Wynton at Harvard, Chapter 24: Our Collective Identity

Delve into Wynton Marsalis's six-part Harvard University lecture series, covering a range of topics including jazz, what it means to be American, and the importance of cultural literacy and the arts in the liberal arts education.
XXIV. Our Collective Identity
In this chapter, Wynton argues that collective identity-experience, heart, and wisdom-is needed in times of crisis and abundant in great jazz.
Go to jazz.org/wyntonatharvard for the complete series.
"Hidden in Plain View: Meanings in American Music" is a series of six lectures delivered at Harvard University between 2011 and 2014 sponsored by the Office of the President and Provost. The inaugural lecture, “Music as Metaphor,” was delivered in Sanders Theatre to a capacity crowd. It is an interpretation of the many unobserved symbols in American music and an investigation into how they illuminate the democratic process.
It covers many of the fundamental devices, forms, and songs that bind the different Americas together at the root. It is Marsalis's contention that "'Me vs. You' and 'Us vs. Y'all'-vs. 'All of Us'-remains the struggle at the heart of humankind and the central debate of our Constitution. How do we achieve a common ground when individual victories are so much more valued? This conundrum has been resolved harmoniously in our musical arts for more than a century. Under the vibrant din of our democracy, on the lower frequencies, sonic metaphors speak to and for us all. What they tell us about what it means to be American could serve us well in these divisive and uncivil times."
Performances by Marsalis's ensemble (with special guest, the iconic fiddler Mark O'Connor) punctuate the lecture with musical explanations.
Mark O’Connor - fiddle
Walter Blanding - reeds
James Chirillo - guitar
Dan Nimmer - piano
Carlos Henriquez - bass
Ali Jackson - drums
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[@olliemartinelli4034]

How does this not have millions of views?

[@poissonpuerile8897]

Preach, Brother Wynton! This video should have millions of views.

[@doyourbest999]

Fantastic. Hope all 6 lectures become available on KZbin. Thanks, JALC.

[@brandonhouston5497]

The most eloquent takedown of vapid commercial music I have ever heard

[@bornamovafaghi6075]

5:10 lmfao janes is having the time of his life, and marks not holding any stops for him. What a fantastic lecture

[@sblack48]

“Abuse charisma to mask a lack of skill”

[@davisc1926]

Wynton stepping on some toes in this one! LOL

[@kevinpierce2537]

yeah, i hope he's referring to commerical music and not all electronic or repetitive music. This "stepping on toes" actually strikes me as the weakest point of his narrative. A few lectures ago.. "We use repetition to gain consensus!" Yet in context of EDM, does repetition suddenly become bad? Could it be that the point of this music is just different from Wynton's jazz?

[@kevinpierce2537]

yeah, i hope he's referring to commerical music and not all electronic or repetitive music. This "stepping on toes" actually strikes me as the weakest point of his narrative. A few lectures ago.. "We use repetition to gain consensus!" Yet in context of EDM, does repetition suddenly become bad? Could it be that the point of this music is just different from Wynton's jazz?

[@harpsprince7576]

Speaking to the souls of music 🎶

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he speaks the truth

[@johnhughes7871]

YES AND AMEN

[@kevincasey821]

Amen.

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Walking Enchanted Enchanting Eng clopedia 👍

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Fit to. He President of US 🇱🇰🤙🇱🇰

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man even talking like blues

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