More choral issues, this time about cultural appropriation

January 18, 2018 2:54 PM

Back to questions about my chorus. This time we're performing a work I'm pretty uncomfortable with for reasons I'll state below. Short version: it's about the Underground Railroad and we're pretty much all white.

So as I've mentioned in a couple of questions before this one, including the last one, I sing with a large concert chorus. We usually perform pretty standard choral works, e.g. Messiah, Brahms' Requiem, Carmina Burana, etc. So far so good.

For our next concert, though, we're performing a piece about the Underground Railroad. The problem I have with this is that the chorus is, conservatively estimated, 90% white, 7% Asian, and 3% black. (There are 225 or so people in the chorus; at most five or six of them are black.) The composer and librettist of the piece are both white; the music director/conductor is white, as is the rest of the conducting staff. There are five soloists for the piece, and they're all black. (I'm white.)

For reasons that I imagine are pretty obvious, I'm not super comfortable with any of this, and none of the powers that be in the chorus seems to have given the matter any thought. (Of course I can't read their minds, but no one has said anything along the lines of "We know that some people might have a problem with this but we decided to go ahead with it anyway" or what have you.) I've mentioned this to a few of my friends in the chorus, and they either look at me incredulously and change the subject or say things like "Well, we have to separate the artist from the work" (um, what?).

I'm not sure what to do about this. Given the fact that even people who I know well seem to think I've gone around the bend, I'm not sure there is anything I can do. Certainly they're not going to change the program at this late date, even if they thought I had a point.

I'd really rather not sing in this concert because I'd rather not take part in a huge act of cultural appropriation. I just don't feel comfortable with it. So I guess my question is: how would other people handle this? I see my options as: (1) shrug and sing in the concert, because if the soloists don't have a problem with it, why should I; (2) withdraw from the concert but make up a reason that has nothing to do with politics, like, "I have to be out of town for work that week"; or (3) withdraw and tell them why I'm not comfortable singing in the concert. (I should mention that since we're in NYC, the chorus members generally lean left, but the demographic is such that if I started talking about cultural appropriation, many of them would likely literally have no idea what I was going on about.)

All thoughts appreciated. Thanks!

posted by holborne to Society & Culture (24 answers total)

I'm not sure this constitutes "cultural appropriation," except in such a broad sense that it doesn't automatically make participation morally untenable. However, I'm not the one in the chorus, and the soloists aren't responsible for your individual ethical choices, either. If you truly feel it's wrong, then don't perform the piece. I presume you have to tell a choral director or similar figure if you're going to be unable to participate for other reasons; tell this person, and tell them why. (And anyone else who asks.) Why should you do something you think is morally wrong, or hide the reason you're choosing not to participate?
posted by praemunire at 3:00 PM on January 18, 2018

I'm unclear why you think this is a problem. Are you singing in dialect? Does the fact that the only black people in the chorus are all soloists and no one else is bother you? Are they singing all about how thankful they are to their white underground railroad saviors?

The fact that the content is the underground railroad isn't cultural appropriation by itself if the content is handled well (and if it's handled poorly, it might be something more like "white savior complex"). It's great that white people care about the history of slavery! Knowing more specifically what bugs you about this would be helpful.
posted by momus_window at 3:01 PM on January 18, 2018

There are a few different types of cultural appropriation. One is stealing the work or culture of artists from other cultures to make money/get fame. This is not that. Another form is pretending to be a member of another culture in a way that is insensitive, i.e wearing a headdress for Halloween. Not sure if this applies here, but it is extremely problematic if sk. Another form of appropriation is taking the stories or experiences of another culture and using them for one's own art. This seems like what's happening here. This can be a big problem but it depends somewhat on context.

If you are feeling brave enough, I'd request to have a discussion among the whole group. Bring up your concerns and lay out why you are concerned. Bring some concrete ideas about options for what the choir could do differently - partner with a predominantly black choir, sing a different piece, etc. And see where it goes from there.

I do feel that it is important for white people to talk about slavery in a way that owns responsibility for white supremacy, I don't think it's an off-limits topic. But it depends on how the story is being told.
posted by mai at 3:03 PM on January 18, 2018

So, to me, for this to feel appropriative, I'd need to know more about the piece. Is is a piece by a white composer and appropriative in that it's diving into a part of American history that person doesn't have a claim to? Because if not - if it's a piece by a black composer/arranger, especially one who is currently working, the idea that majority-white choirs should not perform it is a direct hit to that artist's ability to make a living, based entirely on their race and the fact that they have addressed racial issues in their work. That was a point someone made in a discussion we had in my choir last year about our discomfort performing a reconstruction-era work song. It really changed how I thought about our performance of that particular song, and what I brought to it in terms of reckoning with our country's current climate.

I've sung in primarily college settings and because of that I associate choral music not only with entertainment, but with education and a sense of challenging the audience (and singers too!) both musically and in terms of the themes of what is performed. If you're being asked to sing in some sort of dialect or make gestures, etc that feel uncomfortable, that is a different thing - but simply singing this as part of a concert and with respect is not appropriative in my opinion.
posted by augustimagination at 3:18 PM on January 18, 2018

Hi. I am biracial presenting as black and this kind of shit often makes me extremely uncomfortable (see also: groups of predominantly white people singing spirituals)/ irritated in a way that I struggle to articulate, unless it is very well and sensitively handled. Thank you so much for being sensitive to the issue potentially being problematic.

Have you asked the black members of your choir how they feel about this and if they are okay with the content, how it is being handled, or if they have any concerns? If you are close enough to them to speak with them about it, perhaps their responses might inform your next move.
posted by windykites at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2018

The Underground Railroad involved people both black and white, young and old. Everyone involved took incredible risks. It was one of the great acts in the long dismal history of the US.

I have no idea why you would think it is cultural appropriation.
posted by Lucky Bobo at 3:21 PM on January 18, 2018

And I agree with Mai that requesting a discussion if that's at all possible would be good. It seems like possibly in your choir, you don't get a lot from the director in terms of talking through why pieces were picked or placing them in a historical/music historical context, and maybe the leadership of the choir would do well to know they should be providing more of that.

In my choir last year, it was only after someone brought up basically the same question you have here, that we really got down to a discussion of what the song meant, whose voice(s) it was lifting up, and what it meant in the context of its time (for instance - it wasn't a spiritual or slave song, because those aren't just all "older music related to black culture" - they are specific genres of music and it's fairly ignorant to just lump all music related to the history of black people in America into one type as if it's all the same or about the same things).
posted by augustimagination at 3:24 PM on January 18, 2018

Does the piece in essence say "The Underground Railroad was stupid and bad and yay, whites!"? If not, I can't imagine what the problem is with singing about a significant part of US history that involved folks of various backgrounds.
posted by clseace at 3:49 PM on January 18, 2018

Are the soloists part of your choir or professional hires? You say only 6 or so people in your choir are black, and if all of them are the only soloists, I can see that being weird. It would also help to know if the piece significantly lifts from black gospel, or uses language that strikes you as 'musical blackface' in this context.

My very white choir sang "Battle of Jericho" last year, but it was an arrangement by a black composer/arranger, and it was very much part of a yearlong series that aimed to have diverse genres and a social justice message. Is it bothering you because your choir usually does stick to the dead white guys curriculum and this seems like lip service?

I think your discomfort may certainly be valid, and FWIW even if you're handwaved away, I do think it's worth clarifying your feelings and saying something.
posted by nakedmolerats at 3:56 PM on January 18, 2018

and none of the powers that be in the chorus seems to have given the matter any thought. (Of course I can't read their minds, but no one has said anything along the lines of "We know that some people might have a problem with this but we decided to go ahead with it anyway" or what have you.)

So you don't actually know how much thought went into this. They very well could have done this in cooperation with the black members of your chorus, or at their request.
posted by munchingzombie at 4:06 PM on January 18, 2018

What counts as appropriation is a pretty subjective matter. White arrangers and performers wouldn't bother me, personally; I've been in a majority-white chorus and sung spirituals with white arrangers. What bugs me somewhat would be the white composer, if they didn't do so in a way acknowledging the cultural legacy it's building on. Music is closely entwined with the black struggle for liberation, and I'd be uncomfortable with a piece of music about black liberation which didn't engage with that legacy. Does this work incorporate the black musical tradition and incorporate t in a way which recognizes its importance?
posted by jackbishop at 4:23 PM on January 18, 2018

I thought this read looked interesting and potentially helpful:

Cultural Appropriation and Choral Music: A Conversation That Can Make Our Music and Community Better

I'd really rather not sing in this concert because I'd rather not take part in a huge act of cultural appropriation.

Assuming that this is blatant appropriation and involves some of the issues mentioned above, then bowing out of the concert is probably your best option.

Otherwise I think it's important for us to engage with our whole history in a way that respects and honors everyone involved, and the Underground Railroad is part of our shared history - black and white abolitionists, enslaved people, freed people and Quakers were part of it. Even if it were a piece of strictly Black history, it's possible for a mostly-white choir to sing about Black history in a way that's reverent and respectful. Personally I think it would be worse if white people never sang music about or by people of other cultures, but a lot depends on the music selected and context.

It might help to do some background reading and talk to the choir leadership to get a better understanding of why the piece was picked and how they see the context. Sometimes there's not an easy answer and good people disagree on what crosses the line. It's worthwhile to go through the process of having the conversations and doing the research, but it's okay to drop out if everyone else says it's not appropriation and you're still uncomfortable.
posted by bunderful at 4:38 PM on January 18, 2018

To be clear, the text isn’t a general history. The text is taken from a book by William Still, a black free man who wrote a book about his participation in the Underground Railroad. So the chorus is often, although not always, singing text that purports to be the words of slaves and freed slaves.
posted by holborne at 5:36 PM on January 18, 2018

I sing in various choirs and have felt similarly in the past. My main church choir currently has no black members, but we regularly sing spirituals for our church, which has black congregants.

The two main things that stand out to me here are the song itself, and the feelings of the black choristers, especially the soloists. Is it a new work? Are you able to find out if it has been performed by any predominantly black choirs? What is the message of the piece? Does it use dialect, or seem to overemphasize musical stylings which are usually used by a spiritual or gospel piece? Is the composer trying a little too hard to sound like Harry Burleigh?

And, more importantly, can you find out-- without forcing the soloists to be the mouthpiece for all of the other black members/all black people in general-- whether they are glad it's being included or wish it would go away/be handled differently?

The black members of your choir are members of your choir-- it is likely (though by no means necessarily) the case that a spiritual or gospel song would be representative of their religious background. They, as well as the black/biracial members of the audience, deserve as much as anyone else to have their heritage included. But (keeping in mind that choir members in general are a herd of cats) they should also have some say in how that is accomplished, and veto power if it is being done in a way that literally puts words in the mouths of people who are still in many ways fighting for the right to speak for themselves.

If these questions can't be resolved in a way that satisfies you, I think it is important to go with option 3.
posted by notquitemaryann at 5:39 PM on January 18, 2018

Aha, your update is helpful. That would push me slightly closer towards "okay" since the text originates with someone from the actual Underground Railroad and is not some modern fantasy. I'd still be concerned about the rest, though.
posted by notquitemaryann at 5:42 PM on January 18, 2018

"We usually perform pretty standard choral works, e.g. Messiah, Brahms' Requiem, Carmina Burana, etc. So far so good."

Actually, no. Not so far so good, especially in light of nakedmolerats's post.

I'm sensitive to the issue of cultural appropriation, too -- but I'm also sensitive to the erasure or marginalization of others' voices. In trying to avoid the one (and, really, this doesn't sound like a situation where one culture is being mocked or stereotyped or mined for creative talent that will be unacknowledged and uncompensated), be careful that you're not inadvertently halting a work of art here from reaching the kind of audience -- or speaking to or through as many possible artists -- that it deserves.

This may, in fact, be a good opportunity for individuals who have long enjoyed the privilege of speaking out and speaking for to stop, step back, and listen - in more ways than one.
posted by pinkacademic at 6:40 PM on January 18, 2018

By your metric, the community band I'm in should not have played the arrangement of spirituals that we did at the last concert, even though we had a black soloist (who chose the music), as the group is mostly white.

Do you think that only a mostly black choir should be allowed to tell this story? (But who would hear it?) That's what you're doing, you're being asked to tell an uncomfortable story. (and it's making you uncomfortable. well done, composers and music selectors.) Is it done respectfully? Is it done well? Are you singing in dialect? Is the musical setting appropriate -- in other words, does it show the importance of music to the Underground Railroad without mocking it?

I've mentioned this to a few of my friends in the chorus, and they either look at me incredulously and change the subject or say things like "Well, we have to separate the artist from the work" (um, what?).
White composer and lyricist, no? It's annoying (but true) that for most stories to be heard they need to be told by white men first. (First, not only!)

The concept of cultural appropriation is a slippery one, but if all this piece does is tell a story (in their own words, even), I'm not sure that it should be considered cultural appropriation (or even "could be"). At some point, the majority needs to tell the stories of the minority. (and the majority needs to shut up and listen.)

But it needs to be made clear that this is someone else's story. If your chorus is like most choruses, the director or someone will make an announcement about a piece. If this is a new piece, it's even more likely that there will be program notes about the provenance, backstory, and history of a piece.

Having said that, if it makes you uncomfortable to sing it, and you can back out reasonably gracefully, then don't sing it. But be honest with yourself about why. To me, it sounds like you're more uncomfortable with the subject matter than the presentation.

(FWIW, William Still is considered the founder of the Underground Railroad, and his books about it are from the people he helped and the records he kept.)
posted by jlkr at 5:59 AM on January 19, 2018

I can understand being uncomfortable with the general phenomenon - which I hope isn't happening in this particular instance - of the narrative of the underground railroad, which was a real, specific, death-defying and incredibly brave achievement of actual people - being co-opted as a general symbol of personal "freedom." If that were happening here I'd be very uncomfortable.

But it doesn't sound like anyone in this choir show is trying to erase or co-opt these words' actual significance, are they?
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:24 AM on January 19, 2018

Thank you for asking this question. Please listen to windykites and other black people or people who present as black (I am one, and I largely identify as I am identified--as black). This may not be strictly "appropriation" (although your update pushes it much closer to that) but narrowing down the exact version of white supremacy this phenomenon attaches to misses the point. This sort of thing makes me uncomfortable.

In an ideal world, assuming no friction, the performance would be fine--it seems objectively fine, it's not a song promoting slavery--but this isn't an ideal world. Black people navigate a world of macro- and micro-aggressive racism every day, and this is the sort of thing where I'd be in the audience not knowing what I'm supposed to feel (grateful? uplifted?) and not knowing what expression to wear on my face and basically feeling very much like I didn't know what was going to happen next (will I be judged for not reacting positively?).

It also makes me uncomfortable that these isn't an actual song written to be performed, putting it one step closer to "white people taking black people's art and colonizing it for themselves." Are there songs written by freed slaves that could be sung, or songs by white abolitionists? Could a program be put together that is "inspired by the words of"? I agree it's also a good idea to try to talk to the decision-makers and see what thought they put into this and (if they are comfortable with you doing so) the black people in the choir.
posted by tyrantkitty at 12:29 PM on January 19, 2018

Do you think that only a mostly black choir should be allowed to tell this story? (But who would hear it?)

White people have always consumed vast amounts of black art/culture . It's meaningful for black people to tell their own stories to each other.
posted by tyrantkitty at 12:35 PM on January 19, 2018

To me, it sounds like you're more uncomfortable with the subject matter than the presentation.

No idea where you're getting this from anything I asked or said, but just to be clear: no, I am not uncomfortable with the subject matter. I'm uncomfortable with the presentation.
posted by holborne at 12:40 PM on January 19, 2018

I'm not sure which part of my comment you were replying to, Pinkacademic, but what I meant to say is... I would be vaguely uncomfortable too if my white choir that stuck to mostly dead-white-guy canon suddenly seemed to say "let's sing about The Black Experience" but still chose a piece with a white composer? Sure, the perfect is the enemy of the good, but.... considering that black musicians have an incredibly rich history and catalog in American culture, it still sits weirdly with me if this is, in context, one of the first forays out of white-guy canon but... is still a piece by a white person.
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:13 PM on January 19, 2018

It also makes me uncomfortable that these isn't an actual song written to be performed, putting it one step closer to "white people taking black people's art and colonizing it for themselves."

Sorry if you're already aware of this, but in classical music it's actually relatively uncommon for a composer to set a text the composer has written themselves (i.e., this is not a practice distinctively deployed against members of marginalized groups). If the text itself is not distorted or stereotyped, and care is given to ensure proper credit to the text's author alongside the composer, does there remain a problem?
posted by praemunire at 3:09 PM on January 19, 2018

I mean, I'm aware, but that's just the thing--the idea that something is customary should be interrogated, because the group that generally gets to set the customs can/will overlook/deliberately exclude pain points that wouldn't affect them. I'm not drawing a hard line on "there's no way this would ever work," but it seems fraught enough to try to approach inclusion that's sought from a different angle.
posted by tyrantkitty at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2018