Essays and Interviews – Trax on the Trail

Essays

Trax on the Trail: Ready to Run in 2024
Greetings fellow Trailheads! Midterm Election Day has finally arrived, and we are excited to roll out Trax on the Trail 2024! Trax on the Trail is a website and research project devoted to the study of American presidential campaign music. Our projectContinue reading “Trax on the Trail: Ready to Run in 2024”
Footloose: Political Transformations of a Song and Its Meaning
On September 5th in Portland, Oregon, videographers on the scene captured footage of a protester inadvertently lighting his feet on fire as he set off a Molotov cocktail. In a state of panic and distress, the man runs awkwardly towards theContinue reading “Footloose: Political Transformations of a Song and Its Meaning”
Music and Politics, 1917–1920
In unsettled times like our own, it is tempting to assume that the confluence of events is unprecedented: 2020 has already brought us an impeachment trial, a global pandemic, a sudden shift from prosperity to recession, a worldwide protest movementContinue reading “Music and Politics, 1917–1920”
The Deep Cuts of a Randy Rainbow Song Parody
September 12, 2020 American comedian and musician Randy Rainbow has recently enjoyed YouTube success thanks to a group of people he apparently vehemently dislikes: President Donald Trump and his administration. One video alone has garnered as many as 6.5 million views.[1] Although mostContinue reading “The Deep Cuts of a Randy Rainbow Song Parody”
Refractions of a Rainbow: Randy Rainbow’s Multi-Layered Parodies
August 17, 2020 In September 2019, I stood in a blocks-long line of excited fans in front of the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The attraction was neither the latest teen heartthrob nor a jazz luminary, but Randy Rainbow, the YouTube sensationContinue reading “Refractions of a Rainbow: Randy Rainbow’s Multi-Layered Parodies”
Trax on the Trail: Researching Music on the U.S. Presidential Campaign Trail
Trax on the Trail Research Assistant Sarah Griffin presented her research on campaign music at the Georgia College 23rd Annual Student Research Conference in April 2020. You can check out her poster here. Sarah Griffin (Student, Georgia College), Dana Gorzelany-MostakContinue reading “Trax on the Trail: Researching Music on the U.S. Presidential Campaign Trail”
Jamming with Andrew Yang: Rap and the Model Minority
March 26, 2020, updated April 27, 2021 Although businessman and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang preferred to ignore it, his campaign attracted a large number of disaffected Trump voters from the alt-right. At first glance, Yang and the former TrumpstersContinue reading “Jamming with Andrew Yang: Rap and the Model Minority”
Pop Songs on Political Platforms
November 2, 2017 Our project on pop songs and political campaigning began in the fall of 2015, when we decided to work on a campaign music article that we could present at the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA)Continue reading “Pop Songs on Political Platforms”
A Media Scholar’s Response to Trax, Trump, and a Strange New World
July 31, 2017 Trax on the Trail has helped keep me connected to political events for over a year. As many of us academics seek ways to respond to the new normal, some of us may want to do whatContinue reading “A Media Scholar’s Response to Trax, Trump, and a Strange New World”
Korean Drumming at the Women’s March in Lexington, KY
February 17, 2017 Like dozens of cities around the nation and globe, Lexington, Kentucky witnessed a women’s march with thousands in attendance the day after Trump’s inauguration (January 21, 2017). Lexington police and the Kentucky National Organization for Women said it wasContinue reading “Korean Drumming at the Women’s March in Lexington, KY”
Donald Trump, Jackie Evancho, and the Performance of Embattled Whiteness
January 18, 2017 You can access this essay at Musicology Now. Interested in learning more about inauguration music? Please check out Musicology Now’s other inauguration-related essays. And join Musicology Now for their live blog event which will start on JanuaryContinue reading “Donald Trump, Jackie Evancho, and the Performance of Embattled Whiteness”
The Trump Bump II: Satire, Remix Culture, and User-generated Campaign Musical Posts
January 12, 2017 In a previous contribution to Trax on the Trail, I noted that Donald Trump had received “more nightly [i.e. televisual] news attention than all of the Democratic campaigns combined,” and “unquestionably more attention online than any otherContinue reading “The Trump Bump II: Satire, Remix Culture, and User-generated Campaign Musical Posts”
Just Sing No: 30 Days, 50 Songs and the Musical Campaign for a Trump-Free America
December 19, 2016 Ryan Bañagale’s essay on the first seven songs of the 30 Days, 30 Songs website discussed the project’s beginnings.[i] Since then, more songs have been released. On October 24, organizers Dave Eggers and Jordan Kurland pointed out thatContinue reading “Just Sing No: 30 Days, 50 Songs and the Musical Campaign for a Trump-Free America”
The President Takes the Stage: On Theatre and Safe Spaces for Politicians
December 8, 2016 On November 18, Republican Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended a performance of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multicultural hip-hop retelling of the life of the titular founding father. Miranda had used songs from the musical to campaign for Democrat Hillary Clinton, andContinue reading “The President Takes the Stage: On Theatre and Safe Spaces for Politicians”
Un-Conventional Music
November 25, 2016 Historical precedents inform us that national party conventions are supposed to ratify a platform and select a nominee, affirm party identity, and celebrate collective unity.[i] This occurs through a four-day spectacle of sight and sound that buildsContinue reading “Un-Conventional Music”
30 Days, 30 Songs: “Puncturing that inflated horror of an ego”
October 17, 2016 I won’t lie. I’m a fan of just about anything Ben Gibbard does—be that as frontman for Death Cab for Cutie, as fifty-percent of The Postal Service, or as trail running fanatic. When word of a newContinue reading “30 Days, 30 Songs: “Puncturing that inflated horror of an ego””
The Snowths & Mahna Mahna, Baby & Johnny, Michael Myers & the Final Girl Join the Debate
Much to the delight of Trax on the Trail and its contributors, the second presidential debate inspired at least a dozen musical settings. We have seen Hillary and Donald singing duets, busting out dance moves, assuming Muppet personas, and appearingContinue reading “The Snowths & Mahna Mahna, Baby & Johnny, Michael Myers & the Final Girl Join the Debate”
Not Another Term: Music as Persuasion in the Campaign Against the Re-Election of George W. Bush
October 5, 2016 Not Another Term: Music as Persuasion in the Campaign Against the Re-Election of George W. Bush October 5, 2016 It is not unusual for pop musicians to use their fame and their music as a platform forContinue reading “Not Another Term: Music as Persuasion in the Campaign Against the Re-Election of George W. Bush”
Trial, Transformation, and Redemption: Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Banks, and Women in Competition—Popular Culture and the Audiovisual Transformation of My “Fight Song” into Our “Fight Song”
September 13, 2016 In the context of political campaigns, music is almost always linked to a visual context, be it a campaign rally or political spot.[i] The interaction of audio and visual elements is central to understanding such political communication.Continue reading “Trial, Transformation, and Redemption: Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Banks, and Women in Competition—Popular Culture and the Audiovisual Transformation of My “Fight Song” into Our “Fight Song””
“This Land Is (Once Again) Your Land”: Woody Guthrie and the 2015–16 US Presidential Race
August 24, 2016 In US electoral politics since the 1980s, many candidates have (re-)branded themselves as “hip” and “cool” by utilizing hit songs from mainstream popular music. As a significant example of this trend during the 1992 US presidential election,Continue reading ““This Land Is (Once Again) Your Land”: Woody Guthrie and the 2015–16 US Presidential Race”
Deconstructing the Populism: Pop Music on the Modern Campaign Trail
August 8, 2016 There is perhaps no phrase that defines the 2016 election cycle better than a return of populism. In the US, populism (broadly defined as appeal to “the people” against established powers, social structures, and hegemonic ideologies andContinue reading “Deconstructing the Populism: Pop Music on the Modern Campaign Trail”
Seeing Double: Presidential Parodies and the Art of the Musical
July 21, 2016 The stage is set for a political event. American flags are strewn about a platform set with two podiums, and an audience sits, rapt with anticipation, waving signs supporting the candidate. A gentleman in a clean-cut suitContinue reading “Seeing Double: Presidential Parodies and the Art of the Musical”
Belva Lockwood for President, 1884: A Woman in a Man’s World
July 7, 2016 In fall of 2015, Trax on the Trail joined forces with Prof. Emily Abrams Ansari’s Music and Politics class at Western University in Ontario. Each student penned an essay or created a podcast that explored a specificContinue reading “Belva Lockwood for President, 1884: A Woman in a Man’s World”
The Use of Background Music in Political Advertising
June 19, 2016 Most of us see dozens, if not hundreds, of political ads on television (and increasingly online) each election year. The majority of these ads seem to blend together in our minds; few stand out. Yet the creatorsContinue reading “The Use of Background Music in Political Advertising”
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign Spotify Playlist
May 25, 2016 The playlist has become an unofficial political campaign requirement akin to kissing babies. As such, one may be inclined to dismiss it as purely political pandering. Nevertheless,we argue that its use is a legitimate contemporary campaign strategy thatContinue reading “Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign Spotify Playlist”
Feeling the Bern or Just Feeling Burned? Musical Parody and the Contest for the 2016 Democratic Nomination
April 17, 2016 From Renaissance parody masses to Weird Al Yankovic, milk commercials to playground taunts, musical parodies are a ubiquitous, cheeky thread of a society’s musical fabric. The pervasiveness of parody belies the cleverness of the act of parodyingContinue reading “Feeling the Bern or Just Feeling Burned? Musical Parody and the Contest for the 2016 Democratic Nomination”
Staging the Nation
March 31, 2016 On 13 January 2016, approximately 12,000 people gathered in the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida for a two hour rally in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump. At an event that included the GunContinue reading “Staging the Nation”
The Trump Bump 2016: User-generated Campaign Music about Donald Trump and His Political Opponents
February 20, 2016 On 16 June 2015, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Since then, Trump has received “more nightly [i.e., televisual] news attention than all the Democratic campaigns combined,” and unquestionably more onlineContinue reading “The Trump Bump 2016: User-generated Campaign Music about Donald Trump and His Political Opponents”
Musical Yearning in Bernie Sanders’s Presidential Primary Ad “America”
February 2, 2016 As I was writing this in late January 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was soaring in the polls in early primary states Iowa and New Hampshire. As this piece goes “to press,” it cannot escape mentionContinue reading “Musical Yearning in Bernie Sanders’s Presidential Primary Ad “America””
Political Pop and Commercials that Flopped: Early Lessons from the 2016 Presidential Race
January 14, 2016 During the past two presidential elections, Barack Obama targeted key voters along the campaign trail by deploying pop culture tropes, especially the sights and sounds of popular music (Gorzelany-Mostak, Love, Deaville, and Saffle 2015). Campaign strategists forContinue reading “Political Pop and Commercials that Flopped: Early Lessons from the 2016 Presidential Race”
“I’ve Been Everywhere:” Martin O’Malley and the Many Meanings of the Guitar
January 8, 2016 Is America ready for a troubadour president? It is a question Democrats have to ask themselves as they decide on their party’s nominee for the 2016 election. For though Bernie Sanders would be the first Jewish presidentContinue reading ““I’ve Been Everywhere:” Martin O’Malley and the Many Meanings of the Guitar”
The Unwelcome Use of Musical Artists and Their Songs by Presidential Candidates
December 18, 2015 In contemporary presidential campaigns in the United States, candidates routinely use popular music in ways that cause musical artists to respond negatively. Indeed, every four years, we now expect that at least some presidential candidates will becomeContinue reading “The Unwelcome Use of Musical Artists and Their Songs by Presidential Candidates”
Dancing Around the Double-Bind: Gender Identity, Likability, and the Musical Rebranding of Hillary Clinton
November 29, 2015 From the New York Times to Saturday Night Live, media surrounding Hillary Clinton’s second presidential campaign has centered around that ever-elusive (yet seemingly critical) trait: likability. The former First Lady and Secretary of State has endured aContinue reading “Dancing Around the Double-Bind: Gender Identity, Likability, and the Musical Rebranding of Hillary Clinton”

Interviews

He’ll “Keep Yappin,’” but Don’t Call Him an Activist: An Interview with Composer Raphael Fusco
On October 1, a rare musical gem crossed the desk at Trax on the Trail. That gem was a canon à four, inspired by some of Joe Biden’s key phrases from the September 29, 2020 presidential debate. As luck wouldContinue reading “He’ll “Keep Yappin,’” but Don’t Call Him an Activist: An Interview with Composer Raphael Fusco”
Just say “Song long to Kell” and that “Vlad Guy”: An Interview with SongBird
In early October, the brilliant parodies of a 17-year-old singer who goes by the pseudonym “SongBird” came to the attention of Trax on the Trail. Following in the footsteps of her idol, Randy Rainbow, SongBird’s music showcases her acerbic witContinue reading “Just say “Song long to Kell” and that “Vlad Guy”: An Interview with SongBird”
Singing a Song to the 81%: An Interview with Daniel Deitrich
On July 17, 2020, Trax on the Trail Research Assistant Haley Strassburger and Founder Dana Gorzelany-Mostak interviewed Daniel Deitrich, the South Bend Indiana singer-songwriter who created quite a stir with his praise anthem “Hymn for the 81%.” Read on toContinue reading “Singing a Song to the 81%: An Interview with Daniel Deitrich”
Musicians. Organizers. Activists. An interview with Andrew Scotchie and Andrew Fletcher, Organizers of the Feel the Beat! Feel the Bern! Fundraiser, Asheville, NC
On May 19, 2020 Trax founder Dana Gorzelany-Mostak and Trax Research Assistant Sarah Griffin had the pleasure of chatting with the two Asheville-based musicians who organized Feel the Beat! Feel the Bern!, a concert to support the candidacy of Bernie Sanders.Continue reading “Musicians. Organizers. Activists. An interview with Andrew Scotchie and Andrew Fletcher, Organizers of the Feel the Beat! Feel the Bern! Fundraiser, Asheville, NC”
Tommy Oswalt Weighs in on Pop Culture and the American Presidency
On May 14th Trax Co-editor Dana Gorzelany-Mostak and Research Assistant Sarah Griffin had the pleasure of interviewing recent Vanderbilt University graduate Tommy Oswalt, who developed a TEDx talk and an interactive game exploring campaign playlists. Here Tommy weighs in onContinue reading “Tommy Oswalt Weighs in on Pop Culture and the American Presidency”
On the Inside Trax: Dr. Nicholas Phillips, Pianist, Educator, and New Music Advocate
A search by genre in the Trail Trax database will reveal very few examples of classical music on the trail. There was Stephen Colbert’s live string quartet with underscore for the final debate, “Hillary” (Kate McKinnon) and “Bernie’s” (Larry David) “Waltz ofContinue reading “On the Inside Trax: Dr. Nicholas Phillips, Pianist, Educator, and New Music Advocate”
Rebecca Pronsky: Singer-Songwriter, Brooklyn’s Truth Bearer
On October 28, 2019 Trax research assistant Sarah Griffin and Trax founder Dana Gorzelany-Mostak had the pleasure of speaking to Rebecca Pronsky, a singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn. Pronsky first came to our attention when we heard her delightful 2020 CandidateContinue reading “Rebecca Pronsky: Singer-Songwriter, Brooklyn’s Truth Bearer”
On the Inside Trax: Stuart Schimler, Founder, American Pioneer Music
September 20, 2016 Today on the Inside Trax, I chat with Stuart Schimler, founder of American Pioneer Music. The former UC Berkeley history major makes his living as a software exec by day, but he also has a secret (orContinue reading “On the Inside Trax: Stuart Schimler, Founder, American Pioneer Music”
On the Inside Trax: Kraig Moss, A Modern Day Troubadour for Trump
September 2, 2016 Over the course of the 2016 election cycle, the press has eagerly reported on the many pop songs candidates take to the trail. Journalists sometimes criticize the candidates’ seemingly tone-deaf choices: “Tiny Dancer” for Trump….really? In otherContinue reading “On the Inside Trax: Kraig Moss, A Modern Day Troubadour for Trump”
On the Inside Trax: John Balduzzi, Political Consultant
March 15, 2016 In addition to bringing you the viewpoints of students and scholars, Trax on the Trail is committed to going behind the scenes to bring you insiders’ perspectives on the creative processes that bring the campaign soundscape toContinue reading “On the Inside Trax: John Balduzzi, Political Consultant”