An idea to get us dialoguing a bit. Perhaps we could take up something Prof. Araujo brought up in class:
To what extent is musicians playing in public spaces an act of social justice? More and more we are seeing private performances and concerts diminishing vis-a-vis the number of musicians (for example, being trained in universities). This is the kind of question that we haven't discussed here yet. Have we been neglecting this in the course?
We're talking about Lollapalooza right now (and how it's supposed to be a free park and yet they shut it down for the expensive, ticketed Lollapalooza the impact of which has previously put the park out of commission for the whole summer), city-run festivals (Jazz Festival). Could we carry this on on the blog? The posts don't have to be magnificently crafted. If you have something to say about this, how about adding a few sentences? In fact, if we all edited this post (adding our names), we could get a little snappy dialogue going below. I'll start. (But feel free to ignore me and take up where you see fit).
Nadia: It seems like this particular discussion involves large groups of people (or structures that people are slotted into: the city, the organizers of Lollapalooza etc.) vs. individuals (street performers) or unorganized groups of people (the people who would be using Grant Park). Would part of a potential solution be to create avenues through which individuals could be heard?
A few articles about Lollapalooza and Pitchfork:
ReplyDelete"The Picture Police" 2010.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/pitchfork-lollapalooza-photography-public-property-laws/Content?oid=2165520
"Grant Park Cleanup" 2012. Includes a picture of the 2011 festival.
http://www.wbez.org/blogs/jim-derogatis/2012-08/grant-park-cleanup-taking-lollapalooza-its-word-101768
http://www.wbez.org/blog/jim-derogatis/2011-08-01/does-lollapalooza-hort-chicago-89911
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wbez.org/jderogatis/2010/10/is-chicago-earning-all-that-it-should-from-lollapalooza/38601
Meant to mention—these links are about what Lolla pays (or doesn't pay).
DeleteAlso, details about Lollapalooza's deals with the City of Chicago.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wbez.org/blogs/jim-derogatis/2012-04/new-lollapalooza-deal-blown-opportunity-98257
This is a bit off topic from the Lollapalooza thread, but I think it is quite thought provoking to compare the situation of individual street musicians to that case of individual protestors and activists who are non-musicians. This morning on my way to class, a man outside the quad gates confronted me, waving a pamphlet in front of my face that depicted chickens encaged in cruel conditions. I had to consciously step around this man to make my way to the street, and heard him approach the students behind me in a similar manner, calling, “help end violence!” To me, street musicians are less imposing than activists who approach individuals on the street. A license does not change this (though I believe that the city’s concern is that musicians are making money in public spaces). Still, our country prides freedom of speech, and for activists the street is the most accessible and public space to exercise this freedom. It seems that musicians have access to a greater variety of performance spaces, and that those who choose to play on the street do so with a specific intention (we might investigate this). It would be interesting to compare the goals of street performers with the goals of street activists or protesters. I confess that my position and instincts may be biased due to my personal identity as a musician. However, I am aware that I myself, at least, will often purposely walk on another side of the street in order to avoid someone who is approaching and talking to people. If I encounter an individual playing music, by contrast, I know that I will not be approached - I can watch the performance and even donate money I interested, but I am not obliged/forced to interact with the musician if I step within feet of him or her. Thus, I usually feel comfortable being in close proximity. Just a telling self-observation - I wonder if my feelings are unique or if others share them.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel the exact same way. As Salina and I were walking to the Red Line after getting that citation, we encountered a bunch of protestors holding up signs. I don't remember what exactly they were protesting, but I'm pretty sure it was religious and had something to do with the Bible. I do distinctively remember pointing them out to Salina and wondering why they weren't all getting shut down by police officers. At that moment, it was quite frustrating. Now that I'm a bit further removed from the events of that day, I suppose I can understand why Chicago allows for protests such as these. At the same time, the First Amendment gives us the freedom of expression - does music not count as a medium of expression? Just something that I thought would add to this conversation.
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