FROM COLLECTIVE IDENTITY TO MUSIC

                Collective identity, when a group of different people with a similar goal come together to reach this goal. Throughout many decades of movements of all kind, these movements including the suffrage movement all starts with collective identification of the member. Afterwards, a party is founded, which then bring the revolution or movement into existence, and the movement then inspired various artists to write songs or music either supporting the movement or opposing it. But though it is inspired by the movement, the music played more roles in the movement than collective identity.

          Though it has a little role to play, still collective identity played a major role in stimulating the suffrage movement. Before the movement was even thought of back in 1848, the idea of the movement was first proposed in the book “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Frieday. Then later on at a tea party where five women, four of who were Quakers and Elizabeth Stanton Cady. During this common get together, they talked about issues regarding women. Right there, these women collectively identify themselves as people with the same problem, which was the unfair treatment of women by the law and the same solution to the problem, which was revolution. They never listened or were listening to music during this party, they were able to identity themselves through common conversation. Afterward, a convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY, a gathering that helps bring more people or women out of their shells and help them identify themselves too publicly. That was how the party was founded and movement or revolution was born. From this party, another party was reborn in 1912 by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who like Elizabeth Stanton Cady, were able to collectively identity themselves and realize that NAWSA was not the party for them. Though they all had the same goals, their tactics of approaching the goal was different. Upon their appointment as chairman and leader of the congressional committee for NASWA, they both were able to collectively identity themselves. They too took the necessary steps in organizing a movement party with women of the same identity as theirs.

          With parties founded, a movement or revolution is then brought into existence. It’s the party actions that make up the movement. As a matter of fact, that is what a movement is all about, a group of people coming together to found a party, that will take necessary actions in accomplishing the party’s goals. It’s the popularity of the movement is what inspires artists to write music about the movement. The results or social effects of the movement have on the society then determines whether these artists are going to write music supporting or opposing the movement. It basically based on the artists’ personal opinion.

          Music is an entertaining, soul calming art, popular human language. It is an art that is very attract which makes it the best, quickest, and effective way of passing out messages. The suffrage movements did not really include music as one of their tactics of pursuing their goals, but the movement inspired couple of artists to write songs about the movements or songs that were later dedicated to the movement afterwards. In the early 1900s Rutland Boughton composed a motet; a polyphonic composition based on a sacred text and usually sung without accompaniment, “The city”, a song dedicated to the suffrage movement that started originally in Britain. The song talked about the artist’s vision of the ideal city (Dave Russell, Pg 55). A city where everyone is equal. A city where both the females and male are of the same level socially. Most of these songs were performed in concert. The infamousness of the movement didn’t allow most of this music to reach the market. Other artists inspired also include D. Estabrook, the writer of the song “Keep Woman in Her Sphere (Auld Lang Syne).”  The song was widely sung at rallies. It is a song that directly asked men about his stand about women’s rights to vote in the third, fourth, and six verse of the song:  “I asked him” What of woman's rights?"
                   He said in tones severe--
                  "My mind on that is all made up,
                   Keep woman in her sphere."

                  “I asked him "Should not woman vote"
                    He answered with a sneer--
                   "I've taught my wife to know her place,
                    Keep woman in her sphere."

                   I asked him” What of woman's cause?"
                  The answer came sincere --
                  "Her rights are just the same as mine,
                   Let woman choose her sphere." (Suffrage Sing-along!)

The artist didn’t use coded messages in the music; the artist went straight to the point and got back straight answers about how men felt about women’s rights. This song enabled the suffragists to see how the movement are progressing and it also show how women themselves view men, that’s it showed the courage and lack of fear of the male the suffragist possessed. It was like a survey given to them in form of music. Another great artist inspired was Homespun Singers, who wrote songs about the American suffrage movement from 1848-1920. She composed a lot of songs such as “Hurrah for Woman Suffrage!, Foremother's Hymn, Kansas Suffrage Song, Rally for the Right, God Speed the Right, Woman Suffrage Jubilee, The Woman's Cause Is Right, The Taxation Tyranny, Rally for the Right, Vote It Right Along, Keep Woman in Her Sphere, Uncle Sam's Daughter, Winning the Vote, Yankee Doodle Revised, I Am a Suffragette, Weak Little Woman, and The Near By and By” (Hurrah for Woman Suffrage!)  

Other music such as “The New America (America)”, sung at the National-American Woman’s Suffrage Convention, 1891, reflected a common suffrage argument-which was giving women the right to vote to fulfill the promise of 1776 “Our country, now from thee, Claim we our liberty, In freedom's name Guarding home's altar fires, Daughters of patriot sires, Their zeal our own inspires, Justice to claim”. (Suffrage sing-along). It also appealed to men to help take necessary action in attaining this freedom as stated in the line  “Sons, will you longer see, Mothers on bended knee, For justice pray?, Rise now, in manhood's might, With earth's great souls unite, To speed the dawning light, Of freedom's day” (Suffrage sing-along). But the most popular or significant of all the songs was the song “March of the Women” by Ethel Symthe. Dame Ethel Symthe was a British suffragist and a feminist composer, who composed this song in 1911 as the anthem of the British woman suffrage movement. (Suffrage sing-along). The title of the song basically said it all; it was a song for the women and by the women.

But not all artists were inspired to write songs supporting the movement. Some artist wrote songs opposing the movement. There are even artist that composes songs supporting both the movement and its opposition, depending on how the song is interpreted by an individual. For instance, in the song “Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be” by L. May Wheeler. Set to a popular parlor tune, this song addresses an argument made against woman's suffrage, that women already had everything they needed which was the  male protection, a sphere of their own and didn't need to vote as well (suffrage sing-along). This song was written based on the artist knowledge not from he or she personal point of view or opinion. The artist did not take a stand unlike most other artists. The song is not only helping in passing out the message of the opposition, but it is also letting suffragist know how the men view or felt about the movement. The song was kind of trying to discourage women in pursuing the voting rights by giving them other things women have in the society that is better than voting rights as stated in the following lines:   “Women have husbands, they are protected                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                       Women have sons by whom they're directed
                                       Women have fathers, they're not neglected
                                        Why are they wanting to vote?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                        Women can pray with sweetest piety
                                         why are they wanting to vote?” (Suffrage sing-along)                               

Even though music was inspired by the movement, it had a lot more effective on the movement than collective identity at the beginning of the movement. As a matter of fact, collective identity was not as recognized as music was afterwards, but these two features take very important roles in the success of the movement. It all starts with the collective identity, then the party is formed which brings about the existence of the movement, then inspires artists to write music of all kinds. The music brought more awareness to the movement. It also helps bring the members closers to each other as most of these songs were sang in the conventions or meeting.  But for all that there is to a movement, it all starts with collective identity, though if it is not highly realized, then the movement is ended with music of all kind, the music which is the most important feature both.