Sigma Alpha Iota

20 Spring 2024 • sai-national.org SAI Philanries, Inc. Metal By Rebekah Strain "Sing the greatness of the soul and spirit, Sing the joy of peace and friendship's merit..." - Sigma Alpha Iota Chorale IT was a warm July evening when I was sitting on my bed scrolling through TikTok. As I mindlessly navigated through the app, I came across a video of a man pretending to sob in the shower. e sarcastic caption read: "It's just a song; it can't be that sad." But that ten second snippet intrigued me, so I opened up YouTube, typed in the title — "Masterpiece," Motionless in White — and clicked play on the music video. In a word, I sobbed. Over the next several days, I binged the album the track was from, Scoring the End of the World, before moving on to their other work. e range of emotions the Pennsylvania- based band stirred within me was unlike anything I had experienced in years; I hadn't fallen in love with music this much this fast since high school. And when I saw that they would be performing in Kentucky in a matter of weeks, there was no question as to whether I would be there. Rock's roots can be traced back to Black artists in Gospel, blues, and R&B, as well as country, folk, and bluegrass. For example, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a guitarist and Gospel singer from Arkansas, is referred to as the "Godmother of Rock and Roll." Her work was an integral part of the foundation for what rock would become, and would inspire many artists from Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen .1 In the mid-1960s, British bands such as Cream and The Yardbirds experimented with distorted guitar and heavy drums. But by the 1970s, a new genre all its own began to form, characterized, among other elements, by "heavy riffs, distorted 'power chords,' mystical lyrics, guitar and drum solos," and distinct vocal performance choices such as screaming and "wailing" (Walser, 2023). Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple are considered to be some of the earliest definitive artists in the heavy metal genre. 2 Over the decades, the family tree of rock and metal has expanded and branched off into multiple subgenres, capturing a cornucopia of sight and sound. This evening's focus? Metalcore. I woke up early on the morning of August 13th; we had an extensive itinerary planned for the day, and I wanted to be sure we were on schedule. I fixed a pot of coffee, kissed my husband goodbye, and drove over to my friend's house. Tiffany was one of three friends who joined me that day, and she and another friend helped me with my makeup. I never usually wear it, but today was a special day, and when it came to my appearance, I wanted to go all out. I remember looking into the mirror and seeing...me. It was bold, dramatic, everything I'm normally not. But music has a funny habit of reaching into the soul and opening the doors of authenticity, bringing to light the parts of you that you love, and the parts that need love most. I was already changing, and we hadn't even le town yet. We met my second friend, Isaih, for brunch. Our third guest, his roommate Javius, would be joining us at the venue. By the time we were done, it was barely 2:00, and the gates wouldn't open until several hours later. But when it comes to live concerts, regardless of genre, it's best to get there as soon as possible; lines can build up very quickly. Besides, my and Tiffany's VIP passes allowed us early entry, a bag full of goodies, and private lines for band merch; I was not about to pass that up. Emerging from "metallic hardcore bands in the late '80s and '90s" (Young, 2020), metalcore is a genre that is constantly changing and evolving. 3 Its cultural prevalence cements its relevance in the world of music in the way it captures the popular imagination. These are the artists you'll most likely see when you step foot in a Hot Topic–Bring Me the Horizon, A Day to Remember, Ice Nine Kills, etc. Screamed verses and clean A Defense of Metal (Or, The Time I Passed Out in a Mosh Pit) Motionless in White bassist Justin Morrow Motionless in White bassist Justin Morrow and drummer Vinny Mauro, performing at The Corbin Arena and drummer Vinny Mauro, performing at The Corbin Arena

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