I Come From Nowhere(?)

Andre, , , ,

My dissertation–if you hadn’t already gathered–focuses on the convergence of popular and classical music streams that informs much of Frank Zappa’s music. This confluence means different things in different places (for both Zappa and his audience), but it seems to me to be a defining characteristic that runs through all of his work. My questions here are: Why would this be such an important aspect of his work? and, What influenced him in thinking this way?

Strictly Genteel

On the one hand, Zappa was trying to establish for himself a reputation as a composer of serious art music. His reasons for this are, of course, open to debate, but Zappa was always quick to point out that his ambitions were aesthetically motivated. He was introduced to the modernist music of Stravinsky and Varèse around the same time he began collecting blues and R&B records. Zappa recognized that the disparate styles were commonly seen to be at odds with one another. But since both appealed to him personally, he tried to share this experience of music free from social implications. The obvious way of doing this would be to synthesize these different styles in his own work.

On a slightly different angle, it seems to me that the obvious appeal (and associated cultural capital) of being a respected artist was an equally significant factor. Zappa clearly admired Stravinsky and Varèse (and Webern and Cage, among others) and that he would want to model himself on his “idols” almost goes without saying.

But where does this all come from? What streams (cultural, social, musical) does he fit into? Despite his claims to originality, it seems unlikely that Zappa developed in a bubble.

To begin with, I suspect it may have had something to do with the conservative cultural climate of Southern California in the 1940s and 50s. Zappa saw this environment as oppressive and felt claustrophobic in the rural deserts communities of his youth. For me, Zappa’s self-identification as an outsider is neatly summarized in this 1970 photograph by John Olson of Frank posing with his parents Francis and Rosemary in their home Frank’s Los Angeles home [thanks Corné!]:

Zappa with parents

(Of course, by 1970 Frank had long been out of the house so this picture doesn’t offer an authentic vision of Zappa’s youth. Nonetheless, I think the picture captures much of the spirit of Zappa and his rebellious culture at odds with conservative values, while at the same time offering some ambiguity as to who really belongs in this environment.)

While still a child, he found refuge in the modernist avant-garde. (He would delight in his mother’s recoiling at the sound of Varèse’s sirens being played on the family turntable.) These composers offered a safe mode of rebellion for Zappa in a remarkable way. They were accepted artists–undeniably respectful members of society–whose music had a similar effect with adults to what teenagers experienced with heavy metal in the 1980s.

But I don’t think it ends there. As significant as his rebellion against perceived conservative oppression was, I think there’s something deeper. In discussing when the dichotomy between classical and popular entered the American consciousness, Paul Charosh writes:

We would be mistaken to assume that this division between types of music reflects a simple division between two sets of listeners, one group seeking edification and uplift from classical music and a separate group looking to popular music for a cure for the blues. Some favored light music over serious; others preferred classical music to the popular; but many enjoyed both types of music on different occasions, for different purposes.[1]

Charosh is referring to mid-18th century listeners, but this characterization seems to have some resonance with Zappa’s sentiments a century later. Is this a constant stream in American musical consciousness? Did Zappa inherit this dual validity of opposing musical streams?

For that matter, who else was a part of this? Zappa consistently sought to establish himself as being counter-counterculture. But even as he defined himself against the hippie movement and the politics of the New Left in the 1960s, he took certain aspects of their motivations as his own. Can we consider Zappa to be a part of these movements even if he explicitly denies accepting them?

For now, these thoughts are very preliminary. I don’t have the answers to these questions. (Yet!)

References:
[1] Paul Charosh, “‘Popular’ and ‘Classical’ in the Mid-Nineteenth Century,” American Music, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Summer, 1992), 126.
I Come From Nowhere(?)

32,946 thoughts on “I Come From Nowhere(?)”

  1. 尾蟻蔚蠁喂魏伪 蟺蔚未喂位伪 ipanema 纬喂伪 魏慰蟻喂蟿蟽喂伪

    m臋ska czapka uszatka mega wyprzeda偶 zobacz zdj臋cie na imgedciep艂a br膮zowo malinowa melan偶owa czapka damska z pomponem br膮zowy malinowyeleganckie sukienki do pracy sukienki na co dzie艅 lovetrendyczarno r贸偶owa kurtka totality

  7. optistore.net 诪砖拽驻讬 专讗讬讛 prince 2019 讘诪讞讬专讬诐 讛讟讜讘讬诐 讘讬砖专讗诇

    毓賳丕賵賷賳 丿乇丕爻丕 爻丕亘賯丞 兀噩賳亘賷丞 賮賷 賲丨丕爻亘丞 丕賱賲爻丐賵賱賷丞 賲賵賯毓 賲賰 亘 賰賮乇賳 賰賴乇亘丕卅賷 丕賱賲賳夭賱賷丞貙 亘賷毓 兀賮乇丕賳 丕賱亘賷 夭丕 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕卅賷丞貙 賲賳 兀噩賱 丕賱禺亘夭 賮乇賳 賰賴乇亘丕卅賷 氐睾賷乇胤乇賷賯丞 毓賲賱 氐賷賳賷丞 爻亘丕睾賷 賷 亘丕賱氐賱氐丞 賵賲夭賷噩 丕賱噩亘賳賲賵爻賷賯賶 噩夭丕卅乇賷丞 兀氐賷賱丞 毓賱丕 賮賵賳丿賵 guitar alg茅rien alla

  11. torebki skè´¸rzane wittchen allegro

    converse chuck taylor as core bia艂y trampki i tenis贸wki 2462016 moda buty m臋skie sk贸ra nike air pegasus 83 premium bia艂ykobaltowy sweter basic z dekoltem w serek quiosquesanda艂y be偶owe na obcasie

  13. 2 lego lord of the rings sets

    nfl team apparel kids girls 12m denver broncos cheerleading outfitphotos of the my cause my cleats saints players will wear ingiovani bernard cincinnati bengals nike toddler game jerseygreen bay packers 12 rodgers color rush action figure at

  14. 砖诪诇讜转 讻诇讛 诇讚转讬讜转 砖诪诇讜转 讻诇讛 爪谞讜注讜转 讘诪讞讬专 砖驻讜讬 注诐 注讬爪讜讘 诪讬讜讞讚

    top 5 herren sneaker marken allsneakers we love kicks100l military molle tasche camping taktische rucksack m盲nnerzara damen hose schwarz mit wei脽en streifenlaufschuhe on damen

  17. the players t shirts

    mpg is overrated jeepbuy ymc almost grown sweatshirt orangekappa kappa authentic abel disney hoodie white from farfetch linkshare affiliate cpa us us peoplemens black fleece small lion zip up hoodie

  21. 亘賵丕亘丞 丕賱賮噩乇 爻乇賷丨丕 卮毓乇 亘爻賷胤丞 賱賱賲丿乇爻丞

    indfarvning eller omfarvning af skindnunavut langå¿™rmet skjortestrikkjole 3 4 å¿™rmer fra ré…¶dadidas essential linear dame sweatshirt sort

  22. colts wear throwbacks

    power ranking all 32 nfl color rush uniforms 20. tampa bay54 white pink new england patriots youth jerseyarizona cardinals woven towelstarter black atlanta falcons the challenger track jacket for men lyst

  24. opaque tights with strass black tights with crystals s m

    讗讬讝讛 住讜谞 诪谞讜专讛 爪专讬讱 诇专讻讘 fxp谞注诇 注拽讘 注诐 讬讛诇讜诪讬诐讛驻讬讙诪讜转 讛谞讻讜谞讜转 诇讞讜专祝 讛拽专讜讘 拽讜诇拽爪讬讬转 谞砖讬诐 讞讜专祝 2017 18 砖诇诪讬讟讛 讝讜讙讬转 诪转讻讜讜谞谞转 讗专讙讝 诪爪注讬诐 讚讙诐 住驻讬专 诪讘讬转 驻讜诇讬专讜谉 拽讬讘讜抓 讝讬拽讬诐

  33. ballerina costume teen

    womens white sylvie strap ankle bootadidas reasonable sale pricegucci donald duck x supreme lv youth t shirt 15.00 teegucci backpack with chain straps fenix toulouse handball

  34. 褋械褉芯械 锌谢邪褌褜械 褌褍薪懈泻邪 卸械薪褋泻芯械 锌谢邪褌褜褟 褌褍薪懈泻懈 泻褍锌懈褌褜 褋 褎芯褌芯 懈 褑械薪邪屑懈

    white high cut one piecescarpe autunno inverno 2019 2020. 100 nuovi modelli donne sul webpesca in apnea in croazia navigare in croaziafj 4llr 4ven keb trousers w regular

  38. 讘砖讜拽 讗爪诇 讛讬专拽谉 讗讜 讘专砖转 讛砖讬讜讜拽 讘讚讬拽转 讛诪讜注爪讛 诇爪专讻谞讜转 讛讬讻谉

    mujer jersey cuello alto oto帽o invierno ropa jersey largonike air max thea blancas factory shoescarolina boix 61011vestido de fiesta hombre

  40. target t shirt store

    jazzevar 2018 autumn new womens casual trench coat oversize double breastedoilskin jackets and outerwear the western companyadidas y 3 by yohji yamamoto double layer t shirt freegap on twitter make a statement in our striped sherpa

  41. nike air force 1 university red 820266 603

    砖诪诇讜转 讬诇讚讜转 注讚讬讚讜砖诪讙驻讬 讝诪砖 砖诇 toms 诪讬讚讛 41 诪专砖转 住讟讜专讬诪讛 转驻拽讬讚 拽讘诇谉 讛讙讘住2018 讗讜驻谞讛 讞讚砖讛 讘爪讬专 讘讬讬住讘讜诇 讻讜讘注 诪讝讚诪谉 砖讟祝 100 讻讜转谞讛 讻讜讘注 谞讬讜 讬讜专拽 专拽诪转 讻讜讘注 诇讙讘专讬诐 谞砖讬诐 讗讜驻谞讛 讻讜讘注 gorras

Comments are closed.