Global Citizenship

There are many ways in which musical practices influence society.  First, participatory practices would ensure that there were no classes because everyone would be an essential piece of the egalitarian society.  Participatory practices also instill social, human-to-human, connections.  In a participatory society, there would be an emphasis on social bonding, which would make the people in the community view each other in a more human sense.  This would then lead to a better understanding of people’s needs in the community.  Furthermore, the people in the society would start to see differences as an opportunity to learn and not something to be afraid of.  People would realize that their differences like, Contra-Dance or Mbira, are actually tools in showing people your values.  Second, in a High-Fidelity, capitalistic, society, much like the one we live in, everything is done in order to make a profit.  As performers in High-Fidelity may never meet, in this type of society, there is little interaction between people.  Community members are completely fine working in routines of eating, sleeping and working.  There is a lack of soul in a society where everyone is providing services because they have to, and not because they love what they do. 

We can learn many things about a society based on their music.  In a Presentational society, there is a clear class system based on audience and performer.  In Presentational music, you can hear individual lines that are used to show how virtuosic the artist is.  If people only care about themselves in a society, the community will not flourish, and will probably fail in a short amount of time.  The fact is, whether we like it or not, we need other people to survive.  We need people that look different than us because they provide services for us and vice-versa.  In the twenty-first century in which we live, the entire world is connected through bicycle wheel or spider web connections.  We need each other to thrive and survive as a race. 

Being a “global citizen” means many different things.  First, it means being open to learning about other cultures.  When you meet someone new, take an ethnomusicologist point of view and just observe, respect and appreciate why and how he or she does the things they do.  Do not try to correct them or be egocentric in any way.  Welcome their new customs and traditions and recognize why they are important.  See each person you meet as an opportunity to meet new people, and learn.  Second, being a global citizen means that you set an example for other people in the global community.  You appreciate different people and do not try to “fix” them in order to make them more Western.  You can do this by recognizing your responsibilities to you local community, country and world.  A small step would be buying produce from a farmers’ market while fighting for better wages for the farmers around the world that get sucked in by corporations.  By paying more at a farmers’ market, you keep more money within the society, which thus increases the well being of the community.  Third, by being concerned for other human beings and their overall well being.  You do not have to try to save the world to be a global citizen.  You can be one by shoveling your neighbor’s driveway, setting up a daycare for single parents, or donating your time to a soup kitchen in a bad neighborhood. 

Global citizenship can be manifested locally in many ways.  Fourth, recognizing that we are all part of the same system and seeing a need to protect each other.  Fifth, being able to see how the world really operates in an economic, political and cultural sense.  Sixth, realize that we are in a High-Fidelity society and that while some aspects are good, it would be better for everyone if we operated in a participatory society. 

First, when people in the community realize that individuals are important to the society as a whole, global citizenship can be manifested.  When people stop caring what others think and begin to truly be themselves that is global citizenship.  When people set up a food drive for the less the fortunate or boycott wearing a certain brand until work conditions improve that is global citizenship.

There are many consequences for imagining the self in terms of interrelated local, national and global communities.  The theory behind this is that while the world becomes smaller and smaller due to the Internet and faster travel, the local community gains more importance.    

Becoming a global citizen is not always easy.  You must be able to stand up to the things in the world that you do not agree with, and see as being morally wrong.  Remember that each individual is different, unique and important on a global scale.

Bloomington Contra-Dance

After going to and participating in the Bloomington Contra-Dance, I have discovered that this event is all about attitude.  If you come in with a negative demeanor, whine and complain, you will have a terrible time and learn nothing from the experience.  However, if you come in with an open mind, it can be the most fun one can possibly have on a Wednesday night.

As I walked into the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington I was a interested in what Contra-Dancing actually was.  I came in with an index from my sixth grade dances of “Cotton Eyed Joe.”  Therefore, I was intrigued to see this new folky line dance.  The first dance was a little rough.  My partner, Eric, and I did not really understand the dance moves.  In spite of this, we left it all out there on the dance floor.  We did eventually learn how to do the particular moves but the song ended quickly after.  Feeling confident that I had the dance moves down, I was crestfallen to find out that we would not be doing the same dance but in fact would be learning new moves.  I feel as though I became more and more assured in my Contra-Dancing skills as the night progressed.  I joined in further by stomping my feet and clapping by the end.  The Contra-Dancing made me feel as though I was part of a community even though it was only my first night.  There were some people that did not seem particularly fond of the newcomers, and made us feel bad for not immediately picking up the movements.  Nevertheless, they were a minority, and I had a great time.  After you understand the dance moves and begin talking to the people that have been Contra-Dancing for years, your problems and the outside world seem to disappear.  Your body and mind begin to enter a flow-like mode where you are totally involved in the dance and only concerned about making the next move correctly.  To be completely honest, this was the first time I have ever danced to live music, other than jumping around at a concert.  This dance was structured around the music as to keep everyone in rhythm.  Middle school and high school dances, proms and parties that I have been to only used High-Fidelity Music.  With Contra-Dancing, it would feel strange if there was no live music being played.  The music just adds another indescribable component to the community feel of Contra-Dancing.  While High-Fidelity will ensure that you hear your favorite song played perfectly, it does take away from the wholesome experience. 

I will most definitely be attending this event again in the near future.  I feel as though my classmates and I had genuinely had a great time, and the most fun out of any night during Intensive Freshman Seminar.  During the Contra-Dance, you really get to know a lot of townies from Bloomington.  As I was dancing with one woman, she told me about a special deal at her restaurant later in the week.  It seems as though the people who dance together care about each other because there is a sense of belonging.  Therefore, the auditorium becomes one giant family reunion on Wednesday nights. 

In participatory music there is no distinction made between artist and audience.  In Contra-Dance, you probably cannot play the music unless you having been playing for a while, but you are free to join in the dancing whether it is your first night or you have been attending for years.  Unless you are extremely tired, it would be creepy for someone to sit in the bleachers and watch the entire night.  Also, in participatory music, there is no stage.  There was a distinct area for the band to play, but they were on the same level as everyone else.  Once you get into the flow or “in the zone,” you do not really need the music to dance.  You just repeat the previous set of dance moves.  Therefore, the music is more focused on the people dancing and having a good time than being perfect.  Furthermore, the quality of the performance of Contra-Dancing is judged on the overall feeling of the group with an emphasis on social bonding.  For example, I had a great time tonight, and had a wonderful first experience.  I also feel as though I got pretty good towards the end.  However, I am sure that some people that watched me or participated with me would think otherwise.  But it does not really matter what they think, as long as everyone has a good time. 

Following my attendance of the Contra-Dance at the Boys & Girls Club, I have a new appreciation for folk music and dance.  This music and dance can take us away from our problems while also being an outlet for our frustrations in everyday life.  Going to a Contra-Dance and sweating, meeting new people and creating a better sense of the society in which we live is exactly what some people could need in their lives.    

The Punks Are Alright!

After watching The Punk are Alright!, I have a better understanding of the punk scene in Brazil and Indonesia, and how it effects the world around us.  The film follows two bands from each country, respectively.  The first, The Blind Pigs, which is headed by Henrike, is located in Barueri, Brazil.  The second, Superman is Dead, is introduced by the drummer, Jerinx.  Superman is Dead is one of the most popular acts in Bali, Indonesia.  Each band member speaks about experiences involving life as a punk.  These include, but are not limited to: religion, society and DIY culture.  The experiences that both encounter are strangely similar, even though they are members of different religions and are across the world.  

Before watching The Punks are Alright!, I generally regarded Punk music as a strictly western genre.  I did not realize that other cultures had formed their own types of Punk.  Unlike Moroccan Rap, which uses native instruments in samples and beats, all Punk music sounds the same.  All that is needed for Punk is a guitarist that knows three chords, a bassist that likes to “slappa da bass,” a drummer that likes to hit things and a lot of teen angst, sung terribly.  But that’s not what Punk is really about.  Punk is doing things because you want to, because you can and telling “the man” how you really feel.  This movie changed my perceptions of youth culture in these two communities in a number of ways.  First, I am impressed with the DIY or “do it yourself” culture of Punk.  DIY means that you did not hire anyone professional to do the job and thus, were anti-establishment.  A DIY attitude is all about getting your hands dirty and experiencing new things that people go through everyday.   Anything can be punk, a school, a park, an album, as long as it was a DIY project.  Second, I am glad that the youth in these countries stand up for what they believe in through Punk music.  I remember when I bought the Green Day American Idiot album from Sam Goody in my hometown and thought I was so “Punk-rock.”  I had my Vans sneakers, black t-shirt and longer hair.  From my suburban neighborhood I was an anti-establishment machine with my private school education and various Backstreet Boy albums tucked away in the back of my dresser.  Looking back now, I was the biggest poser in the entire world.  I had nothing to fight for because in reality, nothing was wrong in my life.  These kids in Brazil and Bali actually have something worth fighting for.  Conditions are extremely rough and it is hard for people to find work.  Dolly, a fan of both bands, works in a Nike factory for two dollars a day.  He is part of a society were he is meant to stay poor as to not find better work.  It is strange how without the establishment, Nike, Dolly would not have a job.  However, I believe that the problem is that the workers are treated unjustly and more like animals than people.  If enough people were anti-establishment, and did not purchase Nike’s sneakers, Dolly would be out of a job.  This would put him in a worse situation, which is hard to believe.  Third, I now realize how society views these Punks because of the way they dress and the music they listen to.  The t-shirt Henrike is talking about, “God Save Me From Your Followers” is perfect.  After Henrike goes to mass and is about to baptize his child, the older women make the sign of the cross in his direction.  Did Henrike not just sit through, sing the same songs and eat the same bread as these ladies?  How can you judge someone as being in need of saving when they just attended mass?  Henrike should be praying for these women, not vice-versa. 

As a past pseudo-punk, I can relate in many ways to the lifestyles of the artists chronicled in this movie.  First, I understand the need to express oneself.  When I was an angst filled teenager, I felt really misunderstood by the world around me and that no one truly knew how I felt.  When I would go to concerts like Warped Tour I would feel as though the people there understood me.  This sense of connection must be the same one that the actual punks feel.  Feeling as though you are in complete understanding with the people in your vicinity is ecstasy.  Second, the Do It Yourself culture is something that our society seems to have forgotten about.  Here in America, we ship jobs to places like Indonesia or hire immigrants to do the work we do not want to do.  Then we complain about how the unemployment rate is so high.  This is because we, as Americans, have deemed some jobs to lowly for ourselves.  It appears as though the more physical and labor demanding a job is, the less American it is.  Therefore we mock and demean the workers.  As a society we have forgotten the feeling of fixing your pipes by yourself or mowing your own lawn.   These values are what used to make America great.  Now we are just a shell of the American dream with no contents on the inside. 

In the current world, all people are connected in some way.  With inventions such as the Internet and faster means of travel through air and sea, products, people and ideas can be transported quicker.  Therefore, new cultural, political and economic influences can be brought to countries that want reform.  As I discussed earlier with Dolly, he works in a Nike shoe factory where he is paid way below American minimum wage.  Also, he works longer and in worse conditions than any American.  However, I love Nike shoes and I love being able to buy new sneakers when I need them.  If Nike were to raise Dolly’s salary, I would have to pay more.  This Catch 22 really makes me think about what is important in my life.  Is being able to buy new sneakers every six months really worth the price of someone else not being able to break socio-economic barriers? 

Ultimately, The Punks are Alright! introduced me to a type of music that is very dear to my heart in other cultures.  It was interesting to see the difficulty that they have in their daily lives by being in a frowned upon subculture.  It does however make me recognize how dumb I must have looked in my early teens pretending to be something I obviously was not.  Henricke, Dolly, Jerinx are the real Punks that actually stand for something.

I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco

After watching I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco, I have a fresh point of view on the plight of musicians, specifically rappers, in Muslim countries.  In these countries, rapping and secular genres are forbidden.  The movie, I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco, shines a light mainly on DJ Key, H-Kayne, Bigg & Fatmi, and Fnaire.  These artists struggle to be the voice of a generation who desire change from their oppressive monarchy by putting on a concert that spans three days in three different cities, Meknes, Marrakesh and Casablanca. 

First, we are introduced to DJ Key, a turntable virtuoso.  He is uncertain about his ability to perform in the I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco concert because he is torn between his love for Hip-Hop and Rap music with his restricting Muslim faith.  DJ Key believes that by performing this music is sinning against Allah, and is constantly told to stop by traditional Imams.  Thankfully, DJ Key decides that his passion, DJing, is more important to him and he follows his dreams.  He says that he worked as an architect for a few years before quitting to DJ.  Wittily, Key claims that Hip-Hop ruined his life.  It is hard for DJs to get exposure in Morocco because they have to rent out the venues, lights and sound while they also promote the party.  Sometimes, the show does not go well and the artist ends up losing money in the performance.  Despite this, DJ Key continues to perform at concerts and put on shows because it is what he loves to do.  This tells us how hard it is to make money in Morocco if you do not perform genres of music that are acceptable to everyone.  As mentioned constantly in the film, the citizens of Morocco are extremely poor, therefore, they have do not have money to purchase tickets with or help promote their favorite Hip-Hop artists. 

Later on in the film, the viewer meets Bigg & Fatmi a Hip-Hop duo looking to gain respect.  The only problem is that Fatmi is a girl.  Even in America some people believe that rapping is only for males, or that only men can do it well.  Imagine what it must be like for Fatmi in a traditionalist country like Morocco.  However, unlike most of these artists that are perceived as sinners by the community, Fatmi has an incredibly strong family base at home that not only is ok with rap but also encourages her.  Fatmi’s father has been in love with music since he was a child and fully supports his daughter as long as she continues to keep her grades up.  Bigg has no problem rapping with Fatmi because he realizes that the ability to rap has nothing to do with gender, and recognizes Fatmi’s flow as something new and worthy of praise.  Bigg & Fatmi perform because they desire for their voices to be heard and to break social barriers that have been put up around them.  When they perform on stage at I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco, the crowd does not clap as loudly as they did for other, more traditional, acts.  Fatmi stands tough against the criticism and welcomes it knowing that as soon as she begins to spit, the crowd will be won over.  As expected, the crowd becomes enthralled with Fatmi’s rap and smooth flow. 

 In the film, the main dilemma that the Hip-Hop nation of Morocco faces is that they are seen as social outcasts by society, and should be ashamed by what they are wearing and what they choose to listen to.  For example, Fatmi is an ideal Muslim woman, with strong family values, who says her prayers and respects Allah.  However, she is viewed by society as a miscreant because she decides to associate with a counter-culture that does not go along with the current cultural standards.  Globalization, which is the practice of worldwide integration and development, does not always agree with the restrictive practices of Islam.  As Hip-Hop is introduced to new cultures around the world, more people will begin to enjoy the new music.  In spite of this, the Imams tell the people of Morocco that listening to and performing Hip-Hop music is prohibited, and that they are a sinner if they choose to participate.  The artists respond that they are able to dig deeper into themselves through rap music, thus feeling closer to Allah.  The Imams counter with that Muslims can dig deeper into themselves by reading the Qur’an and praying.  The Imams should begin to incorporate Hip-Hop culture into their preachings or they will lose out on an entire generation that is tired of feeling immoral about expressing themselves.

There are many underlying consequences for the American government’s involvement to promote and fund the I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco concert.  First, the American embassy is blatantly endorsing a counter-culture in Morocco that supports freedom of speech.  Second, the Moroccan monarchy will probably become angered by the United States’ involvement in their country and retaliate.  Third, this will make other countries with governments that are not approved of by America to be on guard for U.S. contributions. 

The crowd of thirty-six thousand over the course of three days at the I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco concert seemed to be overjoyed to have a place where they could listen, participate and meet their favorite local Hip-Hop artists.  As any crowd would, they became a little rambunctious when the favorite, Fnaire, was about to come on stage.  Guards started pushing in order to control the crowd.  It seemed as those Fnaire, who were afraid of the crazed crowd, would never perform.  However, Fnaire started singing their songs backstage to calm the crowd and proceeded to go on stage after the audience relaxed. 

The United States’ embassy must have been very thankful for Brownfingaz for telling the crowd that they were in fact sponsoring the event.   As U.S. embassies in other countries with tyrannical and unjust governments sponsor similar events about promoting freedom of speech and supporting the youth, I hope that the Arab and Islamic world takes notice that we are trying to help them from a less militaristic standpoint and more from culture.  We are not fostering egocentrism by forcing our music onto them, but rather showing them that they can, and should be given a voice to say what they want. 

After watching I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco, I have a better understanding of the difficulty that normal, everyday Muslims have in dealing with their overbearing, traditional religious leaders.  I wish that all the people in the Middle-East could go to one of these sponsored concerts and realize that we are only trying to give power to the people and away from the totalitarian governments that have been in place for far too long. 

Reel Bad Arabs

In the movie, Reel Bad Arabs, narrated by the author of the book with the same name, Jack Shaheen, the audience is shown how Hollywood has vilified the Arabian people.  These stereotypes have been seen in everything from Indiana Jones to Disney movies like Aladdin.  Hollywood seems to have a vendetta against the Arabian people in the way they are so staunchly against the idea of a good Arabian character. 

“Where they’ll cut off your ear if they don’t like your face/it’s barbaric but hey, it’s home.”  First, when I was a child and saw the movie Aladdin, I did not realize how Disney, a company that has portrayed itself for decades as the epitome of wholesome family entertainment, could objectify an entire race of people like that.  I am sorry to say that if I had not seen Reel Bad Arabs I most likely would not have recognized that from a very early age, after watching the antagonists in Aladdin, that my impressionable brain was already imprinting a negative stigma towards Arabs.  My brain began stereotyping all Arab men as having beards, large noses, husky voices as well as an aggressive demeanor while Arabian women were weak, helpless and submissive against their male counterparts.  It is strange to think about how I have an index for my childhood when I think about Aladdin, not how Arabian people are being disrespected.  I guess that is the entire point of this movie.

Second, I found it extremely interesting about how Reel Bad Arabs touched on the issue of politics and Hollywood.  I knew that America had never waivered in its support of Israel but I never saw the conflict from the Palestinian point of view.  As they as are constantly being depicted as terrorists in American cinema, the American people never see the plight the Palestinians face at home.  Furthermore, most media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is pro-Israeli so even on TV there is prejudice. With all of this media saying that each Palestinian is a criminal or extremist, it is hard to go against and ask people to look at the conflict differently; especially since society chose with whom to ally years ago. 

In the movie Rules of Engagement, marines are sent into Yemen, a country in the Middle East, to help evacuate the U.S. Embassy because of demonstrative protests.  While they are there, they open fire on a seemingly peaceful crowd of people.  However, as the lawyer for the marine, played by Tommy Lee Jones, dives deeper into the case, in a twist, he realizes that the Yemeni people in fact fired upon the marines first.  Even the little, innocent girl, with one leg was involved in the shootings against U.S. marines.  This shatters all the purity of the Arabian people up until this point in the movie therefore shattering the trust of the audience. This message will be interpreted by the audience as all Arabians are untrustworthy terrorists and anti-American, including women and children.  This will lead to a greater disconnect between Americans and Arabs.  With 9/11 happening a year after the release of this movie, I am sure that screenwriter James Webb, former Secretary of the Navy, was pleased with the fire that he ignited under the American people. 

The American film industry is so cavalier with its negative portrayals of Arabs and Arab culture for many reasons.  First, there needs to be an antagonist, so why not pick one that Hollywood has been using since the creation of cinema.  Second, people already have a negative stigma attached to Arabian people so the audience will be able to relate to the film and perceive it as real life easier.  Third, it would not be tolerated for these types of stereotypes to exist in films so constantly if the ethnicity of the attacks were directed towards Jews, Catholics, Irish, Africans or anyone else.  If the antagonists were always Irish, people would have a hard time relating to the film because one cannot simply pick out an Irishmen from a crowd.  However, it is fairly easy to pick out a person from Middle Eastern descent based on the stereotypes that are prevalent through media culture.  The larger socio-political consequences of representing Arab culture in such a negative light are as I have previously said.  The negative stigma and stereotypes will only become more and more prevalent as more films are made like this. No good can come from singling out one race to pick on while the rest of the world laughs. 

I was shocked by the amount of movies that I had seen from this list and yet never recognized the horrible effects of this type of cinema.  To name a few, I have seen Aladdin, Protocol, Back to the Future and Indiana Jones.  When I first saw these movies, I believe that I was judging the films based on the world around me.  Even though these movies came out before I was born and 9/11, I did not see them until after and therefore accepted the stereotypes as being accurate and current.  I would watch the news every night and see the conflicts in the Middle East and relate them back to the antagonists of these films and come to the conclusion that all Arabs must be like that.  After viewing Reel Bad Arabs, I am ashamed of the way that my country has shown Arabs and their culture.  I am also embarrassed of the way I gobbled up these movies as being real, true and factual. 

We can learn from Reel Bad Arabs the lesson that if a message, such as that all Arabians are terrorists, is constantly being imprinted into our minds we will begin to believe it to be true.  Also, that groupthink is extremely powerful and that we must always be open to new and alternative point of views or we will classify a people based on a few persons. 

Ultimately, we can all agree that Arabians have not been given a fair shake in terms of what is shown on the silver screen.  We must change the way we feel about the Arabian world around us and begin to see cinema as a story and not identifying it as real life. 

        

Bloomington Farmers' Market

After Dr. McDonald gave us the information we needed to navigate the Bloomington Farmers’ Market, we formed groups and started investigating.  I suggested that we start exploring from the de facto entrance of the farmers’ market where we walked in.  In what will be referred to in my map as the “Horseshoe.” The Horseshoe held mostly produce stalls from different farms and families.  I assumed before coming to Indiana that farmers sold their crops to various groceries stores or to large fruit and vegetable corporations like Birds Eye.  I was amazed at the different types of produce that you could buy: apples, peaches, corn, broccoli, tomato, etc.  It was all there and seemed to have been picked earlier that morning.  There was one stall in particular that stuck out in the Horseshoe to me.  A stall that strictly sold bee related items such as: honey, honeysuckle (which was delicious), honeycomb and beeswax, just to name a few.  Past the bee table was our first introduction to music at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market.  It was a stall for a local radio station that was playing country music as well as interviewing people who were at the market.  It was really exciting to see a local music faction taking an interest into what was going on in the community.  As we continued around the Horseshoe, and down to the end, I noticed what looked like a polychromatic stall.  The vibrant colors stood out from the rest of the mundane green that were the other produce stalls.  It was in fact a flower booth with some of the most eclectic choices I had ever seen.  Giant sunflowers seemed to reach for the sky to get every ounce of sunray that they could while the nonchalant roses stood there, waiting for people to notice them.  Behind the flower stall was a mix of various food stands  You could order everything from savory pulled pork sandwiches to chilling strawberry smoothies.  It was a great place to take a break from our investigating and recover from the humidity and heat.  We did this while enjoying some smooth jazz by a group of local musicians.  After this, we continued to the other side of the food stalls and emerged next to the first booths that were not selling anything.  There was a table for Republican Women, the Bahá’í faith, which seemed extremely interesting, and booths for political candidates for mayor.  As we continued up that road we came to another live music setup.  This time it was just a guitarist and bassist jamming.  They were actually playing one of my favorite songs, “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show.  

It was one of the first country/bluegrass songs that I heard before I really got into that genre of music.  I found out later that they were two students attending the Jacob’s School of Music here at Indiana University.  Coming full circle we found ourselves at in the Horseshoe again and decided to check out a tent that turned out to be giving free samples of their different tomatoes.  I had no idea that there were so many types of tomato with tastes ranging from bland to spicy.  We finished up at the steps of City Hall where we departed from, except this time we spent some quality time with the puppies up for adoption.  I met a beagle mix named Bentley that I was particularly fond of but I thought I remembered my R.A., Chris, saying we could not have pets in the dorm.

From my experiences at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market, I drew the following conclusions.  First, people really enjoy receiving being able to sample products and get items for free.  I noticed over and over again that the stalls that gave out free samples were not only the most congested but also seemed to be doing the most business.  One can conclude from this that people like to try things before they fully commit to a purchase, especially in these tough economic times.  Second, I also noticed that a lot of families and children circled the artists that were playing music. Music usually brings people together and at the farmers’ market it was no different.  More people seemed to be engaging others in social activities around the music whether it be telling jokes, introducing themselves or just singing along.  These social interactions prompt a connection between the people in the community.  Third, I realized how much these local farmers depend on the community.  If no one buys their products then they cannot continue to grow more crops.  What seemed like something interesting to do on a Saturday morning is actually how some people make a living.

There are a plethora of similarities between participatory music and the participatory aspects of the Bloomington Farmers’ Market.  First, just like in participatory music, the farmers’ market is entirely contingent on individuals.  These individuals wake up early on a Saturday morning and bring their goods and services to City Hall in hopes that an entirely different group of individuals will come and buy their items.  Therefore, one cannot exist without the other.  Second, it would be strange for someone to go to the farmers’ market and stand around suspiciously in a corner and watch everything that is happening.  People might start to become frightened of this and contact authorities.  This is exactly like not joining in during a participatory song.  People would think that you are weird and might be insulted.  Finally, in participatory music, you are assumed to be giving the performance any skills or talents that you have.  For example, if you cannot play an instrument, dance.  If you cannot dance, sing.  The same holds true for the farmers’ market.  You do not just have to sell produce to set up a booth.  Try something new like a flower or trinket booth and watch the people flock to your stall. 

 Going to the farmers’ market was definitely an eye opening experience for me because I am so used to the commotion of city life.  With that being said, I also felt completely involved and wanted because the music brought me together with whom I was sharing these experiences.   

Shut Up and Sing

During the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks, the entire mindset of the American populous changed.  Americans began living in terror that every Muslim wanted to kill them and that the United States would soon crumble.  So naturally, people wanted to be comforted by the same things that had comforted them before the attacks- music. Pop music was more than happy to oblige and started pumping out compilations of pro-American music, and rereleasing patriotic songs from the past.  These new pop songs would influence pop culture, how Americans felt about the war and politics.  An example of this would be Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the U.S.A.”  This song did not even reach the Top 100 chart when it was released in 1984, yet reached 16^th on the Hot 100 in 2001.  However, artists were no longer allowed to speak their minds freely, or use the First Amendment, for fear that their careers would be in jeopardy. 

 After the 9/11 attacks, there was a massive uproar for war with the Middle East and specifically Iraq.  Backed by Colin Powell’s speech to the United Nations about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a speech he would later call the “lowest point in his life,” the United States declared war on terror and started preparations to invade Iraq.  Ten days before the invasion began, during a concert in London, England, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, made a comment about how she was ashamed that the current president, George W. Bush, was from Texas.  This prompted a huge outcry from the American public and country music.  In a line of work that had always been about free expression, music turned its back on artists for doing just that.  It is strange to note that when this comment was made during the height of Bush’s approval, everyone responded so negatively.  We became blind from our rage that we were caught off guard and took it out on people who did not have the same ideals as us by calling them “unpatriotic” or “anti-American.”  In spite of this, now that we know that there were no WMDs in Iraq and we were hoodwinked by our own government, if the same statement was made today by Maines, it would probably be followed by applause and would not receive any media attention.  Therefore, the experiences of the Dixie Chicks are indicative of contemporary political issues by the fact that people will often change their mood or opinion within a few years.  Even though country music has not come back to the Dixie Chicks, the national music scene has.  In a year where the Dixie Chicks did not receive any nominations for strictly country music awards, they received five Grammys including: Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Through the experiences of the Dixie Chicks, we can learn that people do not take lightly what artists say.  A combination of fear and frustration can turn anyone against their favorite musical artists.  With knowing that people identify and are influenced by music, politicians need to worry about what types of music they play at campaign conventions and during political commercials.  In 2008, both John McCain and Barack Obama chose country music to play at conventions because the thought was that country music is wholesome, sincere, American music.  This election would be a start to the “new America” where the economy and employment would prosper.  During John McCain’s conventions, he would play contemporary songs that a younger generation would be able to relate to making him seem more current and in tune with pop culture.  At the same time, Barack Obama chose more classic and old timey songs that an earlier generation would understand.  He did this because it was assumed that he already had the younger generations vote and needed to win over older Americans that had only seen a white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant as president.  This has shown us that when people listen to music with a certain cultural values, they tend to start agreeing with what they are listening to and are more inclined to do something, such as vote for a certain political figure for office. 

In my hometown, the year after 9/11, the community put together a concert and fireworks show.  A cover band was be hired and would play a range of classic rock, pop rock and country.  Now normally, if you played country in Bergen County, New Jersey you would be considered weird.  But on that night, when everyone got together, we found that our patriotic, core American values, were really only being expressed through country music.  As we sat there watching the fireworks explode in the sky on a warm September night, I remember the tears precipitating down everyone’s faces and only really having a limited understanding of what had happened a year prior.  Following 9/11, the world changed drastically, whether seven year old me was cognizant or not.  People changed, especially in my area, because everyone knew someone that had been affected by this catastrophe.  I learned that what my Dad had always called where we lived “the land of fair,” was true.  The world was mean, nasty and unfortunately, real.  People, just like myself, had consciously crashed a plane into two buildings twenty minutes from where I lay my head at night. 

If there ever was another terrorist attack of that scale ever again, I do believe that hate would blind the people of today again which would make them lash out at anyone who dared spew unpatriotic and anti-American words.  Less than ten years separate the Natalie Maines controversy from today, so I doubt that people have really changed all that much.  Plus, people still have not gotten over the stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists so it would be like opening a newly healed wound and cutting deeper.  I believe that George Santayana holds true, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

In the song “Anarchy in the U.K.” by Sex Pistols, lead singer Johnny Rotten calls for anarchy as being a better substitute for democracy until a better, more equal type of government is found.  The song reflects the punk scene in England during the 70s and the angry, bitterness and frustration that the young listeners felt throughout that time period.

During the immediate aftermath of September 11^th, pop music was changed forever.  Artists that would normally be anti-war were too scared to put pen to paper and write songs against the war because it would be career ending.  However, the Dixie Chicks overcame these odds and became even more popular because of their refusal to retract their statement about the president.  It is sad that country music and the Dixie Chicks have never really reconciled even after public approval of George W. Bush reached new lows.  Now, I bet the Dixie Chicks aren’t the only people who are ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.