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This fall, we've been invited to play the Honk! Festival in Boston, Massachesetts this October. The confirmed line-up for the festival so far includes the Hungry March Band and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra from New York, the March Fourth Marching Band of Portland, OR, the What Cheer? Brigade from Providence, RI, the Stick & Rag Village Orchestra of Boston, and the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble and Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band (the group hosting the event) from Cambridge.
www.honkfest.org/
Festival Goals and Rationale:
Around the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging. Borrowing repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions New Orleans second line brass bands, European Klezmer, Balkan and Gypsy music, Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnivale these "honkers" all share a commitment to several core principles. Metaphorically speaking, they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun.
First and foremost, they honk their horns or beat their drums, or wave their flags to enliven and embolden (rather than impress or mollify) their audience. Their members vary widely in age, ethnicity, class and background, and although they often wear some kind of uniform, there is also always an emphasis on individuality and difference, as well as a "DIY" (do-it-yourself) sensibility to their instrumentation and attire. Acoustic and mobile, these bands play familiar music that is by, for, and of "the people." Members of the audience often think "Hey, I could do that!" and, indeed, these bands recruit new members right off the street.
Just as important, they honk their horns because its the best way they know to protest a world of violence and oppression. All of these bands are less than a decade old, born in reaction to the fatalism and indifference that has gripped the advanced industrialized democracies in the face of a political crisis of legitimacy, ongoing economic recession and dislocation, and impending ecological disaster. In response, honkers have been providing a heartfelt musical antidote, a soundtrack for antiwar rallies, political mobilizations and joyous reclamations of public space. The honkers purpose is to mock (rather than directly challenge) corporate and statist injustice, with a musical offering that is subversive without being militant.
As often as they honk in protest, however, they also perform to celebrate the causes and institutions they support: multicultural parades and street festivals, peace conferences and social forums, artist collectives and community gardens, block parties, relief benefits and homeless shelters. In these cases, as in every case, the honkers ultimate goal is to have fun, to relish the art of making fun as a form of individual and collective transcendence, and to encourage others to see and do the same.
A "HONK Festival" offers a unique opportunity for participants to compare notes, publicize the values and goals of the Honk movement, and play all day for a diverse, sophisticated and open-minded audience.
www.honkfest.org/
Festival Goals and Rationale:
Around the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging. Borrowing repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions New Orleans second line brass bands, European Klezmer, Balkan and Gypsy music, Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnivale these "honkers" all share a commitment to several core principles. Metaphorically speaking, they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun.
First and foremost, they honk their horns or beat their drums, or wave their flags to enliven and embolden (rather than impress or mollify) their audience. Their members vary widely in age, ethnicity, class and background, and although they often wear some kind of uniform, there is also always an emphasis on individuality and difference, as well as a "DIY" (do-it-yourself) sensibility to their instrumentation and attire. Acoustic and mobile, these bands play familiar music that is by, for, and of "the people." Members of the audience often think "Hey, I could do that!" and, indeed, these bands recruit new members right off the street.
Just as important, they honk their horns because its the best way they know to protest a world of violence and oppression. All of these bands are less than a decade old, born in reaction to the fatalism and indifference that has gripped the advanced industrialized democracies in the face of a political crisis of legitimacy, ongoing economic recession and dislocation, and impending ecological disaster. In response, honkers have been providing a heartfelt musical antidote, a soundtrack for antiwar rallies, political mobilizations and joyous reclamations of public space. The honkers purpose is to mock (rather than directly challenge) corporate and statist injustice, with a musical offering that is subversive without being militant.
As often as they honk in protest, however, they also perform to celebrate the causes and institutions they support: multicultural parades and street festivals, peace conferences and social forums, artist collectives and community gardens, block parties, relief benefits and homeless shelters. In these cases, as in every case, the honkers ultimate goal is to have fun, to relish the art of making fun as a form of individual and collective transcendence, and to encourage others to see and do the same.
A "HONK Festival" offers a unique opportunity for participants to compare notes, publicize the values and goals of the Honk movement, and play all day for a diverse, sophisticated and open-minded audience.
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