Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2022 19 Friedan, a feminist activist and writer who is most known for her book, e Feminine Mystique. Part of Friedan's work was to uncover the veil of misconceptions about feminism during the time- including those brought about from Freudian psychoanalysis. Misogyny and discrimination are no doubt less visible than they were in the 1960s when the book was published, but this does not mean it doesn't still happen. Is is All? explores misconceptions of femininity in music history through quotations of female characters/feminine themes written through the male gaze. ese quotations are drawn from works by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Mozart, Puccini, Delibes, Offenbach, Benson, Strauss, and Schoenberg. Loosely structured off of Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche, the quotations undergo continuous micro-transformations to become something else entirely. Almost every woman that I know has encountered some sort of gender-based harassment or discrimination in her lifetime, myself included. We cannot go silent about our own experiences just because they are a societal norm. e work isn't done." Betty Friedan wrote: "e feminists had destroyed the old image of woman, but they could not erase the hostility, the prejudice, the discrimination that still remained." –e Feminine Mystique Alexis Lamb (www.alexislamb.com) describes her piece, She Dared: "In an interview with Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) from the documentary, Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority, Waters stated '...when they were hiding on the issues and did not take them up because they didn't think they would be politically popular, she dared to say the right things for poor people and for women. ose were not very popular subjects…' Patsy Mink (D-HI) (1927-2002) was a pioneer for equity and inclusion, with her most famous accomplishment being the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Not only was Mink the first woman of color elected to the House of Representatives, but she was the first Asian- American woman to serve in Congress. Her work included introducing over 400 pieces of legislation and serving in 13 terms in the House of Representatives. She was persistent, confident, and compassionate. She dared to make the United States more equitable for people like me, and I am grateful to Representative Mink for her determination. All text spoken in She Dared is from various pieces of legislation introduced by Patsy Mink while she was in her official position as Representative. Because these texts were created by a federal government employee while she was in her official capacity, they are in the public domain." Specific pieces of legislation include: • Title IX of the Education Amendments • A bill to amend "Freedom of Information Act" • Women's Educational Equity Act • A bill for the relief of certain orphans in Vietnam • Equal Rights for Women Act • An amendment to the Social Security Act to further extend health care coverage under the Medicare Program • Hardship Act of 1997 • Family Stability and Work Act of 1995 • Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Act of 2001 • An amendment to the Constitution of the United States protecting reproductive rights. Rosa Parks helped initiate the civil rights movement in the United States when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, AL bus in 1955. Her actions inspired the leaders of the local Black community to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the boycott lasted more than a year — during which Parks not coincidentally lost her job — and ended only when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. Over the next half-century, Parks became a nationally recognized symbol of dignity and strength in the struggle to end entrenched racial segregation. Back of the Bus, by Shuying Li (https:// www.shuyingli.com/), is a tribute to Rosa Parks' courageous fight that changed history. e general color turns from darker to brighter as the quintet explores various musical episodes depicting the struggles, pain, fight for justice, and emerging hope in an abstract way. Describing Glory, Harriet Steinke (https:// www.harrietsteinke.com/) writes: "When starting this project, I read about many of the women that made critical contributions to the women's suffrage movement. When I first read about Julia Ward Howe, I was not only inspired by her work as an activist and women's rights advocate, but her career as a poet and author. Aer learning that one of her most famous poems was the text of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," I began to listen to the music of the battle hymn as I continued to research the women's suffrage movement. As I learned more about the tremendous obstacles these women had to overcome, I was angered by my own lack of education about the dark and troubling history of voting rights in the United States. However, instead of writing a piece that reflected the turbulence of this dark history, I wrote a piece that reflected my own gratitude for the persistence of these women. My work, Glory, begins with a gentle march inspired by the musical material of the battle hymn, with small bits of the hymn woven into the work. e name comes from the persistent line in Howe's text 'Glory, Glory Hallelujah.'" Sisters from the Kappa Gamma chapter read each description above preceding the WWE performance of the individual pieces. Every sister of Kappa Gamma in attendance had numerous profound moments of inspiration from this performance. Ashley Lowry, president of the Kappa Gamma chapter shared her thoughts about the impact of the piece Is is All?, saying, "She is right. We still have work to do to fight against these norms of women being harassed and discriminated against." Destiny King, a student of Dr. Barret, said, "Presenting the piece Back of the Bus by Shuying Li was really impactful as a person of color." She also mentioned feeling "a sense of hope, embracement of femininity, and love from all the women on stage, and from my sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota." Another sister, Hannah Mcguire, when asked about her experience at the concert, said "e music was intriguing, captivating, and incredibly emotional, especially since each piece conveyed so accurately the struggles of women." Kappa Gamma as a chapter was so grateful to be able to support women in music in this way. It was an inspirational moment, made even better by the singing of our chorale aer the concert was completed. For many in Kappa Gamma, it was the first time they were able to experience singing in person, celebrating a successful evening of live music making, and resonating with the heartful words, "…Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota." We are pleased to include the link to our livestream below. You may also contact Ashley Barret for downloadable files of the concert at: mabarret@uncg.edu Livestream available at: https://youtu.be/o0LTXzKFeKs Ashley Barret is an initiate of Alpha Mu Chapter at Carnegie-Mellon University and is the Professor of Oboe at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has been the advisor for the Kappa Gamma Chapter since its charter in 1999. Kirstyn Hackett is the Corresponding Secretary for Kappa Gamma Chapter and is currently a junior studying Music Education with an emphasis in Choral/General music at UNCG. Cposers

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