TRILLOQUY

Latest Episodes:

Opus 136 - "Dreadlocked Uncle Ben" Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

Fife and Drum ensembles in the United States may seem quintessentially colonial, but they actually belong to a tradition with deep roots in Black History! Shaina Rush from The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps joins Garrett to talk about DEI in the military, her experiences in one of the America's premiere ensembles, and the Black folk tradition of fife and drum that still exists today! Scott affirms the importance of equity work "from the inside" and honors a uniquely Black approach to slide guitar playing. Garrett offers a review of the 2022 Sphinx Connect conference, and the guys weigh in on the mass exodus from Spotify. The views expressed in this opus are those of the speaker and do not reflect the views, opinions, or official policies of the United States Army, Department of Defense, or United States Government. Playlist: Tom Wells & Hugh Wilson - "WKRP in Cincinnati" Theme Black Violin - "Brandenburg" Ben Harper & Rhiannon Giddens - "Black Eyed Dog" perf. AJ Ghent - "Going Up Yonder" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjlQEfHqpnc) 24-Carat Black - "Foodstamps" Rising Star Fife & Drum Band Demonstration (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agyi6Xm6OOY) Keith Gates - Flute Concertino Carlos Simon - "Move It" (perf. Brice Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFofxmOqeEA) More: Downbeat (Morgan Freeman on Black History Month): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s A Pageant Queen Reflects on Turning 30 (RIP Cheslie Kryst): https://www.allure.com/story/cheslie-kryst-miss-usa-on-turning-30?fbclid=IwAR3I-bOsPSS4Pr42MUrWbvXuW34KKNbHtltTxVhUpORJX9MUBnVB_myuLz4 Howard Hesseman, Dr. Johnny Fever on ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ Dies at 81: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/howard-hesseman-dead-wkrp-cincinnati-1235084085/ 'The Violin Conspiracy' shows what it can be like to play classical music while Black: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1076514270/the-violin-conspiracy-shows-what-it-can-be-like-to-play-classical-music-while-bl Spotify’s Joe Rogan Problem Isn’t Going Away: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/technology/joe-rogan-spotify-controversy.html

Opus 135 - "Parisian Individuals" Jan 26, 2022

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Black equity, musical neurotechnology, and new paths for artist funding are just a few of the things that Bryan Crumpler is interested in as a composer. He joins Garrett this week to talk about his life, his music, and the impact that Europe's "Black Pete" has had on one of his compositions. Scott digs into the nuance of "woke racism", Garrett honors the lives of legends who the world has recently lost, and they both highlight musical performances that showcase the sounds of home and far away from home. This week's TRILLOQUY focuses on Florida's new "white guilt" law and how it could impact music education moving forward. Playlist: Meat Loaf - "Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul" Jay-Z and Ye - "Niggas in Paris" (perf. Kaleidoscope Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Uk3-kMm-Y) 21 Savage - "A Lot" Omar Thomas - "I Am" Rilo Kiley - "The Execution of All Things" Koji Kondo - "Potion Shop" (perf. Super Guitar Bros.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFw-FrYmAEw&t=1479s) SARIPUTRA - "Raag Ahir Bhairav" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN2rcbIwqrc) Bryan Crumpler - Clarinet Concerto No. 1 Bryan Crumpler - "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Frederick Delius - "Florida Suite" More: Bryan Crumpler: https://ahmadeus.bandcamp.com/ Downbeat (Mitch McConnell on "Americans" and "African-Americans"): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2022/jan/21/mitch-mcconnell-under-fire-after-saying-african-americans-vote-as-much-as-americans-video Free At-Home COVID Testing: https://www.cms.gov/how-to-get-your-at-home-OTC-COVID-19-test-for-free André Leon Talley Was Black Excellence in Action: https://www.vogue.com/article/andre-leon-talley-was-black-excellence-in-action Jay-Z and Meek Mill Team Up to Block Rap Lyrics From Being Used in Court: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jay-z-meek-mill-big-sean-fat-joe-back-law-limiting-rap-lyrics-at-criminal-trials-1286594/ John McWhorter Talks About His New Book, 'Woke Racism': https://news.columbia.edu/news/john-mcwhorter-talks-about-his-new-book-woke-racism Inside The Black Pete Tradition Of Christmas Blackface In The Netherlands: https://allthatsinteresting.com/black-pete Florida Advances Bill That Would Band Making White People Feel Bad About Racism: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/01/florida-sb-148-racism-discomfort

Opus 134 - Non-Violent Direct Action Jan 19, 2022

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"The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" put composer Joel Thompson on the map, and his recent collaboration with the Houston Grand Opera showcased his ability to write a much more joyous piece of music. He joins Garrett to talk about his opera, "The Snowy Day", life in the shadow of his more famous work, and walking in the footsteps of those who came before him. Scott explores jazz's influence overseas and looks back at the activism of Louis Armstrong, Garrett highlights Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas on a renewed economic system, and the guys wrap up by revisiting Dr. King's ideas on "the white moderate" and "the white liberal". Playlist: perf. Tracy Cox - "Senza Mamma" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGieOvISKdM) Louis Armstrong - "Black and Blue" Joséphine Baker - "The Times They Are a-Changin" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ripFfYKy6EY) Duke Ellington - "Three Black Kings" Django Reinhardt - "Nuages" perf. Sphinx Symphony Orchestra - "Glory" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=364nYNHPULQ) perf. Amp'd String Quartet - "Leave the Door Open" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB8XVQnAiDE) Joseph Schwantner - "New Morning for the World" More: Joel Thompson/Houston Grand Opera Collab: https://www.houstongrandopera.org/events-tickets/2021-22-season/2021-22-cast/joel-thompson/ Garrett Speaks on the Apollo Stage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVkPEWm6e0 Downbeat ("The Economic Problem Is The Most Serious Problem"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmauhsmcY2c Documentary Exposes How The FBI Tried To Destroy MLK With Wiretaps, Blackmail: https://www.npr.org/2021/01/18/956741992/documentary-exposes-how-the-fbi-tried-to-destroy-mlk-with-wiretaps-blackmail Charlottesville Opera Company Celebrates Soprano in "Fat Pig": https://www.wvtf.org/news/2022-01-14/charlottesville-opera-company-celebrates-soprano-in-fat-pig?fbclid=IwAR3VOsOtTmEJAsoF6sO8bECro95KNr4Z6C1J18vj_lhr6adCz5LL1_DbwhE What Louis Armstrong Really Thinks: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/what-louis-armstrong-really-thinks Society for the Preservation of Western Music Message: https://twitter.com/SpencerArias/status/1482868437106020353?s=20 To Find a COVID Test, "Google It": https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/01/13/vp_kamala_harris_to_figure_out_how_to_get_a_covid_test_google_it.html

Opus 133 - Slap Heard 'Round the World Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times-bestselling author whose work recently earned her an invitation to create the libretto for an opera adaptation of "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. She joins Garrett to talk about her life as an author, her experience writing for an opera, and the importance of Black joy in art. Scott offers the story of a church that's paying reparations to local Black institutions, Garrett celebrates reggae-inspired video game music by Nobuo Uematsu, and the guys honor the late Sidney Poitier. For the weekly TRILLOQUY, Garrett and Scott explore the relationship between anti-racism and anti-capitalism. Playlist: Quincy Jones - Music from "For Love Of Ivy" Sir Mix-A-Lot feat. Seattle Symphony - "Baby Got Back" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w59e20ijOpE) Howard Roberts Chorale feat. Jonas Gwangwa - "Let My People Go" Nobuo Uematsu (perf. The Consouls) - "The Oppressed" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnQdBqtb9Hw) Fred Neil - "Dolphins" Joel Thompson/Andrea Davis Pinkney - "Mama's Misgivings" Steven Reineke - "New Day Risings" Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2 More: Andrea Davis Pinkney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Davis_Pinkney The Snowy Day: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/arts/music/snowy-day-ezra-jack-keats-opera.html Stop Wasting COVID Tests, People: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/01/covid-test-shortage/621149/ Downbeat (Charles Woods on Sidney Poitier's On-Camera Slap): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTkqxPeJVY Ahmaud Arbery's Murderers Sentenced to Life: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/sentencing-hearing-men-convicted-ahmaud-arbery-murder Seattle Symphony Music Director Steps Down: https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/classical-music/thomas-dausgaard-seattle-symphonys-music-director-abruptly-steps-down/?fbclid=IwAR3YCFTb3cdQaAM394jOOKTdDub3JYNMclNTeZAcgU2fwwjynNgD9QClcTc This Is Why I Ended My Career In Classical Music: https://zachmanzi.medium.com/this-is-why-i-ended-my-career-in-classical-music-88ecad8ae7da Some White Congregations Are Paying To Use Hymns Written by Enslaved African People: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/08/1071542936/some-white-congregations-are-paying-to-use-hymns-written-by-enslaved-african-peo Angela Davis on Racism and Capitalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhh3CMkngkY

Opus 132 - "Mad Accomplished" Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

María Isa Pérez-Hedges is a musical artist and lifelong Minnesotan whose activism has inspired her to make the big decision of running for Minnesota State Senate! She joins Garrett in-studio to talk about her journey, her music, and her goals as a potential representative for countless Minnesota-based artists and citizens. Scott shines a light on an all-Black, Nashville based wind symphony, Garrett honors the anti-racism of Betty White, and the guys spend the final movement unpacking the idea of "losing friends to CRT". Playlist: perf. Arthur Duncan - "Sing, You Sinners, Sing" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQRdsXU1Mok) perf. Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding - "Footprints" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLVlpk46dP8) Kevin Day - "Pyrotechnics" Sean O'Loughlin - "Imani" Wes Montgomery - "Besame Mucho" María Isa - "Mad Accomplished" María Isa - "By My Side" Carmen Brouard - "Baron Lacroix" More: María Isa for State Senate: https://www.mariaisa.org María Isa Music: https://www.iammariaisa.com Downbeat (Andy Cohen New Year's Eve Rant): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuELqOhSjgM Betty White Once Helped Launch the Career of a Black Tap Dancer: https://people.com/tv/betty-white-once-helped-launch-the-career-of-a-black-tap-dancer-by-hiring-him-for-her-variety-show/ Wayne Shorter/Making Resistance My Ally: https://www.worldtribune.org/2021/12/making-resistance-my-ally/ Nashville's New Black Symphony: https://wpln.org/post/nashvilles-new-black-symphony-is-powered-by-a-love-of-classical-music-and-hopes-to-make-it-more-representative/ R.I. Representative Slammed for Tweeting She Lost "a black friend" to Critical Race Theory: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/28/metro/ri-representative-slammed-tweeting-she-lost-black-friend-critical-race-theory/?event=event25

Opus 131 - "A Pimp Named Slickback" Dec 29, 2021

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Context can be an important aspect of experiencing music, but The Honorable Elizabeth A. Baker believes in offering audiences an opportunity to experience sound free from external description. She joins Garrett to talk about her unique approach to artistry, her recent collaboration with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians/American Composers Forum, and more. Scott questions new approaches to "The Messiah", Garrett highlights notable "classical" moments of 2021, and the guys spend the final movement drawing. comparisons between "The Matrix: Resurrections" and the future of diversity, equity and inclusion in the arts. Playlist: Tyler, the Creator - "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Margaret Bonds - "Oh, Sing of the King Who Was Tall and Brown" Julius Eastman - "Femenine" Mamadou Diabaté - "Tunga" perf. Aimee Mann - "Hold On" Asheru - Main Title from "The Boondocks" The Honorable Elizabeth A. Baker - "Remain Calm." perf. Brass Against - "Wake Up" More: The Honorable Elizabeth A. Baker: https://elizabethabaker.com AACM: https://www.aacmchicago.org Downbeat (R.I.P. Desmond Tutu): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo2LGGqtjqM The Grinch Arrested: https://www.themarysue.com/cops-arrest-the-grinch-copaganda/ Handel’s ‘Messiah’ Today: https://theconversation.com/handels-messiah-today-how-classical-music-is-contending-with-its-colonial-past-and-present-173218 Best Classical Music of 2021: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-classical-music-2021/2021/12/07/fbc982f6-4bbe-11ec-b0b0-766bbbe79347_story.html

Opus 130 - "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto" Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

Hip-hop can be transformed with a heightened awareness of "classical" music, but the converse may be even more true! Garrett is joined by the hosts of the Speaker Geekers podcast to unpack the art of marketing orchestral music to Black audiences, hip-hop culture's larger role in society, and the notion of Christmas rap. Scott shares a relatively unknown fact and piece of music by Florence Price, and celebrates an ally to anti-racism within the country music industry. And the guys wrap up the show by responding to a video published by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's former principal clarinetist. Playlist: Cherrelle - "Saturday Love" Henry F. Gilbert - "The Dance In Place Congo" Jason Isbell - "Maybe It's Time" The Jackson 5 - "Give Love On Christmas Day" The Jackson 5 - "Give Love On Christmas Day" (perf. Lex Von Sumayo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1x8-sPF1rc) Florence Price - Quintet in A Minor (perf. members of Symphony of Northwest Arkansas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFMgDI5CEd0) Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto" Zaytoven feat. Deitrick Haddon - "Greatest Gift" Adam Shugar - "Hanukkah Overture" for String Orchestra and Clarinet More: Speaker Geekers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaker-geekers-podcast/id1487345283 Downbeat (R.I.P. bell hooks): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2bmnwehlpA Minnesota Orchestra Presents "Joyful Echoes": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmrl-C_IUGA Classical Music and the Color Line: https://bostonreview.net/articles/classical-music-color-line/# Jason Isbell Is Tired Of Country’s Love Affair With White Nostalgia: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/elaminabdelmahmoud/jason-isbell-ryman-country-music-mickey-guyton

Opus 129 - "Hot Girl Semester" Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

Composer Renee Baker believes that "classical" training doesn't have to be a barrier to other genres and styles - she sees it as a bridge! She returns to TRILLOQUY's third movement to talk about her entry into the world of "creative music", her recent collaboration with the American Composers Forum and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and the way capitalism helps maintains American orchestral paradigms. Scott shines a light on the intersection of Black history and present as it relates to "classical" guitar, and Garrett speaks to white supremacy as it exists in both heavy metal and "classical" cultures. Playlist: Thomas Flippin - "Beyond Ferguson" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiogFVTPNiw&t=38s) Hirax - "El Diablo Negro" arr. The Theorist - "Donda Medley" for cello and piano (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmP_eyEkHo) Justin Holland - "Martha" (perf. John Alvarado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN6mXTQVazE) Leroy Jenkins - "Through the Ages of Jehovah" One World Jam - Improvisation w/ Renee Baker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfygTFRw7rU) arr. DSharp - "Hot Girl Summer" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edu9ZPgHDNg) More: Downbeat (Megan Thee Stallion Explains 'Big Ole Freak' To A Classical Music Expert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ESyhpq_BwA&t=143s Maria "Isa" Perez-Hedges announces bid for Minnesota Senate: https://www.insightnews.com/news/maria-isa-perez-hedges-announces-bid-for-minnesota-senate-seat/article_606474ea-594e-11ec-81e1-cbc33961bd03.html Teenage virtuoso Damian Goggans' journey to Oberlin: https://www.ideastream.org/news/guitar-found-me-teenage-virtuoso-damian-goggans-journey-to-oberlin Thomas Flippin, guitar: https://thomasflippin.com Stop White Supremacy in Heavy Metal Music: https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/hate-music/?source=AH_Dec7_stage3_mailer_image_random_400k&t=3&akid=52563%2E15058325%2E6xL-DF The Black Metal Sketch List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RdoohJdrM4XZLWiuzYMpbUnTG-tA-lkdHcg9BQF5gKk/edit#gid=0

Opus 128 - Deal Breaker Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

The generations of work that have gone into creating racial equity in "classical" music can't be overstated, and Chicago-based composer Renée Baker joins Garrett to offer her story and why the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) remains a vital part of the movement. The guys offer their Christmas music picks for the season, and unpack the notion of inappropriate musical characterizations of culture. Garrett and Scott wrap up the show with a raw and emotional discussion that centers Julius Eastman's "Crazy Nigger" and Claude Debussy's "Golliwog's Cakewalk". Playlist: Florence Price - "Adoration" (perf. Randall Goosby and Zhu Wang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgtP1lgGlHE) Pyotr Tchaikovsky - excerpts from "The Nutcracker" Imani Winds - "This Christmas" Glen Campbell - "Pretty Paper" Murray Head - "One Night in Bangkok" Renée Baker - "Warm Broth" Julius Eastman - "Crazy Nigger" Claude Debussy - "Golliwog's Cakewalk" More: Renée Baker: http://www.reneebakercomposer.net Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians: https://www.aacmchicago.org Downbeat (Chris Cuomo Comments on CNN Suspension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFMlh7mNMtk&t=16s) NYC Kids Write Book About Florence Price: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1060468024/these-nyc-kids-have-written-the-history-of-an-overlooked-black-female-composer Scottish Ballet Revises The Nutcracker To Address Racism: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-59527811 NutRemix: https://www.newballet.org/performances/nut-remix/

Opus 127 - "Blannie" Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Julia Adolphe is a composer who, in addition to writing music, speaks to and advocates for the conversation of mental health among musicians. She joins Garrett and Scott this week to talk about her podcast, her creative process, and the upcoming premiere of her latest work, "Woven Loom, Silver Spindle". Garrett dedicates a piece of music to his 2-year-old niece who lost her battle with cancer last week, Scott triggers a pointed conversation on race in highlighting William Levi Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony", and the guys return to a Sister Souljah interview in which she questions the existence of "good" white people. Support for this opus comes from Opera NexGen: http://operanexgen.org/nighttrip Playlist: Ann Richards Marching Stars 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKzTal-rNHs) The Roots feat. Erykah Badu - "You Got Me" Jon Batiste - "MOVEMENT 11’" ABBA (perf. Meryl Streep) - "Slipping Through My Fingers" Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Für Elise" William Levi Dawson - "Hope in the Night" (from Negro Folk Symphony) Julia Adolphe - "Smile Softly, Softly Smile" Julia Adolphe - "Unearth, Release" Vince Guaraldi Trio - My Little Drum More: Julia Adolphe World Premiere: https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1346/2021-12-03/beethoven-and-julia-adolphe Julia Adolphe's "Looseleaf Notebook": https://www.audible.com/pd/LooseLeaf-NoteBook-with-Julia-Adolphe-Podcast/B08JJN7QV4 Downbeat: R.I.P. Stephen Sondheim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNMB3tEUeyg) 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Lineup: https://marching.com/news/2021/2021-macys-parade-lineup/ New books by Questlove and Kelefa Sanneh explore 50 years of music history: https://www.inquirer.com/entertainment/questlove-music-is-history-books-kelef-sanneh-major-labels-20211127.html America’s Black Classical Music: https://the1a.org/segments/lost-found-americas-black-classical-music/ 2022 Grammy Nominations: https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list Sister Souljah Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1WKA6qY3tM&t=184s

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