Tweet
Hi, y’all.
Music can unite us, but also divide us. I don’t always enjoy the music at Occupy; I’d sometimes rather listen to Drastik IV, whose video here uses footage from Occupy Austin, than most of the twangy folksinger types — an attitude that might not be popular here on MyFDL. For every person who loves a dubstep-fueled street party, there’s another occupier who’d rather we had a drum circle or a sing-along.
When Tom Morello called for his original May Day Guitarmy march, he invited everyone, regardless of talent or whether they were using a handmade acoustic guitar or a plastic Walmart toy.
I watched as the 99 Mile March of the Guitarmy arrived in Liberty Square and celebrated with song, dance and music. While the voices were sometimes out of key, what mattered was the people are singing together — the real unifying effect of music. Police crack down on drumming (as seen in 2 of today’s arrests) not, in my opinion, because of the noise it makes but because of the way that sound and rhythm can empower the people and lead them to greater acts of civil disobedience. Music inspires.
Real music made by people, for people, rather than a recording company, is a powerful tool of the 99%.
That’s what’s on my mind tonight. How about you?
This is the latest MyFDL open thread.
5 Comments
Kit,
Music is very much a matter of taste, and there isn’t a rule anywhere that says we have to like the same things. Music is also (as you note) a source of power. If you’re a reader, let me recommend David Dunaway’s biography of Pete Seeger, How Can I Keep From Singing. Yes, Pete is one of those twangy folksinger types, but he earned his chops in the Depression and through his blacklisting twice. His story is in large part the story of the power of the music of the people, which is what folk music really is.
Oh save us from the never ending folksinging please! Of course, back in my trident organizer days, I always wanted to line up punk bands rather than Pete Seeger and never won the argument! ;->
Drumming definitely seems to threaten on a very primal level … all those heartbeats synchronizing are dangerous!
I don’t dislike ALL twangy folksinging music, it’s just that the bar is much higher there for me to enjoy it — I can enjoy a passably good rock band as background music, but a folk singer has to be really good for me to enjoy.
I will keep an eye out for that book, though, I’d be really interested to know more of that history.
The younger generations in activism are nicely musically diverse. You’ve got your folk singers sure, but we also love musicians like Immortal Technique, Bassnectar, Drastik, Wheelchair Sports Camp, Tom Morello (a folk musician sometimes), Anti-Flag, Outernational, etc.
I love folk music when it really feels like ‘the people’s music’ but sometimes it’s just terrible! And I notice the divide pretty clearly — at the Million Musician March for Peace, there were a lot of people who stuck around only for the sets by the older, folk musicians and political folk-rock types, and scattered as fast as they could when the musicians we invited came on stage — like they didn’t even give them a chance.
What always disappointed me – and maybe still does – is that the often strong political sensibility and message of music other than folk gets ignored or worse by my generation.