Music and the Holocaust

This past Thursday, I attended a lecture that marked the 75^th Anniversary of Kristallnacht in the Numen Lumen Pavilion. Brian Nedvin, tenor, a voice professor and scholar of Holocaust-era music at Old Dominion University, presented “Music and the Holocaust” through the use of music, personal stories and visuals. Nedvin was able to use different languages such as Yiddish, Hebrew, English and German in order to create a more complete picture of the terrible events of the Holocaust.

Going into this lecture, I was unsure how the lecturer would incorporate the music element into the delivery of the message. Nedvin’s idea was to show the audience another side of the event, a more personal, real side of the Holocaust since the majority of the talk surrounding the event is impersonal and removed. The two main elements that helped achieve this goal was the use of specific stories of people in the Holocaust and the music written by those affected by the event.

Photographs that helped the audience match the name to a face that actually went through the experience accompanied these personal stories. When talking about each of the individuals, Nedvin was able to make each of the individuals stand out from each other and pull at the heartstrings of the audience. The stories helped make us as the audience connect to the issue at a more personal level and feel compelled to change our perspective of the event as a whole.

The musical element is what struck a chord with me as a member of the audience (too punny). The speaker had a strong tone to his voice and he was able to make the songs come alive. Listening to the music, the audience was transported back in time and felt as though they were experiencing the music as though it was the Holocaust. The music that was performed had strong emotional messages that came across so due to the diction, strong imagery and sentence structure. Since the music was written to reflect feelings and experiences of the tragedy, each song exuded raw emotion felt by those involved.

Ragtime

Last Thursday, I attended the a showing of Ragtime.  Ragtime dealt with some heavy topics, particularly pertaining to race, equality, freedom, wealth and poverty, and the American Dream.  It followed the lives of three very different families living at the turn of the century whose lives become intertwined through a series of events.  There is a white upper class family who finds the baby of an African American woman in her garden.  When the mother of the baby is found, the upper class family takes her in, and the father of her baby ends up finding her.  Meanwhile, the play also follows the story of an immigrant and his daughter who are poor and hoping to create a better life for themselves.

Needless to say, it was phenomenal.  From the very first song, I was enthralled.  The talented performers had me laughing, gasping, and crying in all of the right ways.  The play was very well casted, and every actor and actress seamlessly assumed his or her role and transported the audience back to the America of the turn of the twentieth century.  The dynamics of the characters was fantastic, and they all played off of each other extremely well.  The costumes were also incredibly done.  Each of these elements worked together to display the changes that occurred in each of the characters’ lives throughout the course of the play

The message of the play was the most powerful part.  I particularly like how relevant the play is to current-day America, as many of the issues that the play addresses still need to be fixed.  Although many Americans seem to believe that issues of race, economic status, and freedom are not relevant any more, these problems are still confronted by people every day.  This play brought them to the forefront of their minds once again and showed the audience the good that can come from tackling those issues.  The message, and the portrayal of this message, made the play absolutely incredible and touching in all of the right ways.  Props to the Elon University musical theater department – Ragtime absolutely blew my mind.

Kenji Yoshino Lecture

           Kenji Yoshino presented a compelling and fascinating lecture on Monday, November 4^th.  Yoshino made the vital distinction between assimilation and inclusion.  He asserted that assimilation is be the effect of discrimination, not a symptom of its elimination from society.  He eloquently argued against the discriminatory culture that America still has today.

            Yoshino sees the American culture as divided between two groups.  First, there is the white majority and those who assimilate.  Second, there are the minorities and those who do not assimilate.  He argued that inclusion is “conditioned upon assimilation to the mainstream”, continuing that “the line [of discrimination] has not been erased, it has been moved”.  Discrimination today is much more subtle than it was during the days of legal segregation and slavery, however it still is unfortunately prevalent in our world.

            He emphasized the idea of “covering”. Yoshino believes that all people “cover” in some area of life.  Individuals put on facades of half-truths and identities that we project to the world, all the while hiding some “secret self” from those around us.  Covering is motivated by “covering demands”.  Family, friends, and communities and place these “covering demands” upon individuals.  Society expects a certain type of behavior from different classes or categories of people, which causes people to cover some aspects of their identities, and to magnify other aspects.

            Yoshino differentiated between “Good” and “bad” assimilation.  He argued that if an individual is impacted negatively by a demand to cover, then one should seek the source of the covering demand.  Oftentimes, an individual can be the source of his/her own covering demand, as people are highly self-critical. 

            In conclusion, Yoshino said that, “we hold many identities precious in our society, and the law will never protect them all.”  However, it is our job, as perpetuators of society to eliminate covering demands, to the best of our abilities, and to protect any identity that another individual may hold precious. 

"How Did Jane Austen Make the 10 Pound Note?"

On Monday night, I went to a lovely talk by Dr. James Thompson from UNC Chapel Hill.  This talk made me realize that English-Literature is a good major for me.  Dr. Thompson gave an excellent lecture on Jane Austen.  He outlined her posthumous rise to fame and analyzed aspects of her writing.

Dr. Thompson used the term the "cult of Austen" to describe the mania surrounding fandom of these iconic books.  He spoke of the Jane Austen Society of North America, and their yearly conference which always sells out, complete with a room full of Jane Austen merchandise.  There is this unique love for Austen that inspires bumper stickers that assert, "I'd rather be reading Jane Austen". 

Austen's writing is unique for several reasons.  First, she was a "beneficiary of enlightenment thinking about psychology". Previously, it was generally believed that people didn't really develop.  Children are small people, and they grow up into big people.  There was no concept of adolescence or development.  Austen countered this widely-held belief by creating characters that were "additive".  Her characters develop and gain new self knowledge throughout her novels.  The Mr. Darcy who is introduced in the beginning of Pride and Prejudice is not the same as Mr. Darcy at the end of the story.

Second, Austen was an "innovator in literary devices".  On device that set Austen's writing apart is her use of "free and direct discourse".  This means that she has in her novels direct transcription of character's conscience.  Rather than saying, "she thought" or "she felt", Austen simply pours out the inner thoughts and feelings of characters.  This causes the effect of the intertwining of the narrator's voice and the character's voice.  This is especially evident in Jane Austen's masterpiece, Emma.  At some points in the novel it is nearly impossible to differentiate between the narrator's and Emma.  The reader can interpret whether the narrator is endorsing Emma, criticizing Emma, or whether Emma's thoughts are simply being transcribed. 

For these, and many other reasons, Austen's novels have stood the test of time, enduring through wars and across generations.  Austen will soon take her place on the 10 pound note, a reminder to the nation of Great Britain of her impeccable contributions to the British literary canon.  

Steve Wozniak

On October 3rd, I attended Elon University’s Fall Convocation.  Convocation itself was an amazing experience.  One-hundred-twenty-five alumni processed into the gym in the ‘Long Maroon Line,’ all wearing maroon robes and smiles that showed how proud they were to be back at their alma mater under the gazes of hundreds of current Elon faculty and staff.  The oldest of them was 103 years old, having graduated from Elon in 1932.  When President Lambert introduced him, he got a standing ovation from the crowd.  Seeing him there and the support that he, along with the rest of the alumni, got from the crowd made me feel so blessed to be a part of such a strong and long-lasting community here at Elon.

Right before Steve Wozniak spoke, we were told to take out our cell phones and hold them in the air.  Looking around at all of the iPhones that were being held up, I couldn’t help but think about how incredible it must be for Wozniak to look at the crowd and see how much of an impact he and Apple have made, even on such a small proportion of the population.  It was a powerful example, and a perfect segue into Wozniak’s speech.  When he began to speak, Wozniak commanded the room’s attention; just being in the presence of someone so smart and knowledgeable was almost mind-blowing.  His talk focused on his life and the trials and errors that it took to get Apple started.  From what he said, it is easy to see how Wozniak became so successful – he was a genius when it came to technology and was extremely passionate about it.  He would do anything to complete projects, and would not stop until he had the best possible product.  Even though he has done so many amazing things throughout his life so far, he was rather egotistical and it was obvious that he thinks highly of himself.  He wasn’t hesitant to say that he could outthink people and was the best in school

However, overall, I believe he conveyed some very important messages to Elon and its alumni.  He reminded us that it is important to build an element of fun into our work, or else we will not produce the best work possible and will not have fun while doing so.  Another point he stressed was the importance of believing in yourself and being comfortable with who you are.  Growing up, he had been an introvert and a bit of an outcast due to his “geekiness,” but he managed to find the good in this.  It forced him to “believe in [him]self and be very independent and trust [his] own thinking.”  This was an important skill to have and it built the foundation for his current success.  Overall, Fall Convocation was a good experience due to “The Woz” and his informative speech as well as the ‘Long Maroon Line’ of alumni present.

Resurrection Dance Company

Resurrection Dance Company Blog Post – Oct 17

Today I attended a performance by Resurrection Dance Company from Port Au Prince, Haiti.  It was a very moving performance.  Dance is such a beautiful outflow of the soul.  When people are dancing, it seems as though their souls are being poured out.  [It made me want to do music].  The performance consisted of three drums, background music, and three dancers.  The performers were all male.  The age range was pretty large, ranging from a young boy (of about age 9 or 10) to middle aged adult men.  The drummers were incredible.  The rhythm and motion that they created was astounding.  Wow. I love music.  They kept this solid beat throughout the evening.  For a solid hour, they beat ath those drums.  They created.  They were artful.  They are artists. Passion flowed out of their bodies and into the drums evidently. 

            Then, there were the dancers. Wow.  They were strong, quick and sleek.  They were like wild horses or gazelles.  They moved with alacrity and grace.  One in particular was chiseled like Michelangelo’s David.  He was brawny and strong, like a centaur. 

            The dancers and the drummer used song and dance to tell stories.  They told stories of poverty and abuse, of fishing and celebrations.  Emotion flowed out from their hearts, crept through their arteries and escaped gloriously through every pore of their bodies.  Dance exposes the heart.  It was beautiful.  Even in the sadness it was beautiful. 

            One of my favorite dances was about fishing.  The young boy, Didi, was the fish.  He wore blues, purples, greens, and yellows, with a sequined fish hat on.  He glided and danced around the carpeted floor of KOBC 101 (LaRose Theater).  He was a free bird.  Then fishermen came and engaged in a magnificent dance with him.  They used two simple rods to catch him.  He stood with one foot on each rod and was gracefully carried around the room. The simplicity of this dance was astounding.  They used relatively few items to convey a mighty message.

What to Call That Thing Hiding in Your Closet: Monsters and the Idea of Race

Arts and Humanities Event #2

A large creature emerges from the trees. Its body towers over the man standing nearby, but the most shocking thing about it is its missing head. Its eyes peer out from its shoulders and the mouth stretches across its chest. Is this creature human? If not, what should it be called? Many, especially those alive in medieval times, would call it a monster and categorize it as part of a monstrous race. But as Asa Simon Mittman, a professor of monster studies, suggested, race may not be the best way to categorize beings. Mittman’s research delved into the role of monster races in the medieval ages and what role the word “race” plays in culture.

The idea of race, Mittman declared, is as artificial as the monsters themselves. He gave numerous examples to support his discovery that there is no logical way to categorize groups as races. The “monsters” of medieval literature and art were incredibly human-like in their mannerisms and dress, so these things could not set them apart from humans. Race, he explained, is consequently a cultural and not a biological phenomenon. Simply claiming another being to be of another race sets them apart and may distort perceptions of them.

However, this may be what the creators of literature and art wanted. By calling the strange beings “monstrous races,” artists set them apart from the Anglo-Saxon culture and placed them as a comparison tool. Looking at the “monsters” from afar, humans were able to judge their culture against those of the “monstrous races” and seem normal in comparison. In this way, the literature and art about “monstrous races” was really rhetoric on how the Saxons saw themselves and how they wanted their culture to be perceived.

Mittman presented these ideas of culture and race with admirable exuberance. He seemed incredibly excited to share his research and his thoughts on race in cultural context. This excitement was a little too much for me at some points in the lecture because he spoke at such a speed that it was difficult to process the ideas and keep up with the speech. I also felt a little disconnected to Mittman because he kept his head down and read from his prepared speech. If he had looked out at the audience more, I think his excitement could have helped him connect with his listeners. I was also frequently thrown off by the recurrent use of a medieval dialect that I am not familiar with. While I listened to the strange words, I considered how this introduction of a foreign language might affect a presentation. On the one hand, I thought that it might estrange the audience a little because there would be moments where they could not connect and could not comprehend what was being said. On the other hand, I think it could help express the inherent difference between cultures. Ideas are also often best expressed in their original dialect because nuances don’t get lost in translation. I have also been thinking about a point that Mittman made near the end of his lecture. He mentioned that medieval writings about monsters were considered explanations, but they actually never really explained anything at all. This is a worry of mine; that I will write a lot of words, but actually say nothing of importance. I need to make sure that what I write connects me to my audience and has an effect on them. I will be keeping all of these thoughts and observations in mind as I continue working on a project that will most likely involve writing and presenting.

-Miranda Romano