Written and maintained by the Louis Armstrong Fellows.
My last post ended with the possibility of considering the use of artistic and social practices as a way to engage in nonviolent direct action; specifically referencing the concept from the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. I have chosen to use this term because when it is in reference to groups that were... Continue Reading →
Listening to Louis as an ethnomusicologist Do I listen to Louis as an ethnomusicologist? This is a question I have been pondering since my last blog post in which I described the act of listening to Louis as a deeply personal experience that evokes an emotional response. I appreciate that my undergraduate and graduate ethnomusicology... Continue Reading →
It was the invitation to “engage in a nonviolent direct action program,”1 that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Birmingham, Alabama in April of 1963. In his letter written from the Birmingham Jail, he explains in detail the need for the direct action program, as “Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in... Continue Reading →
Listening to Louis in “my little corner of the world” It is another day. I walk into my living room, where my beat-up black Ikea desk rests against one of the walls. I open my laptop, turn on my desk lamp, check my email, look over my list of “to-dos,” and begin my work. During... Continue Reading →
While writing my last post I began thinking more about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. I began considering what his ideals were, who was impacted by them and therefore impacted by the loss of him. I listened over and over to the recording of his “Free at Last” speech that I previously shared a clip... Continue Reading →
Zelda Fitzgerald, Lillian Disney, Rachel Robinson, Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Coretta Scott King, and Lucille Armstrong -- these are some of the names of American women whose stories are told and intertwined with those of their husbands. This week I was determined to answer an inquiry I raised in the first blog of what I... Continue Reading →
“Alexa, play “Some Day” by Louis Armstrong, on repeat,” I say, desperately needing something to bring the gears of my brain that have been constantly fixated on the concept of freedom, to a slow rotation, even better, a complete stop. With a deep inhale, I lay down on the couch, cross my ankles, fold my... Continue Reading →
In April of 1933 rising star Louis Armstrong made headlines when a British tabloid newspaper known as the Daily Express declared him deceased. The front-page article offered no cause of death. Follow-up reports proved unhelpful for readers since they featured contradicting and strange information. For example, one report claimed that Armstrong died from a dog... Continue Reading →
The year was 1914, he was 13 years old in New Orleans, Louisiana. The year was 2008, she was 13 years old in Coconut Creek, Florida. 1 state, 830 miles and 94 years separated him from her and her from him. He spent his last night singing with his boys and celebrating the turning of... Continue Reading →
Within the American music industry well-known performers must deal with a variety of challenges such as the pressures of fame, loneliness, adrenaline highs and lows, public scrutiny, creative blocks, round-the-clock travel, and inconsistent working hours. In the last several years, some journalists have made attempts to spotlight the topic of “artists’ well-being,” especially young musicians’... Continue Reading →
