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Episode Notes
John Vogel, Talking Writing’s art director, interviews author Brad Schreiber on his latest book, Music Is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice, and the Will to Change, and the influences that shaped his writing. Brad is an author, screenwriter, producer, literary consultant, journalist, playwright, teacher, and performer. Music Is Power tells fascinating stories about the origins and impact of dozens of world-changing songs while revealing political context and the personal challenges of legendary artists from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley.
Brad Schreiber is the recipient of the 2022 William Randolph Hearst Award for Outstanding Service in Professional Journalism from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, joining previous recipients Dan Rather and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Brad is currently co-writing a book about gangster rap, policing, and race with Ron Stallworth, the author of the New York Times bestseller Black Klansman, which was made into a film by Spike Lee and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The book, tentatively entitled Hip-Hop Cop, will be published by Legacy Lit/Hachette.
Music Is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice, and the Will to Change was published by Rutgers University Press. A 100-year history of socially conscious music in all genres, it was nominated for the 2020 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Recorded Sound Research.
Music Is Power covers the past 100 years of socially conscious music, from Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie to the Dixie Chicks and N.W.A. It includes reggae, country, metal, psychedelia, hip-hop, punk, folk, and soul.
During the episode, John and Brad discuss the importance of respecting all forms of art, whether it is to your taste or not. Brad has done incredible research into all genres of music, including reggae, punk, metal, gangsta, and rap. While not every genre was to his taste, he could recognize the importance of the lyrics, beat, and rhythm to its target audience.
The two discuss their own strong experiences with heavy metal and prog music, a subject that Brad is most curious about. His writing focuses on the impact of music of different genres. The fact that music can change one’s mind, one’s day, or even the course of history is absolutely fascinating to him.
This year, the Talking Writing podcast is exploring the role of art in people’s relationships and how family members affect their work. Brad and John also discuss their own art careers and how they were able to pursue their artistic endeavors, despite their parents’ fears. According to Brad, his parents were heavily influenced by the arts but did not make a living out of them. They wanted Brad to find something more stable, knowing that they had a difficult time trying to make a living off of their art. Despite their best efforts, Brad was unable to stick with a “stable” job and instead pursued a creative career. Throughout his life, he has experimented with all mediums of art, including performing, writing, and even teaching.
Episode Information
Music Is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice, and the Will to Change by Brad Schreiber.
Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, the Untold Story of a Musical Genius by Brad Schreiber.
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks.
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin.
How Music Works by David Byrne.
Video by unARTigNYC of The White Mice performing at Death by Audio in New York City, January 15, 2010.
Post-production for this episode was provided by CCST, a podcast production company.
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