Blogpost Assignment No. 2: Music, Politics, Power
Russolo, Shostakovich, Babbitt, Nina Simone: composers and musicians have long positioned themselves in relation to politics and power. Likewise, music has often been coopted by politicians, states, and individuals for political purposes. How is music political? Is music making always a political act? What sorts of forces (performance, composition, reception, promotion) are at play in the politics around music? How does power—and its corresponding systems and institutions of support—manifest in music? And what even does “politics” mean?
This assignment asks you to consider the relationship between music and politics in the work of an artist, composer, or group of your choice. Your post should be focused around a single work, song, performance, or event—though you are welcome to bring in other resources and contexts. How do gender politics and race intersect in, say, Beyonce’s “***Flawless” or Esperanza Spalding’s “Black Gold”? What can Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait (1942) tell us about solidarity in the United States during WWII? Or what does its subsequent removal from the program of Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953 tell us about Cold War paranoia? What about performances of “¡El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” during Chilean uprisings against Pinochet in the 1970s? Nationalism in Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana? Kid Rock’s run for Senate? The list goes on…
I encourage you to think outside the box with this assignment. Have you attended a march or rally recently? Watched a campaign stop for a politician on TV? Seen a musical performance where the performer took a stand on a political issue? The possibilities are numerous. Your post may be more analytical (feel free to incorporate musical examples), more historical, or more critical—if you’re unsure what might suit your project best, talk to me! Be sure, too, to focus your post not only around a single composer/performer/musician/event/etc., but also around a political issue (nationalism, race, gender, LGBTQ+, mental health, religion, economics, domestic politics, international relations, and more). Your thesis should tell us what specifically we can learn about music, politics, and power from your example—don’t forget to make an argument! Note: this is not an “opinion” piece. While I want you to feel comfortable writing in your own voice and tone, your argument should revolve around the musical work you’re studying and be supported by evidence.