Local experts and Kent State students will explore the connection between music and social movements at a panel discussion at on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.
The discussion, “You Say You Want a Revolution: Does Music Matter to Today’s Social Movements,” will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 340 of Franklin Hall at Kent State University. It is free and open to the public. This event is inspired by the course “Rolling Stone @ 50,” taught in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), which earlier this semester explored the iconic magazine’s legacy and influence on journalism and social movements. The discussion is hosted by JMC and the College of Communication and Information at Kent State.
A photo booth will be set up outside the auditorium beginning at 6:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite concert tee or clothing that represents a social cause. Students dressed for the occasion will be entered to win a one-year membership to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Panelists include the following:
- Malcolm Abram, pop music writer for the Akron Beacon Journal
- Hana Barkowitz, Kent State student, activist
- Madison Indre, Kent State student, local music artist
- Jason Prufer, author and Kent State University senior library associate
- Mike Shea, founder and CEO of Alt Press
- Gene Shelton, Kent State professor, former writer and publicist for Motown Records
Associate Professor Evan Bailey, a music and live entertainment expert, will moderate the panel. Stephanie Smith, assistant professor and course instructor for “Rolling Stone @ 50” is the event organizer.
“The music of the Sixties famously captured the countercultures, activism and ethos of those times,” she said. “What is music's role in today's social causes and social movements, including Black Lives Matter, immigration reform, gender identity and equality, environmentalism and beyond? The panel will explore whether music still inspires, galvanizes and fuels movements and to what extent contemporary music of any genre frames and spreads key messages for social causes.”