Projects tagged "Music & Sound"

Give a Beat
Practitioner:
Lauren Segal
Date:
Nov 10 2012
Music energizes us, lifts us up when we're down, reaches deep within us to release emotions, creates cultural understanding, and makes us more open and receptive to new ideas. Studies show that when people are listening and dancing together, they are more likely to feel a sense of togetherness, be inspired, show empathy, and be more giving.
Caged 'Children' Appear Throughout Des Moines Amid Iowa Caucus to Remind Voters of 'The Terrors Enacted in Your Name'
Practitioner:
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)
Date:
Feb 3 2020
Caucus-goers in Des Moines will arrive to a disturbing sight on Monday, with dozens of chain-link cages appearing to hold migrant children cropping up across the city overnight.
Anthem From the Iranian Protests
Practitioner:
Shervin Hajipour
Date:
Sep 27 2022
On September 27, 2022, a song by Iranian musician Shervin Hajipour ‘broke’ Persian social media. Hajipour posted a video on Instagram of himself singing a song for the mass protests that began in Iran following the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini. Its lyrics were composed of tweets from members of the Iranian Twittersphere explaining what the protests meant to them, what they were fighting for and what was at stake with the hashtag #برای (for the sake of).
A Night Of Philosophy And Ideas
Practitioner:
various
Date:
Jan 27 2018
"A Night of Philosophy and Ideas is a thinker’s lollapalooza. The free, 12-hour weekend lyceum at the Brooklyn Public Library includes spirited debate, live music, theater, performance art pieces, and film screenings. At any given hour, five or six different events will be taking place simultaneously. Visitors are encouraged to come and go as the spirit moves them.
The Pianists of Ukraine
Practitioner:
Artists
Date:
Feb 10 2014
In Kiev, clashes between protestors and police have persisted since December. Blood has been shed, and the political stability of Ukraine remains uncertain. During late January and early February, the opposition began to play music (from pianos) in front of riot police. These artists modus operandi has been to serenade protestors and police toward peaceful consensuses.
Parió Paula
Practitioner:
Parió Paula
Date:
Jan 15 2009
Parió Paula is an all women’s percussion group based in Lima, Peru. These women are truly artistic renegades defying the social norms of Lima’s predominantly male music scene. With a bold message on emphasizing female expression, these ladies have transformed their countless styles of drumming into something effective for their city. (see full article and short documentary at link below)
Singalongs
Practitioner:
Dave Lippman, Raging Grannies, The Stop Shopping Choir, many more
Date:
Dec 12 2015
I have several theories about why song rewrites work well. Theory aside, people know the tunes and can learn the words. Scholars differ on whether you should make it as simple as possible or let the crowd be the artist by recognizing their ability to learn and perform something a bit tricky. Either way, it's great when songs are repurposed and people get to shout and sing instead of just chanting or listening to speeches.
After their slogan was outlawed, pro-Palestinian activists turned to a karaoke classic
Practitioner:
Pro Palestinian Activists
Date:
Apr 26 2026
Brisbane, Australia — The flash mob descended on Brisbane’s city square, wearing double denim and blond wigs in the style of a legendary Australian singer as they danced with wild abandon to one of his 1980s hits.
Thrive Collective
Practitioner:
Jeremy R. Del Rio, Esq
Date:
Jan 1 2011
Thrive Collective mobilizes students, parents, artists, and community stakeholders to partner with public schools for transformational change. They function both as a matchmaker and direct service provider of arts and mentoring programs that cultivate the character and competencies necessary for students to thrive in today’s world.
Mashrou’ Leila
Practitioner:
Mashrou’ Leila
Date:
Sep 1 2018
CAIRO — Seven Egyptians were arrested on charges of promoting homosexuality after concertgoers waved rainbow-colored flags at a rock concert in Cairo last week, Egyptian officials said. The arrests were the latest assault on social freedoms in Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose government has imposed harsh restrictions on free speech and led an aggressive campaign against gays.
Strange Fruit: The First Great Protest Song
Practitioner:
Billie Holiday
Date:
Apr 20 1939
It is a clear, fresh New York night in March 1939. You're on a date and you've decided to investigate a new club in a former speakeasy on West 4th Street: Cafe Society, which calls itself "The Wrong Place for the Right People".
2020 Was the Year of Protest Music
Practitioner:
Ambrose Akinmusire
Date:
Apr 1 2020
2020 was the year of when protest music blared everywhere. For a long period, Black people struggled against police brutality and in the uproar of George Floyd's murder, BLM protests instantly swept over the country. Of the many protest music that was released that year, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire wrote a song that would spearhead raging sentiments towards racial injustice beyond just jazz.
Becoming an Image
Practitioner:
Cassils
Date:
Jun 1 2012
Cassils' Becoming an Image confronts issues of queer and trans visibility, bodily violence, and the politics of witnessing. The performance uses a powerful blend of media—including live action in darkness, flash photography, clay sculpture, and sound—to explore how trauma and resilience are physically and symbolically inscribed onto the queer body.
Rise, Resist & Unite...V-Day & The Vagina Monolouges
Practitioner:
V-Day Sedona/ Organizations Across the Globe
Date:
Feb 17 2018
Back after a five year hiatus, V-Day Sedona joins with hundreds of other productions across the globe in celebrating V-Day’s 20th anniversary with an act of artistic activism. For its 20th anniversary, V-Day is calling on activists around the world to Rise, Resist and Unite.
Montreal's 'casseroles' cook up a storm over Quebec's anti-protest law
Practitioner:
Casseroles
Date:
May 18 2012
"Every night, at 8pm, during 15 minutes, take a casserole or any object that makes some noise and bang it with all the wrath that Bill 78 inspires you!" Citizens in Quebec adopted 'cacerolazo,' a form of popular protest which consists of a group of people making noise by banging pots, pans, and other utensils in order to call for attention.
Wirikuta Fest
Practitioner:
Mexican Rock Bands
Date:
May 26 2012
It was a long time coming - but it was worth the wait. Nearly two years ago, more than a dozen of Mexico’s biggest performing artists came together in a mega-event aimed at saving Wirikuta, one of the country’s most sacred sites, from devastation at the hands of Canadian gold and silver mining operations.
Latin Party at Racist Aaron Schlossberg's UWS Apartment
Practitioner:
The People for Bernie Sanders, Latinos for revolution, Viva Bernie 2020, Young Progressives of America, POlitics Reborn, Woke folks, Millennials for revolution, Unofficial: DNC, New York City Progressives, The Digital Left
Date:
May 18 2018
Action as a response to viral video of Attorney Aaron Schlossberg's racist rant against Spanish speaking customers and employees at a midtown restaurant. The "Latin Party" included food, music, and dance celebrating Latina/o culture in the US. From FB event page:
#BeyChella
Practitioner:
Beyonce
Date:
Apr 14 2018
Beyoncé delivered an intensely, unapologetic celebration of Black and HBCU culture at the Coachella Festival 2 weekends in a row. Not only were her performances some of the best live performances to date but they sent a pretty significant message to the world. Here are some assessments of this beautiful demonstration of Blackness and Black Girl Magic: From BBC News:
Takeaways from J. Cole's New Album, KOD
Practitioner:
J. Cole
Date:
Apr 20 2018
In keeping with his activist turn on 2016’s 4 Your Eyez Only, J. Cole’s new album, KOD, is an exploration of addiction. The title has three different meanings that all speak to this aim: Kids On Drugs, King OverDosed, and Kill Our Demons. Each feeds into the next in this narcotic odyssey.
Resonate, Reverberate, Roar,
Practitioner:
Elana Mann
Date:
Oct 17 2013
Resonate, Reverberate, Roar (Re-Re-Roar) is a growing archive of original sounds that express an experimental, independent, and socially progressive spirit. The sounds on Re-Re-Roar include field recordings, interviews, songs, speeches, experimental music, and more. Re-Re-Roar is a site for research and activ[ist] listening, with the purpose of distributing sounds of resistance to eager ears around the globe.
Woe Fie
Practitioner:
Angel Maxine
Date:
Jul 26 2021
Can you finish the lyric? “Your driver could be LGBTQ, Your Tailor could be LGBTQ,…” If you can’t, you may be a part of the majority who doesn’t know about the song Wo Fie. However, for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and followers of Ghanaian musician Angel Maxine, the song has become a Pride month anthem.
Y'en A Marre
Practitioner:
Y'en A Marre
Date:
Jan 16 2011
"Y’en a Marre (“We're Fed Up") first emerged in 2011 as a grassroots campaign against injustice and inequality in Senegal. Spearheaded by the hip hop group Keur Gui Crew in response to local power outages, the nascent protest movement went on to mobilize against the controversial bid by Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade to remain in office for a third term.
Arruinados
Practitioner:
O Teatrão/Companhia Fantasma
Date:
Aug 1 2013
In July and August 2013, O Teatrão, a Coimbra based theatre company, presented the project Arruinados, comprising three theatre performances in three abandoned spaces (‘ruins’), one in each of three cities in the Centre region of Portugal located along the Mondego River:Coimbra, Montemoro Velho, and Figueira da Foz.
"Fuck Tha Police": N.W.A.'s Most Courageous Song is Still Relevant As Ever
Practitioner:
N.W.A.
Date:
Aug 9 1998
Upon its original release on N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton LP in 1988, the song was safely titled “_ _ _ _ Tha Police (Fill in the Blanks),” and the album cover was among the first to feature the infamous “Parental Advisory” label, warning moms and dads about the album’s explicit lyrics. A censored version of the LP even omitted the song entirely.
Act ii: COWBOY CARTER
Practitioner:
Beyonce
Date:
Mar 29 2024
Following her sensational first ablum dedicated to the Black queer community via house and dance music, act i: RENAISSANCE, Beyonce released act ii: COWBOY CARTER in late March . The album is speculated to have come from her 2017/2018 performance of "Daddy Issues" at the Country Music Awards with the Dixie Chicks where the artist felt "unwelcomed".

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