Welcome to Chronicling the American Voice by me, Alex Bauer.
Each month, immerse yourself in the stories and voices of America’s cultural past. This journey features a deeper look at the writers, poets, painters, directors, actors, musicians and other creators that provided their voice to the time they lived in and for generations to come. From the Yukon in Canada to the Andes in South America, this is history as its meant to be read, heard and watched.
(Musician Pete Seeger in performance with a crowd in 1944. Notice a famous crowd member?)
I know, the term “America” can imply many different identities, and I want to be clear who these pieces will cover. Basically, anyone and everyone. I will be using the term in its broadest sense which includes all of North, Central and South America: the native populations that have called the Americas home for thousands of years; the millions of immigrants who came and settled; those forced to come and endure inhumane practices and lifestyles and their ancestors who fight for the freedoms they deserve. All these experiences and points of view help us in the 21st century understand how we function as a society today.
Digging specifically into the musicians, poets, writers, painters, dancers, singers, actors, artists, directors, photographers and other creators of the past will allow us today to see how art shaped American culture, politics, sports and more. How do certain works become classics? How do they change the cultural landscape? What are some of the origin stories for certain artistic movements? Do the artistic creators of history have anything to say about their time or our time? These questions and more fascinate me and hopefully will lead to some in-depth conversations.
Each month will feature a volume that digs deep into a certain figure, an artistic movement or group and look at a big-picture theme. Within the piece, the resources for you to participate with the media themselves — songs, writings, art, etc.— will be available. Songs will be linked. Films will be available. First hand accounts, poems, writings and more will be available for you to read. This is history that one can experience, not just memorize.
Making the journey an immersive experience is one of my goals. But, more importantly, I am here to share and illuminate these voices, not speak for them. I have always believed that learning about the music, books, movies and art of the past is a great way to actually learn and understand history — more so than textbooks. Learning through art helps provide context of the moment, a window to how people of a particular era thought and how some called for change.
I hope this venture is a helpful link to the past. In some cases, I will share my own understanding of what I believe the author(s) are saying, but the material will be there for you to participate yourself and draw your own conclusions. This is where the conversation begins and grows.
(Te Ata, here in the 1930s, was a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and became well-known for her performances of Native stories.)
On top of that, each month will also feature smaller, more concise looks at specific artistic venture: an album, a poem, a book, a movie, a piece of art. The same questions will be asked about their cultural impact; the answers should be interesting.
As this is a new adventure, there is always room to grow! I am excited to see the many different ways I can really converse with these questions and also showcase American history and culture in as many ways that allow. If you have already subscribed, thank you. If not, and I have piqued your interest, please do consider subscribing so you do not miss a beat.
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Questions, comments or concerns? I’ll happily address it all at chroniclingamericanvoice@gmail.com.
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