When I think of the sounds of protest, I hear chanting, ardent cries for freedom, anger, passion, longing, and hope. I think back to the recordings of protests led my Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that I heard and learned about in elementary school, to protests that my neighborhood and I organized in high school to combat hate crimes committed against the South Asian Muslim community, to the BLM protests that took place all around the world this year. The impact that the sounds have is more impactful than I imagined because when I think back to all the ones that I’ve participated in, the first thing I remember are the multitudes of distinct sounds, voices, music, and chanting that collide to become one harmonic piece.

I really enjoyed the Learning Where You Live Cafe on the sounds of protest. Typically, when one thinks of music, they think of classical, pop, rock, etc. However, this conversation really opened my ears to all sorts of different sounds that can have meaning. I really enjoyed learning about how people are able to express themselves through sounds that were common to their upbringing, and sounds that have substantial meaning in different cultures. I am taking a signals and systems class this semester, and we have talked about how different signals are represented as music. This has allowed me to gain insight into the mathematical background behind music, and this seminar really inspired me to think about the cultural significance of music as well!

This workshop was really eye opening to the struggle of multiple groups and their response to those struggles with the use of music. I have read literature works that were forms of protest but this was the first time that I have noticed the direct use of music serving those same purposes. It goes to show how relevant and prominent music is then and even now. Music serves so many purposes than just entertainment.

I love finding new music when the opportunity arises, and this LWYL Café event was no exception. The music I heard there, however, was different– it had stories of struggle, protest, and resistance embedded in its melodies. I must be honest in saying that, at first, the sound clips seemed like just that: sound. Where is the melody in the sound of gunshots? Where is the rhythm in the sound of falling beads? It made me question what draws the line between sound and music.

By the end of the event, I was closer to an answer. Without intention and creativity behind the formation of a melody and rhythm, sounds are just sounds. That is what draws the line– the person, the intention, the story behind the sound is what turns it into music. Music needs no hard definition, and music need not be exclusive. I came to terms with that by the end of this event, and my ears have become more receptive to new sounds– new music– since then.

The LWYL Cafe: SONIC RESISTANCE Curating the Sound of Protest event that I attended was, as Mr. Hick’s described, “a jam session about the power of listening.”

After attending LWYL Cafe: SONIC RESISTANCE Curating the Sound of Protest, I have come across a new revelation of how indigenous cultures should really be emphasized more as music plays an important role in defining one’s unique culture. The representation of music in protest against authorities in my opinion is an excellent way to really pull at the heartstrings of others as they signify to them that their culture is literally being forgotten with their removal from the land they inhabit. It is most certainly an unexpected and unique way for indigenous cultures to act in response to eviction, while they search for refuge all over lands. I was intrigued by the music played during the webinar because it sounded very peaceful and meaningful as this form of resistance against decolonization is very clear in stating that they mean no violence. They are just respectfully asking that their land, that was wrongfully stolen from them, is brought back into their hands, or even asking for a sense of social equality among their peoples.