The Musical Philosophies of Notable Contributors to the American Folk Revival Lydia Ferguson Project Mentor(s): Timothy Hagen Throughout recorded history, music has been a refuge for people in times of turmoil. Music has been used to soothe, to liberate, and to give a voice to those who feel speechless. The American folk revival, which lasted from the 1930s into the 1960s, is a prominent example of this. Following World War I, the United States of America was sent into a spiral. From 1929 to 1939, homelessness and unemployment were at an all-time high; this period later became known as the Great Depression. As people were starving in the streets, they began turning to an incredibly accessible form of comfort: song. Musicians held strong political beliefs that played a consistent role in songwriting and performance; consistent advocacy created the overlap between jazz, blues, spirituals, and folk. Some musicians such as Woody Guthrie (1912-1967) and Pete Seeger (1919-2014) left their world behind to travel the West coast and encourage workers to stand up for their own rights while Lead Belly (1888-1949) focused on writing music for people to escape to just as much as he wrote music to bring attention to racism that was commonly accepted throughout society at large. The philosophy of musicians centered on music being accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or educational experience. Highlighting how these historical musicians thought of music guides how future music educators approach the profession through a lens of cultural competency. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Music Education, Music History, Philosophy SOURCE Form ID: 256 As a classical pianist, some of the biggest questions I ask when learning music are what the composer is intending, how I will portray that in my playing, and the impact it will have on the audience. A topic that intrigued me in my piano literature class last year was the difference between “absolute music” and “program music.” I decided to explore these concepts and come up with a program including both of these types of pieces. Absolute music isn’t necessarily “about” anything; it follows a form, focusing on emotional and thematic development. It exists as music for music’s sake. I chose Brahms’ Sonata No. 2, Haydn’s Sonata in F Major, and Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 2, No. 3. These pieces are extremely emotional and distinct, but the composers don’t associate any particular imagery with them. Program music has a specific story or image that it’s describing. I chose Liszt’s Gnomenreigen, which is meant to sound like a “gnome dance,” and Gubaidulina’s Musical Toys, a set of miniatures that each have a very specific character labelled by the composer. My goal is to present this to the general community to deepen their understanding of different types of classical piano pieces, and to share about the composers’ intentions in writing them. The Meaning Behind Absolute Music and Program Music ‡ Ella Melin Project Mentor(s): Brendan Shea, DMA
Presentation Type: Performance (May 20, 9:30am–5:00pm) Keywords: Classical piano, Absolute music, Program music SOURCE Form ID: 129
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