“Music During Times of Conflict”

Next week, my alma mater (Marietta College in Ohio) is presenting a fall concert titled, “Music During Times of Conflict.”  Really interesting to think about conflict through lens of a music department, and even though I’ve long been a vocal proponent of an interdisciplinary / liberal arts approach to understanding conflict, I confess that I’d not thought about what a music department might bring to the conversation (other than through lenses like music therapy, etc.).  Fun to think about…

MM

2 thoughts on ““Music During Times of Conflict””

  1. I am curious to discover what selections the music department decided to use and what aspect of conflict each piece addressed. There have been articles written and significant dollars earned based on the idea of classical music enhancing brain power, so what effect could music have on conflict resolution? Could certain tones or melodies encourage a more productive and/or relaxed dispute resolution process (i.e. Mozart playing softly in the background of a family mediation)? Perhaps this is a study that has already taken place.

    Alternately, there are certain works that clearly play to other aspects of conflict. The famous, “Bella ciao,” written by Partisan supporters in North-Central Italy, has for years united those with anti-Fascist ideals. The piece has been translated into various languages and used in other conflict-ridden areas such as South America and China. While initially known only to the politically involved, the piece was performed by a rather famous group in the first part of this decade, bringing the struggles of 70 years ago to teenagers of today.

    The idea of music as a means to help resolve conflict, help spread the ideals of one side of a conflict, or potentially hinder conflict resolution altogether is an interesting concept…perhaps one I could explore after law school.

  2. While most people do not think of music when it comes talking about or teaching conflict, it actually makes sense. Think about all of the songs that are written during times of conflict. Songs that came from slavery, the Vietnam War and 9/11. Even our national anthem came from war time. I know that these conflicts are on a much grander scale than the kinds of conflicts we talk about, say, in our ADR class, but they are conflicts nonetheless. When people feel strongly about something, especially during some sort of conflict, they sometimes use music to express themselves. Famous music artists do it all the time. I think that we can actually learn a lot about conflict, and history for that matter, from music.

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