This week's super long Declassify welcomes pianist, vocalist, music educator and feminist ethnomusicologist, Lolita Emmanuel. Lolita is an Assyrian and Armenian musician, born on Cabrogal land and navigating many worlds. Lolita’s experience as a performer spans across venues such as AGNSW and Sydney Opera House, to The Metro Theatre and North Byron Parklands for Splendour in the Grass festival. Her work is actively inspired by her experience as a young woman in stateless diaspora. Guided by the tutelage of Dr. Natalia Andreeva and masterclasses with Armenian pianist Anahit Nercessian, Lolita is particularly drawn to expressions of cultural identity and is strong advocate for the continued preservation and reconstruction of Assyrian, and more broadly, at-risk culture through music. This week’s conversation goes through everything from social justice in music, unpacking the notion of performative action and the progressive orchestra and the power of critical thinking.

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Selected Resources (full list available in transcript):

Lolita Emmanuel: https://lolitaemmanuel.com/

Phillip Ewell’s talk and work on Schenker and the White Racial Frame:

https://musictheoryswhiteracialframe.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/music-theorys-future/

National Arab Orchestra performance of Bayati Medley (Arranged by Michael Ibrahim)

https://youtu.be/9uD6x-Q983g

Edward Said, Orientalism. Downloadable at this link: http://pages.pomona.edu/~vis04747/h124/readings/Said_Orientalism.pdf

Documentary - What happened Miss Simone? https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70308063