What a treat; I really enjoyed the event. I was skeptical about going because I did not read the book or have any background knowledge about the author, but in hindsight that did not matter. I was able to listen to relaxing jazz music, sing along with a great singer, and reminisce about my musical days.
The incorporation of the black experience throughout the event was a fresh breath of air. I am an Africana Studies minor, so anything about the black experience has my attention! I appreciated the fact that although I did not read Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, I was able to understand the era of the book through the various Harlem jazz and blues-inspired music pieces. In addition, the speaker, Dr. Starks gave a nice brief overview …show more content…
Starks mentioned an excerpt from Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday (my favorite version of the song is by Nina Simone), I instantly got excited because that poem is so powerful and timeless. At times, I had a hard time hearing, so I am not sure why Strange Fruit was mentioned, but it seemed to go with the theme of the hardships of the Black experience in America. I also enjoyed reading and listening to the song (or poem) Four Women by Nina Simone. Similarly to Strange Fruit, Nina Simone’s song also resonated with the theme of blacks resilience in the face of adversity in America. The band did a great job performing and the singer was amazing. I really enjoyed singing along and jamming to the music. The singer had a “jazz” voice, which really went well for my favorite piece of the night, Four Women. I also thought it was cool how everyone in the band had a chance to shine with their solos, but my favorite solo was definitely the singer. For a crucial moment in the quarter, my life has been hectic and I have not found time to fully relax my mind and my body. But this event, specifically the jazz pieces, has allowed me to do so. I found myself able to forget about school and work for a brief moment, and allow the jazz music to take the stress away. Ironically, I rarely listen to jazz music for fun because I find the music to be chaotic. My friend loves jazz concerts and he is always inviting me out to events similar to this one, but I typically decline. After this event, I am more likely to take him up on his offer on seeing a live jazz
The incorporation of the black experience throughout the event was a fresh breath of air. I am an Africana Studies minor, so anything about the black experience has my attention! I appreciated the fact that although I did not read Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, I was able to understand the era of the book through the various Harlem jazz and blues-inspired music pieces. In addition, the speaker, Dr. Starks gave a nice brief overview …show more content…
Starks mentioned an excerpt from Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday (my favorite version of the song is by Nina Simone), I instantly got excited because that poem is so powerful and timeless. At times, I had a hard time hearing, so I am not sure why Strange Fruit was mentioned, but it seemed to go with the theme of the hardships of the Black experience in America. I also enjoyed reading and listening to the song (or poem) Four Women by Nina Simone. Similarly to Strange Fruit, Nina Simone’s song also resonated with the theme of blacks resilience in the face of adversity in America. The band did a great job performing and the singer was amazing. I really enjoyed singing along and jamming to the music. The singer had a “jazz” voice, which really went well for my favorite piece of the night, Four Women. I also thought it was cool how everyone in the band had a chance to shine with their solos, but my favorite solo was definitely the singer. For a crucial moment in the quarter, my life has been hectic and I have not found time to fully relax my mind and my body. But this event, specifically the jazz pieces, has allowed me to do so. I found myself able to forget about school and work for a brief moment, and allow the jazz music to take the stress away. Ironically, I rarely listen to jazz music for fun because I find the music to be chaotic. My friend loves jazz concerts and he is always inviting me out to events similar to this one, but I typically decline. After this event, I am more likely to take him up on his offer on seeing a live jazz