Introduction
The Classic Song Research Initiative’s first formal collaboration began on June 11 with a series of weekly Facebook Live conversations called The Art of Democracy. The series was hosted by Thomas Hampson and Mark Clague, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs and Associate Professor of Musicology and Entrepreneurship and Leadership at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. For more information about each conversation, see section below.
The series continues with a special online event on July 4, 2020. Please see below for more details!
“The Art of Democracy will incorporate a range of research and performance projects exploring the role of song and all the arts in American political life,” said Clague. “For example, we will interrogate the role of the arts as part of the problem, and as part of the solution, to the pestilence of inequality. The project’s fundamental argument is that art is a vital tool in the dialogue of ideals—for sharing, understanding, debating, negotiating, and changing one’s mind—that is at the core of any society striving to form a more perfect union.”
Dr. Mark Clague on "The Art of Democracy"
June 4, 2020: “The Art of Democracy will incorporate a range of research and performance projects exploring the role of song and all the arts in American political life. For example, we will interrogate the role of the arts as part of the problem, and as part of the solution, to the pestilence of inequality. The project’s fundamental argument is that art is a vital tool in the dialogue of ideals—for sharing, understanding, debating, negotiating, and changing one’s mind—that is at the core of any society striving to form a more perfect union.”