The Sound of Media Spectacle: Music at the Party Conventions

Abstract

All music, any organization of sounds is then a tool for the creation or consolidation of a community, of a totality. It is what links a power center to its subjects…-Jacques Attali 2 1 I am grateful to my fellow presenters Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, Joanna Love, and Michael Saffle for their assistance in the preparation of this paper and to Carleton University graduate student assistants Agnes Malkinson for her work on the formatting and reference list and Mariam Al-Naser and Lora Bidner for their preparation of Tables A2 and A3.

Political TikTok

“…Likewise, at public appearances, conventions, and rallies, the public expects certain playlists. Organizers, Deadville (2015) explains, draw on new classics of patriotic and inspirational character such as Bruce Springsteen's song "Born in the U.S.A." for the Democrats. That "hardly any of the invited famous pop artists wanted to perform at [Donald Trump's] inauguration in January 2017" was reported extensively (Mehring, 2020, p. 22).…”

“…The activity on TikTok offers a recent example of the role music plays during elections. When people "stage their opinions," not unlike during political rallies and conventions, the lyrics and mood of a song become proxies for their feelings about a candidate (Mehring, 2020;Deadville, 2015). Music also becomes a tool for contestation on TikTok.…”

Making sense of 2016: Perspectives on popular music and the presidential campaigns

“…ing networks-which builds to a dramatic climax: the candidate's acceptance speech at the end of the final day. In this context, music is mobilized to create and foster spirit and unity among delegates, to cover up breaks in the action on stage, and to attract voters among the viewing public (Deaville, 2015).…”

“…All of this occurs through a four-day spectacle of sight and sound-broadcast in full on C-SPAN and in excerpts on the lead-ing networks-which builds to a dramatic climax: the candidate's acceptance speech at the end of the final day. In this context, music is mobilized to create and foster spirit and unity among delegates, to cover up breaks in the action on stage, and to attract voters among the viewing public (Deaville, 2015).But in several regards, the conventions of 2016 defied traditions, despite their ostensible adherence to established practices and procedures. On the one hand, the Republican National Convention (RNC) valorized a candidate whose character dominated the four days like no one before (Reid, 2016).…”

“…G.E. Smith, born George Edward Haddad, the son of Lebanese immigrants-his last name translates from the Arabic to "blacksmith," or "smith" for short (see Deaville, 2015).…”