A Movement of Song
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! If you have the day off, I hope you enjoy the 3-day weekend. In honor of this day when we remember the renowned Civil Rights leader, here is a YouTube video compiling all the available recordings of songs from the 1963 March on Washington. It has the performances you know about: Joan Baez leading "We Shall Overcome;" Bob Dylan singing "When the Ship Comes In;" Peter, Paul and Mary with "If I had a hammer;" and group choruses of "Blowin' in the Wind;" but I think the video really picks up around 22:40, with Mahalia Jackson singing the Spritual, "How We Got Over."
I am struck by the sheer amount of music at this rally, and, really, by the noticeable presence of singing throughout the Civil Rights movement. Can you think of another movement so marked by group singing? Music is definitely an "extra" -- there's not really a practical reason for singing if the goal is the advancement of Civil Rights. But can you imagine the movement without it? There's power in group singing -- a unification that takes place in the singers that spreads to the listeners. It seems like it would be more difficult to turn dogs and high-powered waterhoses on a bunch of singing people than on a bunch of screaming people. (Not that the singing stopped such practices from happening, but it did help such violent actions to stand in sharp contrast with the peaceful protesters, thus helping to prick the conscience of the American people.)
More than the specific benefits of singing as related to the Civil Rights movement, some studies have shown that singing makes you happier, and others have shown that singing is good for your heart health. Group singing has additional positive effects:
"Musicologist Björn Vickhoff, who led the study, explained that not only did the choir members' heart rates slow down as they began to sing, but their heartbeats gradually synchronized, eventually beating as one, with the song's tempo as a guide."
This heartbeat sychronization can create a deep feeling of unity. According to Julia Layton,
"...some of the most important ties between singing and happiness are social ones. The support system of being part of a group, and the commitment to that group that gets people out of the house and into the chorus every week -- these are benefits that are specific to group singing."
In other words, while singing may seem like a frivolous "bonus" in life, it also has real benefits, and in the case of the Civil Rights movement, was able to affect real change.
I am struck by the sheer amount of music at this rally, and, really, by the noticeable presence of singing throughout the Civil Rights movement. Can you think of another movement so marked by group singing? Music is definitely an "extra" -- there's not really a practical reason for singing if the goal is the advancement of Civil Rights. But can you imagine the movement without it? There's power in group singing -- a unification that takes place in the singers that spreads to the listeners. It seems like it would be more difficult to turn dogs and high-powered waterhoses on a bunch of singing people than on a bunch of screaming people. (Not that the singing stopped such practices from happening, but it did help such violent actions to stand in sharp contrast with the peaceful protesters, thus helping to prick the conscience of the American people.)
More than the specific benefits of singing as related to the Civil Rights movement, some studies have shown that singing makes you happier, and others have shown that singing is good for your heart health. Group singing has additional positive effects:
"Musicologist Björn Vickhoff, who led the study, explained that not only did the choir members' heart rates slow down as they began to sing, but their heartbeats gradually synchronized, eventually beating as one, with the song's tempo as a guide."
This heartbeat sychronization can create a deep feeling of unity. According to Julia Layton,
"...some of the most important ties between singing and happiness are social ones. The support system of being part of a group, and the commitment to that group that gets people out of the house and into the chorus every week -- these are benefits that are specific to group singing."
In other words, while singing may seem like a frivolous "bonus" in life, it also has real benefits, and in the case of the Civil Rights movement, was able to affect real change.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving your kind and thoughtful comments.