Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Anti-Colonial, Arts Education, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Decolonialism, Diversity, Global Music, History, Music, Music Discourse, Music Education, Nationalism, Orchestras, pedagogy, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism, Research, World Music

Slave Orchestras: Classical Gabfest Interview Transcript

Here's an edited transcript of The Classical Gabfest Podcast (Episode 10) where I was interviewed about Slave Orchestras from November 2020. I've linked relevant content/sources within the text and the podcast link for the episode has other related links listed. The interview is the third segment and starts at about minute 00:34:12 and ends at … Continue reading Slave Orchestras: Classical Gabfest Interview Transcript

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Bibliography, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, History, Intersectionality, Music, Music Education, Orientalism, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism

Colonialism, White Supremacy, and the Logic of Exclusion of Colored Bodies in Classical Music

As I'm working on this bibliography of white supremacy and colonialism in classical music, I've come to a few things that has helped me understand the logic of exclusion of colored bodies in the field. Here are a few main takeaways. 1) Sources for information about Slave Orchestras are in formerly colonized countries or mémoires … Continue reading Colonialism, White Supremacy, and the Logic of Exclusion of Colored Bodies in Classical Music

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Ballet, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Economics, Education, Global Music, History, Music, Musicians, Nationalism, Operas, Orchestras, Orientalism, pedagogy, Performance Ethics, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism, World Music

Classical Music and its Slave Orchestras

It was just five years ago that Dr. David Hunter revealed his discovery that Handel repeatedly invested in the Royal African Company, a slave trading company in Britain. A year later, Musicologist Hannah Templeton wrote that some of Leopold Mozart's patrons were likely slavers or heavily invested in plantations in the West Indies. In that … Continue reading Classical Music and its Slave Orchestras

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Cello, children, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Local Culture, Louisville, Music, Music Education, New Albany, Post-Colonialism, Psychology, Racism, String Playing Careers

Made in Thailand: Composed in America

Last week on Monday I was over at mae's1 house helping her clean out her kitchen while we were listening to the late Suthep Wongkamhaeng2 (สุเทพ วงศ์กำแหง), one of mae's favorites. As I was drying dishes, a song came up in the playlist and mae said she used to sing it to me as a … Continue reading Made in Thailand: Composed in America

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, children, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Global Music, History, Intersectionality, Music Education, Nationalism, Orchestras, Orientalism, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism, World Music

Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 4): Immigration

This is the fourth of a nine part series about Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education. Many of the ideas and themes here build on past pieces of this series, so reading them is suggested (for series overview, visit this link. part one: Intro; part 2: Postcolonialism; part 3: Assimilation). As this piece follows up … Continue reading Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 4): Immigration

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, children, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Feminism, History, Literature, Music, Music Education, Musicians, Operas, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism, Teaching, Women's Studies, World Music

Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 3): Assimilation

This is the third of a seven part series about Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education. Many of the ideas and themes here build on past pieces of this series, so reading them is suggested (for series overview, visit this link. part one: Intro; part 2: Postcolonialism). As this piece follows up on ideas brought … Continue reading Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 3): Assimilation

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Arts Education, children, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Global Music, Local Culture, Music, Music Education, Nationalism, Post-Colonialism, Race, Teaching, World Music

Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 2): Postcolonialism

This is the second of a multi-part series about Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (for part one, click here). As this piece follows up on ideas brought up in the previous post it's suggested you read it first. Also, as I mentioned at the conclusion of that piece, it might be useful for you … Continue reading Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 2): Postcolonialism

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Arts Education, children, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Global Music, Local Culture, Music, Music Education, Nationalism, Post-Colonialism, Race, Teaching, World Music

Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 1)

In 2011 Tyler Thompson, a fifteen year old African American sophomore at the Oakland School for the Arts, made some waves in national and international news as a singer of songs in Mandarin. In 2004 he had already made national news for singing in a children's Chinese Opera. Here's an AP Video Piece from '11 … Continue reading Diversity, Inclusive Programming, and Music Education (part 1)

Orchestra Ethiopia
Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Audiences, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Diversity, Education, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism

Colonialistic Diversity: Decentering Eurocentric Orchestras and Normalizing *all* Composition

As I get into the second month of #NotBeethoven tweet thread, you may have noticed a couple things. First is that I occasionally feature composers outside of the Western Art Music (WAM) tradition(s). Second, the natural consequence of this is I have to highlight Composers of Color and Non-Eurocentric Instruments and Ensembles.1 A couple of … Continue reading Colonialistic Diversity: Decentering Eurocentric Orchestras and Normalizing *all* Composition

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Composing, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Diversity, Global Music, Music Notation

2020 is the year of #NotBeethoven

So last night and into this new year I listened to Dora Pejačević's Symphony in F sharp minor, Op. 41 (1918) in prep for what I'm calling my year of #NotBeethoven.* This is in response to Some. Of The. Pushback. To. making 2020 the year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. https://youtu.be/940dNX5zHEU Some … Continue reading 2020 is the year of #NotBeethoven

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Decolonialism, Diversity, Nationalism, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras, Post-Colonialism, Race, Racism, Women's Studies, World Music

White Males Orchestras and America’s Other Orchestras

A couple years ago I discovered a series of pieces title "America's Other Orchestras" at Arab America and it helped me to solidify some thoughts I've been having about how we have discussions, and the narratives we create, about Orchestras and Classical Music. These are thoughts that were percolating at least since I first wrote … Continue reading White Males Orchestras and America’s Other Orchestras

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Culture, Education, Fragmentation

Is Classical Music in the “Real World”?

One of the hallmarks of the Classical Music Crisis viewpoint is the idea that Classical Music, as a field, is insular and cut off from what has been variously referred to as the "Wider World," "Outside World," or "Real World." The purpose of this kind of rhetoric is to contrast the Classical Music field with … Continue reading Is Classical Music in the “Real World”?

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Diversity, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras, Resources, State of the Arts

Orchestras in the US formed since 2000

Here's a link to my list of Symphony Orchestras and Chamber Orchestras in the US formed since 2000. It’s by no means an exhaustive list and should be viewed as a “work in progress” (much as my similar list of US Opera organizations formed since 2000). Currently, the list includes full sized Symphony Orchestras as … Continue reading Orchestras in the US formed since 2000

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Arts Funding, Audiences, Business, Economics, Education

Musical Thoughts, Reflections, Questions, and other Ephemera…

As most of you know, I've not been blogging nearly as much as in the past--I go through periods like this. This doesn't mean I haven't been writing/thinking/analyzing things. I was just looking at all the recent drafts I've been working on and decided rather than trying to finish one I'll just post some of … Continue reading Musical Thoughts, Reflections, Questions, and other Ephemera…

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Economics

The many types of Orchestras…and how they have evolved

Since I've been collecting data on Orchestras in the US I've come across a bewildering number of types. Contrary to the idea that a Modern Orchestra is simply the culmination of an early-19th/mid-20th century Anglo-European styled large ensemble designed to play repertoire that requires large forces, the orchestra never stopped evolving. My previous post was … Continue reading The many types of Orchestras…and how they have evolved

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Diversity

Classical Music is alive because it’s constantly evolving

In a recent piece by Bill Zuckerman, which is ostensibly a defense of the state of Classical Music not being so dire as some Crisis folks are saying, we get the explanation that many of the types of values taught are the focus of music school instruction.  While I don't necessarily disagree with that, I … Continue reading Classical Music is alive because it’s constantly evolving

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Arts Education, Audiences, Pop

Who is Paul McCartney, part II

who tf is paul mccartney???!??! this is why i love kanye for shining light on unknown artists — :/ (@CurvedDaily) January 2, 2015 I thought this was as humorous as the first round two years ago (sorry--no Dothraki love song info in today's post). This blurb from the Boston Globe probably says it best--especially about … Continue reading Who is Paul McCartney, part II

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Arts Education, Diversity, Economics, Experimental Cellos and Cellists, Improvisation, Musical Fluency, Musicians, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras, Post-Pop, Professional Development, Science, State of the Arts, String Playing Careers, Technology

Essential Tools for the 21st Century Musician: Technology

In my previous post about tools for the 21st Century Musician, I discussed improvisation as probably the most useful tool musicians can be using. In a way, technology is even more indispensable. Unless our voice is our primary or only instrument (and even then there are exceptions), then nearly everything we make music on is … Continue reading Essential Tools for the 21st Century Musician: Technology