Here on the library blog, we spend a lot of time talking about books, and for good reason! Books are what most people think of when they think of libraries, and they make up a large part of our collection and our daily work. But as we’ve shared in other posts, the library also works with movies, video games, board games, and music. Especially given the recent Grammy awards and the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, music in particular has been on the forefront of my mind in the library lately. And just like the books and other media we talk about on the blog, music can have a profound impact on listeners and library users!
Music, both through instruments and vocal harmonies, has been used to convey emotion and connection for thousands of years, just like written and oral storytelling has. Vastly different forms of music, from religious ceremonies that build community faith to storytelling with a single instrument around a campfire, can bring listeners closer to a shared understanding with performers. And studies show that interacting with music, whether as a performer or listener, can offer connections to one’s culture, form a community identity, and preserve heritage or traditions.
Songs, performances, ceremonies, and other forms of music don’t just convey connection to listeners, but can also create lasting change, literally building a community up. Historically this was true with hymns that were used to communicate secret messages between enslaved people about the Underground Railroad. Later, music was also used as a motivator during protests like the March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama during the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s (for more information about songs as a form of protest and communication, check out this article from Harvard Political Review). A century or more apart, these examples highlight how different generations and communities benefited from music as a tool to connect and uplift their communities.
Entirely by coincidence, I recently came across a book arguing that popular music such as Motown offers that same connection and inspiration for communities that protest songs and religious ceremonies offer. The Fight to Save the Town by Michelle Wilde Anderson explains that Motown arose in popularity in Detroit at a time when its citizens needed strength and resilience. Motown, and specifically Marvin Gaye’s early work, “were rebellious in their way – an insistence on Black joy and perseverance.” But Detroit didn’t only need joy, and Gaye’s music shifted towards introspection and mourning over time. “Gaye, and generations of the city’s musicians and artists, offer nourishment for survival as well as a demand for change.”
In all these examples, music served to connect a community with a shared history or goals, but music can also bring connection and solidarity from those outside a community, particularly when it comes to understanding a marginalized group the listener might not be part of. Similar to Rudine Sims Bishop’s now famous analogy comparing literature to a mirror (to show representation that matches your own experience) or a window (to show representation that highlights others’ experiences), music can offer insight, empathy, and supportive opportunities for audiences to learn about marginalized folks, both historically and present day. With the availability of modern streaming services, music has the potential for a much larger reach than ever before, increasing the likelihood of someone outside of a community still hearing it and learning. A very public instance of this happened just last month, when Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance of his Grammy Award-winning diss track “Not Like Us” led to a huge uptick in Google searches, song streams, and articles written about Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s feud, their backgrounds, community involvement, and more. People of all races, backgrounds, and musical interests were able to take this exposure to Lamar’s music and turn it into an opportunity to learn.
These opportunities for exposure to other cultures through music are all around us and will only continue to grow. A 2021 study found that since 2017, there has been a strong increase in diversity of music listened to by American consumers, impacting top music charts of almost every genre. This diversity, paired with the ever-increasing access to music streaming platforms, means it is easier than ever to engage with music that solidifies the listener’s connection to their own communities, learn about others’ cultures, communities, and struggles, and support the artistic expression and goals of the musicians that are working to nourish community survival and demand change.
If you’d like to explore new music, connect with music that’s meaningful to you, or learn about different musical traditions, consider checking out the music available digitally through hoopla, stop in to the Ashland Branch during a monthly performance by the Rogue Valley Symphony, or even attend a hands-on Harp workshop in April at the Medford Branch. Whether you’re interested in listening to musicians or creating music yourself, the library is here to help!