Posts

Posted on

Fortunate Son and the Vietnam War

Music is a powerful political tool. Throughout history, musicians have written reactionary music to historical events, but in the case of the Vietnam War, this reactionary music shaped an entire political movement, and, on a larger scale, an entire era. This music was very accessible to Americans (thanks to advancements in technology like improved record players and cassette players) so it reached a much larger audience and had a more widespread impact than music from the past. Popular artists like Bob Dylan released folk-oriented, pared-down, anti-war songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which calmly questioned the war through an abstract string of questions. In contrast, the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival released upbeat songs that were straightforward in their meanings. One of these songs, which grew to basically define the era, was “Fortunate Son.” This song, unlike “Blowin’ in the Wind,” is not an anti-war song, but rather a song meant to draw attention to the inequality of the draft system. Basically, Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) wrote this song in response to privileged people evading the draft. The appeal of “Fortunate Son” was so widespread that it not only became an anthem for protestors of the Vietnam War, but also for the soldiers fighting in it. Essentially, CCR used this song as a tool to protest not the war itself, but rather the unequal systems of war in America.

Fortunate Son, first released in 1969 (the first year of the draft for the Vietnam War)

The American political landscape was incredibly tense during the Vietnam War Era. Many young people did not know what the war was about or what they were even fighting for, so, justifiably, they were suspicious about and resistant to the war effort. The reinstatement of the draft further stoked this resistance, as it forced young men to enlist in the military if their birthday was called in a random lottery. This randomized lottery was supposed to create a system in which all men aged 19-26 were equally likely to be drafted to go to war, but as with most “equal” systems in American history, well-positioned people (wealthy, powerful, etc.) were best able to maneuver around the rules of the draft, which meant that society’s most vulnerable members were the most likely to serve in the Vietnam War. Included below is footage from the 1969 Draft Lottery. Although the process does seem random in terms of date number assignments, the disparities began in the next step of the draft process, which was where men enlisted or were exempted

“Fortunate Son” was written in direct response to CCR songwriter Jon Fogerty’s anger about the role of social class and wealth on enlistment. During the year the song was written, 11,000 Americans had already been killed in the Vietnam War. Most of the soldiers killed were poor, and a disproportionately high number of them were black. At the same time, President Nixon’s daughter married President Eisenhower’s grandson, who was given a deferment from the military. Stories like this seemed to populate the news, and it seemed unfair. Wealthy people who had no reason not to be eligible for the military other than their status kept evading the draft. That’s why, as CCR’s drummer Doug Clifford put it, “‘Fortunate Son’ is ‘really not an anti-war song’…“It’s about class. Who did the dirty work?”

In part, this song was received so well due to its accessibility. As Anthony Tommasini wrote, “Nothing impedes the appreciation of classical music — and keeps potential listeners away — more than the perception that it is an elitist art form.” Although he clearly was talking about perceived elitism in classical music, this quote also speaks to the bigger idea of the importance of access and understandability. The lyrics in “Fortunate Son” are very straightforward. Take the following lines, for example:

“Some folks are born made to wave the flag

Ooh, they’re red, white and blue

And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”

Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord”

This section of the song speaks to the idea that wealthy people may be patriotic, but when it comes to actual combat, they send people who do not have the power to say no. The ease of listening to rock and roll and the ease of understanding the message of the song are, in part, why it is still such an icon from the Vietnam War Era.

“Fortunate Son” achieved its goal in drawing attention to class disparities of the draft. In fact, it is still used today in popular culture references to the Vietnam War. The opening scene of Forrest Gump (included below) for example, uses the song, and there is a popular meme (also included below) based off of the song being used in so many Vietnam War helicopter scenes.

Opening scene of Forrest Gump (1994)
photo found at https://i.redd.it/3cme2s3ug3j11.jpg

The fact that the song is still used today is a testament to its effectiveness as a protest tool. The ability of the song to transcend decades and be so closely tied to a social issue demonstrates the high level of power that music can have on politics.

Posted on

Same Love

  • Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

“Hey Macklemore, can we go thrift shopping?”

“What? What? What? What?”

The infamous song “Thrift Shop” is sung by 35-year-old rapper Macklemore, who rose to fame with his collaboration with Ryan Lewis in their debut album, The Heist. With more than 6 million downloads with “Thrift Shop” and rising to No. 1 on the Hot 100 Chart with “Can’t Hold Us,” they became the first duo in music history to have first two singles reach the top of the pop charts. With their successes at a high, they went on to receive four Grammy’s in 2014.

“Same Love” was song that was inspired by a news article in 2012 about a teenager who committed suicide after being bullied. After reading about it, Macklemore wrote this song to embrace and promote gay marriage, which many raps song did not. Macklemore expressed how he believed the epithets routinely heard in rap music were partly to blame, and that denying gay adults the right to be married contributed to negative effects on gay teenagers. He “just wanted to hold myself accountable and hold hip-hop accountable and bring up an issue that was being pushed under the rug.”

The song quickly made it all the way to the Top 40 and No. 5 on the Rap Songs Chart. The timing of everything was impeccable, as it hit the charts in February, when the Supreme Court was considering challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and to California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

The lyrics of “Same Love” accuse rappers for constantly using “gay slurs” and abusive language. When we hear rap music today, it mainly consists of having a “sick beat” with rhythmic speech over the music. Although it is very groovy and fun to jam to, what most people don’t realize is how often abusive language is used. It seems that rappers will throw around profanity and offensive language like it’s no big deal. But, just because we hear it all the time doesn’t mean it’s okay, right? That’s the point that Macklemore is trying to express in his lyrics:

If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the Youtube comments lately
“Man that’s gay” Gets dropped on the daily
We’ve become so numb to what we’re sayin’
Our culture founded from oppression
Yeah, we don’t have acceptance for ’em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word routed in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color the complexion of your pigment

https://www.wordsinthebucket.com/same-love
Mary Lambert, featured in Same Love

Many artists turned down the opportunity to sing this song with Macklemore. With such a controversial topic, no one really wanted to be associated with it. After all, stars and celebrities lose fans all the time when they express an unpopular or polarizing opinion.

They soon found singer Mary Lambert, who agreed to sing alongside. Lambert described singing the song as a “divine moment,” as she had had a very difficult childhood coming out as gay in church.

The Same Love music video depicts the journey of a gay man’s life; from battling a difficult childhood of staying in the closet, to his well-deserved wedding day, and to the inevitable end.

Same Love, music video

Macklemore originally wanted the video to be seen through the perspective of a gay, bullied child; however, he believed that he couldn’t do it because it wasn’t his story to tell. However, he was able to turn a nostalgic piano ballad into a powerful message about marriage equality.

This sparked controversy as this song focused on same-sex marriage, but was written by a white, straight man. In the rap community, there are fewer white rappers that achieve success. Since its roots stem from African-American communities, “the American public has long associated [it] with a particular demographic.” With that being said, Macklemore clearly does not “fit in” with the stereotypical image of rap. During the 2014 Grammy’s, he performed the song with Madonna, as a score of couples (both straight and gay) were married onstage. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis certainly took a risk that night as a duo, as it showed the audience and everyone around the world that they were using their new-found fame to push a progressive message. He once said, “You’re gonna piss people off, but all these moments add up to an understanding and, hopefully, change.”

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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
Posted on

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.

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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….

Posted on

“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
Posted on

Unfortunately, This Is Our America

On May 5, 2018, the release of “This Is America” by Childish Gambino was at the peak of a desire for gun control, because this was also during a time where innocent people of color were being shot and killed by police with no real motive. Riots, arguments on social medias, and hope for change stood nothing against the government. Even after the fatal killings of dozens of innocent lives, If the government isn’t going to listen to normal civilians, they are sure going to listen to celebrities of higher status. When a person of influence states their position on a topic, this gives people a platform. This song blew up in a matter of minutes. The lyrics were strong, but the music video behind the lyrics was even stronger, portraying the killings of dozens of black men and women.

This song is clearly political, saying repeatedly that the America that we live in will shoot and kill you if they catch “you slipping now”, with the main target being black people. According to a study, black people are more than 10 times more likely than white people to die by gun homicide. This video could be seen as a a call to action, to warn African-Americans to be cautious, and to tell politicians in a unique way that change needs to be made.

Colin Kapernick kneeling during the national anthem.

Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) makes it a point to include in his video criminals, as well as young school children, church choirs, and just regular people to show that gun violence and police brutality does not exclude anyone. His constant dancing is meant as a distraction from what is happening to these innocent people in the background. This song and the video accompanying it are in response to the killings of many individuals, a grave widespread problem affecting our African-American population. It is pretty common to see celebrity responses after a controversial event. For example, Colin Kaepernick responded to oppression by kneeling during the national anthem, saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” I agree with the actions Colin decided to take. Even against judgement, he does what he believes is correct. Colin Kaepernick and Donald Glover are similar in that they respond in a healthy and nonviolent way. Violence would only discredit their point and lead to more controversy than what controversies are happening now. Celebrities like these are able to grab the attention of crowds and politicians and force them to see what is happening, and fight for a change.

Most peoples reactions to “This is America” we’re positive. I am on social media A LOT and I really only saw support and awe for this artist. I believe this is the outcome he hoped and expected, with thousands supporting his artistic endeavors. This has influenced others to have a sort of protest of their own to fight against inequality and in what they believe is right, a protest rooted in respect and non-violence. It is safe to say that music reflects politics, down to the president (Donald Trump being in too many rap songs), economy (everyone is always singing something about money), and things along those lines. If more celebrity artists state their position on major political topics, it would spark a widespread realization, and possibly even leading to politicians implementing new laws to help protect the lives of innocent people from racism and gun violence.

Each time you watch, you catch something new !