I thought about it yesterday, what music did I want to listen to, as I was sitting on the train thinking about the election. This morning, I turned to Aaron Copland and his Appalachian Spring, created in 1944 for Martha Graham, with an original set by Noguchi.
It seemed just right for the moment. Our composer from Brooklyn, a gay man who was a true progressive democrat, who worked to make the world a better place for his fellow artists, creating organizations and opportunity, fighting for the rights of artists, while arguing that classical music is and can be created by Americans. His better known works capture an iconic American sound: uplifting, of light and of darkness; anthem-like, while challenging in its own way.
A perfect soundtrack to the promise so many of us feel with the election of Barack Obama as our next president.
It could have been Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie, Louis Armstrong, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, or so many others. Aaron Copland it is, for me, for this Obama/American moment.
Click here for Leonard Bernstein conducting Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
4 responses to “My Soundtrack for this Obama/American moment”
Or perhaps Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait”: he too is from Illinois, and connections made between the Emancipation Proclamation to the day we inaugurate the first black President will be drawn by many, I assume.
Also, Joseph Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World”.
Richard – Copland yes, but it is the three-note theme from the fourth movement of the Third Symphony, also popularized as the Fanfare for the Common Man. “Yes we can…” I sent the campaign that idea in February but it obviously got nowhere…
Educating everybody is truly an important aspect in the success of a nation. A new administration is about to take over, and education is a topic that’s hovering on the minds of many. Many are really curious of what would be the new government plans and changes that may or may not benefit the people. The question is what wills president-elect Barack Obama do to improve the massive groups of students and teachers in America? In an article at The Apple, Obama’s first step into the development of education is focused on No Child Left Behind. He does not intend to scrap the program, but he does want to reform it, particularly when it comes to standardize testing. He is against preparing students all year to “fill out bubbles.” As long as the performance is up to standard, both Obama and Vice-President Elect Biden will support charter schools. Teachers at charter schools and beyond find Obama’s incentives like Teacher Service Scholarships and various pay rewards hopeful. Moreover, a major part of the president-elect’s proposal is to enhance Early Head Start Programs and provide tax credits for college education. Restoring faith in the American educational system via these ideas and more will surely lead to the kind of credit repair the country needs – where the currency is a vibrant workforce that is equipped and ready to lead America into the future. Click to learn more about Credit Repair.
I was surprised the other day when I stumbled onto Barack Obama’s Facebook page and discovered that he actually filled out his music tastes:
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Johann Sebastian Bach (cello suites), and The Fugees
I think that given the task of coming up with a more inclusive list, I don’t think I could come close. Some pop culture researcher must have consulted. Seriously, who would be offended by anything on this list, and everyone probably identifies with something. May be it can help with overwhelming debt…