Crowder History Symposium to Focus on Music and Political Expression

NEOSHO, Mo. — Crowder College will take a look at how music has been used to express political and social ideas during this month's History Symposium.

The event, "Raise Your Voice: Music of Patriotism and Protest," will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in the Wright Conference Center on the second floor of the Arnold Farber Building at Crowder College in Neosho.

The presentation will combine a history lecture with live performances from local musicians. According to Dr. Denna Clymer, Crowder College Social Science Division chair and instructor, the program will cover music ranging from the 15th century to the 21st century.

"It's really about music as a tool to speak into structures where you maybe don't have a formal voice," Clymer said.

The presentation will look at several examples of music being used as public commentary, some examples include music from the peace movement of the 1960s, songs connected to the Vietnam War and Woody Guthrie's commentary on social inequality.

Clymer said music can give people another way to participate in public life besides more formal methods such as voting.

"We all have a ballot, and I'm a firm believer that we should use that," Clymer said. "But sometimes the way that you interact with society is not necessarily as formal as casting a ballot."

The event was originally developed as a companion program to the Smithsonian traveling exhibit "Voices to Votes," which Crowder College hosted after receiving a grant. The exhibit focused on political engagement from the colonial period to the present.

"We looked at how we could build programs around that same concept," Clymer said. "And music was one of the things that immediately rose to mind that we could use the history of protest music."

The original "Raise Your Voice" program was presented as a stage show over three days. Clymer said the college received positive feedback and eventually had people ask if the program would return.

This year, it will be part of Crowder's History Symposium series, which typically features about five history-related presentations each year.

Clymer said the event is different from the traditional lecture format because of the combination of history and live music.

"Music is partaken of by entire audiences at a time," Clymer said. "And so I think it's a really interesting way to evaluate a culture and how it is that it communicates its values."

Clymer said she hopes people come to the event not only to hear the music, but to learn more about how music has been used throughout history.

"Anyone can attend this event. It is free and open to the public," Clymer said. "We are happy to have anyone come."