What do Curtis Mayfield and Israeli Nationalists have in common? They both fall under the classification of “rebel music.”

A small group of students and assorted faculty attended the Rebel Music Conference on Wednesday.

The conference consisted of research projects by honors students enrolled in HIST 399H this semester and a keynote address by Dr. Marvin Sterling. The students presented on topics ranging from Scottish bagpipes to Soviet punk.

“The seminar covers the use of music for populist revolt and political subversion demonstratiques… another way of putting it would be ‘protest music,’” said E. Taylor Atkins, the director of undergraduate studies for the history department and head of the event. “We found, for instance, that rebel music’s efficacy is severely limited to consciousness raising and is less effective at inspiring and catalyzing real social and political change, and it is better at expressing grievances than articulating alternative visions or programs.”

Out of over 500 students in the honors seminar, seven presented their projects on historical rebellion in the context of music.

Post-baccalaureate history major S. Laurel Kirk presented “Twelve Highlanders Make a Revolution: A Proverbial Examination of the Bagpipe’s Role in Highlander Identity and Revolt.”

Kirk talked about the history of Scotland and the bagpipes with which it is so closely associated.

At one point in history during “rising political tensions” between England and Scotland, James Reed was executed in 1746 for playing the bagpipes, because they were considered an instrument of war.

Other seminar addresses included “Culture Made Kitsch: Regaining Lost Heritage and Cultural Rights Through the Music of the ‘Hawai’ian Renaissance” by Joseph Kinzer, a music and ethnomusicology student; and “The Ever-Resistant Norweigians” by Elizabeth Eastman Becker, junior music and political science major.

Sophomore Zachary Weiss commented in his presentation “Israeli Nationalist Music,” that Israeli nationalist musicians are “fighting against global irrelevance.” 

Perhaps the most distinguishing presentation came from a student introduced by Atkins as “Patrick Droppleman, a.k.a. the funk soldier.” The music and ethnomusicology major presented “Symbiosis: Curtis Mayfield and the Civil Rights Movement.”

During Droppleman’s address, loud water noises started coming from the pipes.

“That’s just ‘The Man’ trying to interrupt my speech about Curtis Mayfield,” he said.

As the presentation drew to a close, Atkins voiced his approval and pride in the work of his students.

“For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of this semester’s seminar was students’ growing perception of patterns and reoccurring themes that have transcended time,” he said.