It's difficult to say what juices me most about the music courses I've been developing and delivering for over a decade. My creative life has been enhanced, my network of friends has grown, my devotion to music has deepened. Despite the significant investment of time required to develop a new course, each time one begins taking shape, the mental effort is invigorating.
My newest course - Women of Heart and Mind: A Changing Musical Landscape - is currently in its embryonic stage. I already know some of the women composers and songs I'll feature and some links I'll make connecting trailblazing musical pioneers like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Laura Nyro to the advent of second wave feminism. But as always, as the course moves toward its maiden voyage, songs and composers will be added and dropped. And that's where you come in.
Which women composers would you expect to hear represented in a course like this? Which songs are strongly linked in your mind to the feminist movement? I've already gotten a few solid ideas from people in my hiking group, my writer's group, my book club. Why not toss me a few of yours?
I would put Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders at the top of my list -- "Brass in Pocket" and "My City Was Gone" are two favorites. Good old fashioned rock and roll with a woman up front, as lead singer and song-writer.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous" Jim; Have Chrissie Hynde on my long list but thanks anyway for your comment, just in case I didn't.
DeletePatti Smith
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Thanks for chiming in.
DeleteThis is an interesting topic and I would like to make some suggestions of women singers and their feminist songs. These are songs celebrating woman's empowerment, gender inequality and sometimes protest. Here are my nominations:
ReplyDeleteAretha Franklin "Respect" - advocates women's rights and racial equality.
Helen Reddy "I Am Woman" - message of female strength promoting feminism.
Lesley Gore "You Don't Own Me" - standing up to a controlling boyfriend.
Nina Simone "Ain't No Use" - leaving her man after sufferiing too many abuese.
Dolly Parton "9 to 5" - anthem about women working in a male domintated office.
Cindi Lauper "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" - assertion of feminine solidarity.
Mary Chapin Carpenter "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" - unappreciated wife leaves her husband to join the workforce.
No Doubt (Gwen Stefani) "Just A Girl" - rails against the assumption that women are submissive to men.
Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)" - celebrates women's independence.
Lily Allen "Hard out Here" - gender roles and expectations regarding appearance and sex.
Rachel Platten "Broken Glass" - uplifting feminest anthem.
Kesha "Woman" - another feminist anthem.
Ariana Grande "God is a Woman" - embracing feminine power.
Sara Bareilles "Armor" - for the #MeToo movement.
Ava Max "Kings & Queens" - the power of women and equality with men.
St. Vincent "The Melting of the Sun" - women who have been mistreated in the entertainment industry.
Florence and the Machine "King" - contradictions of womanhood.
Demi Lovato "Swine" - anthem that aims to strip women of their bodily autonomy.
Hope this helps.
Chris; As usual, great stuff. Especially like the Mary Chapin-Carpenter suggestion.
DeleteHey Pat. Damn, I hate having to follow Chris - LOL.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my thoughts/suggestions would be, in no particular order:
1. Joan Baez
2. Tracy Chapman
3. Lucinda Williams
4. Alison Krauss
5. Janis Ian
6. Joan Armatrading
Looking forward to seeing the final version and taking the class.
Be well,
Bob
Bob; Yeah that Chris guy has his musical mojo together, don't he? Thanks for your input. I especially appreciate your suggestion of Lucinda Williams, not a household name but someone worth listening to.
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