Teachable Music Moments: The Black History Month Edition

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

• Education
• Music
• Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate black music. Today we are delighted to share a guest blog from an ethnomusicolgist, featuring musical performances that you can share with children to encourage learning, understanding and appreciation. Please enjoy the blog and the celebration of African American music! And leave comments and questions!!

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By Dr. Fredara Hadley

It’s Black History Month 2012!

What a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the culture, legacy, and fortitude of African Americans. While June is Black Music Month, as an ethnomusicologist I believe that music is an easy and effective way to begin conversations with our younger ones about African American culture.

Below are several musical performances that can serve as a springboard for talking about African American music and culture.

“Wade in the Water” performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock

Enslavement was a dark period in our nation’s history in which countless captured people were forced to work on plantations without pay. Negro Spirituals are not just
songs that we have from the period of enslavement, but their lyrics reveal how the African Americans felt about their faith and their freedom.  “Wade in the Water” is a great example of a song that has double meaning. The lyrics refer both to the biblical story of God parting the Red Sea so that Moses and the children of Israel could cross and to the practice of runaway slaves crossing rivers at the safest crossing.

“Aint Gonna Let Nobody (Turn Me ‘Round)” performed by Bernice Johnson Reagon and the Freedom Singers

The Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s was a pivotal moment in which countless Americans, Black and White, fought and died to force America to give equal rights to all of its citizens. Although there is still work to be done, the Civil Rights Movement was an important step towards equality for all Americans. The music of that movement, or freedom songs, encouraged Movement participants by reinforcing its message of courage and perseverance. “Aint Gonna Let Nobody” is a great example of a freedom song that was simple enough for anyone to sing. In this White House performance freedom singer, Bernice Johnson Reagon, sings the song with the same power and passion that helped protestors to succeed in the face of violence and hatred.

“The Big Payback” performed by James Brown Live in Zaire 1974

The 1970s are often called the “soul era.” While we think about soul as a type of music the idea behind it is quite powerful. The 1970s saw a pop cultural shift in how many African Americans saw themselves. In the late 1960s and 1970s the idea that “Black is beautiful,” and not something of which to be ashamed, started to spread within African American communities. “Soul” as a concept was a way to acknowledge the accepting of African Americans new view of their hair, clothes, and music. The idea that Black is beautiful also stretched beyond American shores to include people of African descent from around the world. In this 1974 performance, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown performs his hit “The Big Payback” in front of tens of thousands of Africans in Kinshasa, Zaire. This performance is a great example of African Americans building musical bridges with their ancestral home of Africa.

Michael Jackson Halftime Tribute performed by The Florida A&M University Marching 100 in Atlanta 2009

Black History is not only about the past it is also about the future. Since the 19^th Century Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been an integral part of the success story of African Americans. Many heralded and unsung African Americans attended HBCUs including Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, and Erykah Badu. These schools continue to be an important place for students of all races to learn and study. One of the most exciting aspects of HBCUs are their marching bands. In this 2009 performance the Florida A&M University Marching 100 perform a halftime tribute to Michael Jackson during the Atlanta Football Classic. Bands such as this continue important musical traditions and provide talented students with the opportunity to perform and earn an education.

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Bio:

Fredara is an ethnomusicologist who loves talking, teaching, and researching all things music and culture. She fervently believes that we can learn more about ourselves and each other by taking a closer look at the way create and experience music. Fredara is one half of the music nerd blog duo of Aja& Free and blogs about the music industry and music technology at Soul4 Sale.

Fredara is a jet-setting Florida girl living in Brooklyn. Follow her musical musings and misadventures on Twitter: @fredaraMareva