Free jazz was closely related to the Civil Rights Movement, and music has been always important part of many social movements and protests. For example, pianist Jon Batiste led musical march at one of the protests in NYC in June, 2020 (the link is below). In your comment, please share your thoughts on music, race, and protest. You can write about the things discussed in class, such as white bands being a lot more commercially successful than black bands in the swing era, white musicians’ domination in the well-paid studio gigs in the 1950s, some of the protest songs, etc. You can also write about protest songs in different genres, for example, “American Skin (41 shots)” by Bruce Springsteen. How do you think music would help communicate the message? Why do we need a song for protest (or don’t)? Feel free to focus on one or more of these topics.
Jon Batiste Organizes “WE ARE – A Peaceful Protest March With Music” In NYC [Video]
