphasized through repetition near the end of the song.

As Trump’s popularity increased, open acts of discrimination increased as well.

To many, Trump’s winning of the presidential election signified a win for acceptance of hate and discrimination, specifically because of ideas he has expressed against women, people of color, and Muslims. This obviously upset a lot of people while inspiring them to become active in the political scene, Zolita included. Throught Fight like a Girl, Zolita’s response this influx of hate was to create a video overflowing with love and acceptance instead of something bitter and angry. I thought this was a smart choice because it broadcasts that women are strong in a positive way. Her lyrics are pretty bold and defiant, so making the video appear angry could have resulted in people turning away, but this way you can’t fault her delivery of her message. In her music video, by the way she shows women of multiple races, religions, and ages of women, all as powerful, she is declaring that all kinds of women are valid and strong and none are lesser than others. Specifically, she includes women of Muslim faith wearing the hijab and shows them in a positive light. Trump has openly stated Islamophobic ideas on multiple occasions, and here, Zolita responds by taking a stand against Islamophobia, using visuals to show Muslims are people deserving of respect just as everyone else is.


Using imagery instead of just lyrics to convey a message of acceptance is in many ways more powerful than just using lyrics because often seeing something can make connections for people that words or melodies can’t. Visuals can often enhance lyrics and help the audience to grasp a better picture of the message of the artist. In this case, a short scene in the video shows a simple gesture of kindness in everyday life involving a woman wearing a hijab, signifying that people of all faiths should be treated with respect. If the simplicity of the moment makes seem small and insignificant, keep in mind the hate crimes and hate speech that Muslims in the United States (where we have “freedom of religion,” smh) have faced and are still facing. At a time when people somehow think it’s acceptable to rip a hijab off the head of a muslim woman, it’s important to spread the message that following a certain religion doesn’t make you any less (or more) human.

Using Lyrics to Rebrand Insults Against Women

In addition to her music video, Zolita’s lyrics also speak of woman empowerment. Specifically, one phrase stood out to me that also happens to be the song title: “Fight Like a Girl.” I thought this was especially clever because she turned an insult that belittles and stereotypes women into something to be proud of. Traditionally, if you’re told you “fight like a girl,” it probably means you’re weak. In fact, adding “like a girl” to any sentence can still make it sound derogatory as if being a girl is a shameful thing. But through her video and lyrics, Zolita re-brands the insult into a compliment by showing that fighting like a girl means to be strong enough to overcome oppression and stand on top and that being a girl is something to be proud of.

Another witty way Zolita uses lyrics is a direct response to one of Trump’s demeaning, derogatory, and disgusting comments about women. In the video above, one of the comments made by Trump reads, “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” (He has since apologized, but I personally don’t buy it seemed more like an apology that he was caught making the remarks than an apology for the remarks). Not only is this morally wrong but it also suggests that men should have control over women’s bodies and treat women disrespectfully or even sexually harass them if they please. Zolita clearly disagrees, and near the end of her song, background vocals repeatedly sing “can’t grab me by the – .” Here, she took Trump’s own quote and flipped it so it still acknowledges that such ideas do exist but that she is above them, women have the rights over their own bodies, not men.

Zooming Out

Zolita’s Fight like a Girl demonstrates the value of popular music in response to political issues: lyrics and music video visuals can be used to communicate a message in a readily comprehensible way. The catchy melody of the song and relatively easy-to-memorize lyrics also made it stick to my mind, which encouraged me as a listener to think more about the message Zolita was trying to convey. It is a different form of political response than a symphony for instance, but because the two are so drastically different, they should not be compared in terms of value because each brings unique aspects to the table. In terms of popular music, I didn’t fully realize how much the music video could impact the message of the artist until discovering Fight Like a Girl. By only listening to the lyrics, I would have only gotten the message of woman empowerment, but the video communicated woman empowerment for women of all ages, races, and religions. Fight Like a Girl showed me how artists can marry multiple aspects of a pop music production in order to convey a multifaceted political statement.