It has become an unfortunate habit of today to see things like music, as they currently are, not considering the journey to how it developed. It’s so important to educate less experienced people to gain perspective on the values a genre or group originated with and developed. A prime example is how country music has come to encompass American values of hard work and family. “Country music’s origins are far from white, and the perceived whiteness of American country music was a deliberate construction by the recording industry during the Jim Crow era.”(Hurtado, 2019) This narrative of writing, or rewriting what is unknown or falsely believed, permeates the punk genre as well. When Mia Zapata was raped and murdered, it was important for the public to be informed regarding her influence, and the influence of many other punk and rock hybrids had on the city of Seattle. As technology advanced, it allowed the impact of these musicians to move from physical posters and newsletters to online where their record is forever available. They also made a mix CD about Home Alive that spread like wildfire. “The CD almost acted like the internet in an artistic way that really could touch people. That’s how people found out more about Home Alive and what they were doing, as the CD could be purchased globally. (Dawes, 2013) Now that technology allows it, information is more readily available than ever, and it’s so incredibly important that history be recorded while it’s still remembered, so future generations can gain the same perspective on how music history has developed.
For my media choices, I selected “No Es Mi Presidente” by Taina Asili and “Sigo Aqui” by El B. Both these songs are hispanic protest anthems against integration into American culture, which has historically resulted in very poor representation and eventually being forgotten. Asili’s song is a protest to flagrant statments from President Donald Trump regarding people of hispanic backgrounds, and how they demand to be recognized and not disrespected. El B’s song provides a similar sentiment as a rallying cry for resistance in times of global political chaos. It has been established that protest is the one of the only ways for minorities to gain a voice and rally around a cause that the dominant group continuously tries to keep down and out of sight and mind.
High school
wasn’t the best of times looking back on it. I suppose it could’ve been much
worse, but my decision to go to UW was centered on myself not being happy with
the person I became in the Bay Area. A change in scenery was definitely
necessary, and it was amazing to make friends with so many other freshmen who
were just as anxious about meeting new people as I was. However I still felt a
lot of pressure to be a certain type of person, and that pressure influenced me
to make some mistakes. I made friends I wish I hadn’t, I made some bad choices,
and it all just had me wishing for another do-over, knowing you only get so
many of those in life. Then the summer began, and I started working at the Lair
of the Bear.
The Lair is
a UC Berkeley family camp located in the western Sierra Mountains, a few hours
north of Yosemite National Park. My family has attended the Lair every summer
since I was 8 years old. After my freshman year of college, I was privileged
enough to get a lowly job washing pots in the kitchen of that camp. We lived in
wooden frames we called “tents” and slept under the stars in the middle of
nowhere every night for 3 whole months. Looking back on it, I can safely say,
it was the best summer of my life. I had never met any of my fellow staffers
before I drove to camp, and for a reserved, antisocial person like myself, I
was really scared it was going to be terrible. From day 1, I was blown away by
how open-minded and easy to talk to everyone was. I was presented with this
sense of freedom I’d never had before, a freedom to be your true self, with no
judgment from anyone. It was such an amazing feeling. But as the summer drew to
and end, I got depressed that I was going to be thrown back into the real
world, away from this new home I’d made for myself. I spent that last week
trying to just live in the moment and take in everything I’d experienced, but
the second “Ooh La La” by Faces started playing at our Hootenanny, I was given
an whole new perspective on my time at the Lair, and my entire life up until
that point.
As I’m
sitting there drinking with my new best friends, it hit me that all the
mistakes I’d made in the past won’t define my future. They’re chances to learn
and be your best self. As I listened to the song, I had an epiphany; I am where
I am right now because of the person I was back in high school, and I’m
thankful for the choices I’d made. The chorus of that song echoed in my head
that entire night, “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.” It
resonated so much with me that it’s impossible to really prepare yourself for
what you’ll experience in life, and you’ve just got to dive in and live,
without worrying about messing up. Sitting there listening to this song, I
realized that I was way more prepared for an adult life than I ever thought
before, I just had to take off my training wheels and go for it.
I loved working at the Lair so much I worked there for the following two summers as well, and I’m currently applying for the position of Head Cook this summer. I know I’ll miss my time there immensely when I finally decide to stop working there. But if there’s anything I learned during my time working there, it’s not to linger on the past, or worry about the future. No matter what happens, you’ll be ready for it.
Song: “Ooh La La”
Artist: Faces
Album: Ooh La La (1973)
Length of Song: 3:34
Side Note: I wasn’t able to upload the recording of me reading the commentary over the song to the blog, but I’ll attach it to Canvas. If there is any problem, let me know.
Punk music was created as a combative voice where people can tackle societal subject in a way that reflects how the performers feel about it. This is articulated when E.K Garrison said, “’Grrrl’ puts the growl back in our pussycat throats. ‘Grrrl’ is intended to recall the naughty, confident and curious ten-year-olds we were before society made it clear it was time to stop being so loud and playing with boys, and concentrate on learning ‘to girl.’” (Garrison, 2010) She emphasizes the frustration women face when they don’t conform to how society thinks girls should behave. Punk is an avenue for repressed emotions and urges to come out and make them known. I believe punk music is popular because others who may not have the courage or platform to vocalize these feelings can relate to what is being said, and can echo their support of expressing your true self regardless of what is “acceptable.” Mimi Nguyen shares a similar sentiment of showing your true colors, and not being ashamed of the person you are because of other people. “So if you’re white, own your whiteness. Don’t assume whiteness describes the world…Challenge what others do.” (Nguyen, 1998) It’s so important nowadays for everyone to be able to freely express him or her, and the world will thus become more accepting of everyone’s differences. Punk has been a controversial avenue of this, as older generations tend to frown upon it, calling it “loud” and “invasive,” but I’d argue that it’s essential to ensuring that everyone has an equal voice and will be respected.
Works Cited
Garrison, Ednie Kaeh. “U.S. Feminism-Grrrl
Style! Youth (Sub)Cultures and the Technologics of the Third Wave.” Feminist
Studies, vol. 26, no. 1, 2000, p. 141., doi:10.2307/3178596.
Nguyen, Mimi. “It’s (Not) a White World: Looking for Race in Punk (Nov/Dec 1998).” Thread & Circuits, 29 Apr. 2011, threadandcircuits.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/its-not-a-white-world-looking-for-race-in-punk-1998/.
My two songs displaying a refusal to society’s norms are “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister and “Welcome to Paradise” by Green Day, as both songs reflect a refusal to give in to what other people see as what they should be or do. Both bands aggressively and sternly stand by their image, regardless of what others think.
Throughout
the course so far, we’ve discussed in great detail how artists from
disadvantaged backgrounds or lower societal standing have had to fight for
representation in the music industry. We’ve focused primarily on artists of
color and women, but Frank Ocean presents a unique blend of characteristics
that make his music truly significant. Shortly before Ocean ever released a
studio album, he released a letter where he came out as bisexual. While he
never explicitly placed a label on his sexuality, he implies throughout his
music that the whole point isn’t about labels, but how it makes you feel. His
second studio album “Blonde” is one of the most dense and powerful album’s I’ve
ever heard, as it delves deeply into his upbringing, and how he dealt with the
hardships of growing up as a black man, and the duality or fluidity he faces in
regard to his sexuality. I will use evidence from the readings to discuss how
Frank changed how his listeners viewed sexuality and personal emotions, much
like women and people of color changed their own narratives in the past.
Women
have had it rough in the music industry to say the least, as any movement they
made towards an independent voice in any genre is often met with backlash, or
hesitation at the very least. “The paradoxical reality of the woman who finds
herself in rock or soul or hip-hop is that the music offering escape is also an
implement of violation.” (Powers, 2008) Many of the tracks in “Blonde” are
Ocean casually delving into his past relationships during his youth, with men
and women alike, and what he learned from those experiences. “Ivy” is about how
he was upset about breaking up with a past love, but he doesn’t hold any
grudges over how it ended, rather he feels thankful about the time they shared.
This relates to Powers’ quote because while the population at large has
generally became much more accepting of non-straight relationships lately,
Frank nonchalantly states that no matter what type of relationship, the
feelings between the parties is the same, and can be just as intense. People
usually think of heteronormative culture we live in and how it needs to be
abolished or torn down, while Ocean normalizes his fluid sexuality, because the
same feelings are present.
Singers
from the past have always been influential in their musical style without
getting recognition, much like Memphis Minnie’s powerful stage presence.
“Through the smoke and racket of the noisy Chicago bar float Louisiana bayou,
muddy old swamps, Mississippi dust and sun, cotton fields, lonesome roads,
train whistles in the night…All these things cry through the strings on Memphis
Minnie’s electric guitar.” (Hughes, 1943)Frank Ocean uses sheer scale and power
to translate significant feelings in the listeners just like Memphis Minnie
does. During the song “Self Control,” Ocean reaches a crescendo at the outro,
while building up a sense of sadness and pity that his former love has moved
on, and he fell victim to his feelings, losing his self-control. When the
finale begins, a sense of frission, or goose bumps, overcomes the listener as
his beautiful vocals and the melody complement each other allowing the listener
to empathize with the same emotions as Ocean, whether you can relate first hand
or not. These musical tools are very powerful, and when utilized correctly,
give a song tremendous significance, especially if seen live like the
description of Memphis Minnie describes.
Lastly,
Frank Ocean announced the release of “Blonde” in 2014, but the album kept
getting pushed back until late summer of 2016 when it finally came out. He has
talked on multiple occasions about the pressures the music industry puts on
him, the fans and the record labels alike. In “Futura Free,” the final song on
the album, he discusses why he took so long to release “Blonde,” and what he
was afraid would happen if it got out too soon or kept it hidden from the world
longer. The most important thing he mentions is that once he releases the
album, it’s gone forever, so it really doesn’t matter how long audiences have
to wait. Jennifer Lena discussed how hidden the histories of famous musicians
is. “By attributing credit for bold innovations to single individuals, we have
a fragile, thin explanation for the very complex world in which these
innovators lived.” (Lena, 2012) Frank Ocean significantly changed the game for
musicians, and how they’re allowed to express themselves in music, but the
whole story of the innovation very rarely gets told in full, like people
wouldn’t necessarily know the truth about what Ocean went through without Futura
Free.
In conclusion, Frank Ocean faced many large obstacles on his way to a music career, and they bear fruit with his second studio album “Blonde.” He still existed in a society that wasn’t fully ready to accept a queer musician, let alone one who would tell his story in such a way that his sexuality was hardly even acknowledged. But he simply let his product do the talking, much like women and people of color in the past have, as it speaks volumes far greater than hardly any other form of protest. “Blonde” is one of my favorite albums of all time, as it gives me emotions that no other media can, and Ocean’s uphill battle to getting it made is entirely worth the wait.
Hip-hop music has always been one of the most influential genres of music in modern history, as it dissects the struggles of the common person. “Hip-hop music in its infancy has been described as an outlet and a voice for the disenfranchised youth of marginalized backgrounds and low-income areas.” (Wikipedia) This has always been the overarching theme for hip-hop, and it’s the primary force behind how it’s evolved over the years. Hip-hop is a megaphone for those who have felt oppressed and relegated in society one way or another. Rap is the form most associated of hip-hop, and it’s a tool used to describe how daily lives transpire for people with disadvantaged backgrounds, prominently being people of color. It reached a level of use where Chuck D referred to rap as “CNN for Black People.” Jeff Chang discusses how marginalized people used it to transfer information. “If you were a fan of rap music, you could listen to artists from different cities and find out what was happening in those cities, whether it was how young people felt about the police, how they partied or danced, all of the stories not getting reported by the media.” People of color created their own line of communication, which at its basest form, is exactly what music is supposed to be. What made hip-hop so unique, however, is that everyone at some point in their lives, likely when they’re young and not fully integrated into society, feels slighted and marginalized, and hip-hop successfully translates that feeling into a universal rallying cry. While the subject of the actual song may not apply to everyone, the principle of fighting for what they believe and their social standing will transcend time.
Two examples of songs that display this aura of fighting for their voices and a reflection of the surroundings are “Fuck the Police” by NWA and “Changes” by Tupac Shakur, as both reflect the emotions of the inner city residents, points of view not usually represented by the national media at the time.
The role women have historically played in the evolution of the music industry is fascinating to document, since they were often very criticized for stepping away from tradition western expectations. “Big Mama” Thornton was very influential in her refusal to conform to societal norms, where her confidence as a performer made her very threatening. “…The ways she challenged the primacy of men in a male-dominated arena, marking her as a dangerous woman.” (Mahon, 2011) This is important to note, as women, especially women of color, have been facing an uphill battle to gain representation and respect in the music industry. This is also discussed throughout Women Who Rock, a history archive appreciating the challenges women have faced in the music industry. Their mission statement says they “bring together scholars, musicians, media-makers, performers, artists, and activists to explore the role of women and popular music in the creation of cultural scenes and social justice movements in the Americas and beyond.” (Habel-Pallán, Macklin, and Retman, 2014) Both these readings highlight the lack of recognition that women have gotten throughout the music’s history, when they are responsible for much of the progress to where we are today.
An example of such empowering pleas for recognition can be
found in Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0)
which represents an anthem to the masses strengthening the momentum of the
civil rights and feminist movements. Also, “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNb-8gLcXLs)
is another tale of caution for controlling men, and empowerment for neglected
women everywhere, inspiring women to represent themselves proudly and
confidently.
Works Cited
Habell-Pallán, Michelle, et
al. “WOMEN WHO ROCK.” ::: Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
Collection ::: 2014, content.lib.washington.edu/wwrweb/.
Mahon, Maureen. “Listening
for Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton’s Voice: The Sound of Race and Gender
Transgressions in Rock and Roll.” Oral History Review, Oxford University
Press, 16 Nov. 2011, muse.jhu.edu/article/457048/.
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