I had the pleasure of going to Kansas City this past weekend with Charles. After visiting four museums, eating the best barbecue in the world, and hearing a great soul music cover band, I would definitely recommend that the good people at the Center for the Humanities consider a weekend excursion to K.C. for next year’s institute.
The Sock Hop and the Loft
July 26, 2011
Ode to the Pied Piper of Motown
Dear Mr. Wonder
Who will play you
in the Hollywood
bio-drama,
the way you do
you do you
you do
July 26, 2011
Black Music and Soul
It’s hard to believe this institute is drawing to a close. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know many of the participants, and the lectures and discussions have been lively, informative, and enlightening. I have especially enjoyed our ongoing debate about authenticity, and the question “What is black music.” I’m not sure if we’ll ever really reach a consensus on that. But I feel like I’ve reached a conclusion that satisfies my curiosity on the topic.
July 26, 2011
Abbey or Diana?
As I reflect on this institute and all that we have learned, I wonder if I lived in the 60's would I be Abbey Lincoln or Diana Ross? Would I be outspoken and political like Abbey, or make my statement by being visual like Diana? Let me see if I can work through this! Now I went to an all Black middle school and high school.
July 25, 2011
The (Not So) Sweet Escape
What little girl doesn’t dream of becoming an actress or singer when she grows up? I even think that all little boys want to be in a famous rock band or on a professional sports team at one point or another. Now, why do we want to be famous? Probably because it’s practically impossible to become a princess (or prince), so a famous entertainer is the next best thing. Kids love to draw attention to themselves, so how about being the center of attention for your JOB? Cool, right?
July 25, 2011
Sampling or Stealing?
I consider myself an old school, hip-hop guru. I was born in the early 70’s and I was “open” when hip-hop came on the scene; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, Africa Bambata, KRS1, Big Daddy Kane, etc. Truly I can go on and on. I knew rap/h
July 25, 2011
Coping With Information Overload
This summer I forfeited relaxation and junk-food reading to pursue opportunities of a more academic nature — 3 weeks of exposure and interpretation of nearly 40 historical sites/museums/monuments/memorials followed by nearly four weeks of in-depth learning of jazz and Motown. As a result, I have lists of texts and songs in addition to photographs, pamphlets, and field notes to assist me in the education of my students.
July 25, 2011
Reverence for the Past, Relevance for Today
During the last few weeks we have viewed and discussed album covers from Motown, Verve, Impulse and Blue Note Records. Today’s speaker, Ashley Kahn, noted that one of the elements contributing to the success of Blue Note was “the look.” A 1991 review of Blue Note: The Album Cover Art, by Felix Cromey remarked that the album c
July 25, 2011
The Untold Story of Scott Joplin’s House
On Saturday, my friend and I visited the Scott Joplin House, which is located at 2658 Delmar Blvd. We were informed that you really don’t want to walk or not have a means of getting out of the neighborhood, which really piqued my curiosity; now, I am really curious to know where this house is located.
July 25, 2011
Black Men and Black Women
In my evaluation of the two films shown in class, “Nothing but a Man” and “A Man Called Adam.” I found that the black males struggled with their identity in American society during the 1950s and 1960s.