From: EIVERSO@cms.cc.wayne.edu
Subject: Re: Women/Black composers - thinking out loud
Organization: Wayne State University, C&IT
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:52:11 GMT

In article <BuLJnK.JJz@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
cottle@cmp-rt.music.uiuc.edu (David M. Cottle) writes:
...
>This brings up an equally interesting observation: there are
>practically no black (afro-american? pick your favorite
>current PC terminology) art composers.
 
African American. The "Afro" went out with the hairstyle.
Are you sure there are none? Why is this "interesting"?
How many *should* there be, in your opinion?
 
How many Orientals and Middle easterners should compose western art music?
 
>There are precious
>few black art music performers.  Have you ever seen a black
>violinist in an orchestra?  This really puzzles me.  I've
 
Have you checked every orchestra? It could be worth your while.
 
>always maintained that music is a very unforgiving phenomenon
>which cannot be legislated, regulated, and which transcends
>political, social, and ethnic contexts.  If your good, it
>doesn't matter who or what you are.  Likewise, if you can't
>play, political correctness (i.e. token ethnic representation)
>goes out the window and you go out the door.
>
>Is western art music simply a bastian of white male supremacy?
 
Should it be? What do you really think? Be honest.
Speaking of white males; what about the number of gay white males in the
western art music community? Are there too many/too few in your opinion?
 
>Another thought: have you ever seen an all white choir of
>yuppy wanna-be's singing negro spirituals complete with pig
>english?  Isn't that incredibly racist?  Why don't we have
 
Performing music with the original lyrics= racist? I dunno. Funny? Yes.
References to "pig english"? Maybe racist.
 
>picket lines protesting it?  These days people are so easily
>offended (I'm offended by the term Native American; it implies
 
As are many Cree, Apache, Huron, etc....
 
>that I'm not an American and that the people who were here
 
To you, maybe. To everyone else, the meaning is pretty clear.
Have you picketed to oppose the use of the term "Native American"?
Somehow I think the degree of you offense knows its bounds well.
 
>when the Europeans arrived inherited the land by Divine Decree,
>not by overruning the existing inhabitants, but I digress . . . )
 
What existing inhabitants were these? Enlighten us all, please.
 
>why aren't they offended by obtuse musical mimickery?
 
Why don't you ask "them"? I'm sure you'll get a better answer than from
the subscribers of this group.
 
Another thought of mine:
So why do yo think there are so few white males writing negro spirituals?
I figure this group is as good a place as any to pose that question.
 
>More thoughts: Why is it that black performing groups
>(disclaimer: we have a black chorus here at UIUC.  Their concerts
>are easily the most exciting and best attended events on the
>calendar) are offended when white groups try to do their music
>in a western european style, but won't think twice about
>adapting a Bach choral to a spiritual style?
 
Again; why don't you ask them?
 
>Sign me puzzled.
 
I sang in a glee club in a mostly-black middle school in Detroit.
I felt silly when we did "Negro spirituals" with lyrics like
 "Dey turn 'way Mary an a Joseph, 'way fun de inn."
But nobody said "Hey, honky! Don't sing on this one."
Since none of my classmates (nor anyone I've ever met) actually talks that
way, I thought the whole thing was silly. But it was a refreshing change from
the lousy "white" spirituals shoved down my throat in grade school.
 
>Dave Cottle
>School of Music
>University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
>
>d-cottle@uiuc.edu
>
 
--Eric
 
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