SOUNDING STRATEGY: COMPOSERS’ USES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL CONCERT MUSIC

Contemporary classical concert music could be part of the solution to build a just and sustainable future. My research demonstrates that such music, despite its niche, elitist positioning in contemporary American society, can contribute to social movements and change the world in meaningful, tangible ways when attention is paid to social movement strategy and structures of power. To reconsider the potential power of this music, I apply a range of methodologies from ethnography to hermeneutic analysis to nonviolent direct action strategy, drawing on the work of musicologists, ethnomusicologists, and social movement theorists. Given the elitism of the classical concert hall, it is a non-obvious genre in which to convey a social justice or leftist political theme, yet many composers try to do so. I examine five of these composers in depth: Laura Kaminsky, David Lang, Curt Cacioppo, Ludovico Einaudi, and Hannibal (who goes by other names but used the mononym Hannibal in the concert which I discuss). Concurrently with my research, I composed a large-scale experimental work to be used in a protest to demonstrate the potential for contemporary classical music to support nonviolent movements. I organized a pilot performance that brought together music students and community members in the lobby of a large utility headquarters as part of an ongoing campaign for local green jobs in Philadelphia.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Safran, Benjamin

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Goldin-Perschbacher, Shana

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Wright, Maurice, 1949-
• Manabe, Noriko, 1960-
• Klein, Michael Leslie

• Music history
• Musical composition
• Music theory

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/559

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/559