by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann
Sitting in the middle of their storage room on the third floor of Purchase’s music building, Ben Stein, a senior Studio Composition major at Purchase College in New York, crosses one leg over another as they speak. Behind them lie various instruments, both in and out of their cases, along with boxes of snacks and drinks. However, the surrounding chaos doesn’t seem to affect them as they offer thought-out opinions on music and politics, their passion refreshingly obvious. “In today’s world, a good political song makes listeners think about themselves,” they said. “About what they can do to not only act properly or politely but to think in ways that will truly change the way this country works.” Ever since Donald Trump first presented himself as a candidate, he has been threatening to target marginalized groups of people. This has caused a massive uproar, with more and more people openly protesting the Trump administration. With a rise of oppression comes a rise of political art, and musicians are no exception: They’re turning to their instruments to express their political sentiments. “Political music has always been a thing, especially in the whole Woodstock era in the Sixties,” said Gules Asperti, a junior Studio Composition major. “It’s definitely coming back because of [the Trump] administration, and it’s becoming a lot more mainstream as well.” “I think that this is the most politically volatile point for music in a long time,” said Paul Jennette, a sophomore Studio Production major. However, even among musicians, there are conflicting opinions as to whether or not political music can spark meaningful change amongst listeners.
0 Comments
|