Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Estás En La Sintonía De La Gozadera: En Vivo Desde Cumbiayork, El Movimiento Sonidero Del Futuro, Vita Dadoo

Capstones

For 30 years, New York's sonideros have been making noise on the central avenues of the city's Mexican and Latino ecosystems. The movement, made up of the sonidero (translated literally as "soundman"), his assistants, promoters, fans and dancers, has created a subculture that for a long time defined the relationship between the migrant and his native home in Mexico. Thirty years later, I explore how the movement has evolved, the traits that have distinguished it from the Mexican sonidero movement, and how it continues to flourish under a new generation of deejays.

Cross-Pollinating Music: The Past, Present And Future Of Genre-Blending Experimental Musicians, Vanessa Ague

Capstones

Recently, experimental music that mixes popular genres with academic styles has skyrocketed into the mainstream. Part of that’s because of the democratizing power of the internet, part of that’s because it’s a style that’s slowly become more prevalent over many years. This essay explores the different ways experimental musicians blend popular genres into their compositions, providing a succinct timeline of the style’s history and a playlist that features musical examples. Link to full capstone project: https://medium.com/@vanessa.ague/cross-pollinating-music-the-past-present-and-future-of-genre-blending-experimental-musicians-83f0d2ba9f2d

Music As A Tool, Kayla Boone

Capstones

My community is focused on individuals who are currently struggling or have struggled with their mental health and are seeking music as an alternative to psychotherapy.

New York’S Jazz Scene Decimated By Ongoing Shutdown, Alissa L. Mcpherson

Capstones

New York's jazz scene is in shambles. COVID has disrupted virtually all in-person musical performances. Musicians are left with no definite time frame as to when they will be allowed to enter a club again, and club owners are doing all they can to keep the music alive.

Whatever Happened To The Movie Theme Song?, Luka Vasic

Capstones

Film music is as important as it’s ever been and a good theme song can absorb you into the world of a movie. Despite this, our idea of the theme song has changed a lot, and the kinds of themes that have traditionally been memorable parts of classic cinema have now lost their importance and role in modern filmmaking.

http://lukavasic.com/capstone/

What Can We Learn From Rapper And Provocateur, Azealia Banks?, Robert A.R. Dozier

Capstones

Rapper Azealia Banks' name is synonymous with controversy, known for her feuds with celebrities and internet personalities. And her reputation has certainly impacted her career. But the trajectory of Banks' life in the public eye speaks to a larger issue of the treatment of "difficult" women in the music industry. http://robardzr.net/capstone/

How The “Greatest Rapper Alive” Returned Hip Hop To Its Political Roots, Meeran Karim

Capstones

Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s powerful documentation of his own personal struggles and that of a country overcome with racial strife have revitalized the genre of hip hop music. More than just the “greatest rapper alive,” Lamar is also one of the most important storytellers in America today.

Capstone Link:

https://medium.com/@meeran.karim/kendrick-lamar-hiphop-political-roots-19e3f5e48385

Saving Diy Spaces, Katherine Lavacca

Capstones

Saving DIY Spaces explores the importance of DIY spaces– places for artists to express themselves and connect to their communities– as well as the threat they face from the city’s MARCH task force. Integral performance spaces like Shea Stadium, Market Hotel, Palisades and many more have been shuttered by the city’s MARCH taskforce, a collection of city agencies (department of buildings, NYPD, FDNY, liquor authorities, etc.) within the last decade. According to a study conducted by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, 20% of small venues have closed within the last 15 years putting pressure on spaces that are …

‘You’Re Nobody Till Somebody Kills You’: How Tupac Shakur Secured His Place In The Hall Of Fame, Joseph Devin Holt

Capstones

The piece is a critical essay about the work and life of Tupac Shakur, pegged to his recent nomination for the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, and the two movies about him planned for 2017. My multimedia elements are photos and an audio essay.

http://devinistyping.com/tupac/

The Future Of Music: Exploring Noise And Pop With Cienfuegos, Reed Dunlea

Capstones

Pop music today has become increasingly filled with sonic elements that are much more abrasive than traditionally acceptable. This piece explores how pop music got to this point, the underground subcultures that it draws influence from, and what's next.

Ain't No Love In New York City, Jason Bisnoff

Capstones

My story is about the defunct relationship between hip-hop and the city where it was born, New York. While cities like Nashville and New Orleans tout their love for the musical forms that were born in their cities from top to bottom, the people of New York love the music and culture that calls the city home but the powers that be on a gubernatorial and municipal level keep it at an arms length. In this piece I explore why and how this disconnect exists through street sign legislation, a battleground area where petitions to co-name streets after rappers have …

Iggy Azalea: Cultural Appropriator Or Scapegoat For Accepted Practice?, Malorie Marshall

Capstones

Iggy Azalea isn’t the first artist to profit from a entertainment persona that differs from her “real” personality. But the fact that Azalea is a white woman profiting by employing a fake “black” sound wrought through appropriating is what seems to angers people more than the quality of Azalea’s music, or anything else about her.

Trapped In The Commons, Max Willens

Capstones

A meditation on owning music as intellectual property, plus a look at the growing costs associated with archiving our cultural history.

Looking For Jazz Gigs In New York, Camilo Gomez

Capstones

There are more than 220 venues in Manhattan where people can listen to live jazz, including clubs, restaurants and bars, but also music schools and concert halls. Yet it is hard for a musician to find a steady gig, let alone one that pays well. Yuki Futami, 27, is one of many jazz musicians who come to New York City looking to further their skills, through schooling or performing. When it comes to finding places to play gigs, competition is fierce. Gabriel Guerrero, 37, and Marianne Solivan,38, also share their experience.

Are Indie Artist Better Off?, Chinwe Oniah

Capstones

This project is about underground musicians that either want to self-release their own music or release their music through and independent music label. They are rejecting that traditional model of being signed to a major label.