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We probably don’t all hate one another. Music can help us realize that.
Polarizing politics has turned America into a feisty pressure cooker. Take a step back, vibe to some tunes and remember what makes us Minnesotan.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 31, 2024 at 4:18AM
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Last weekend Sheila E. performed six sold-out shows at the Dakota Jazz Club with the E-Train band. E., regarded as one of the greatest percussionists of all time, is particularly well-known in Minnesota for having been one of Prince’s drummers.
At the performer’s Thursday evening show that I attended, what stuck out to me wasn’t just the drumming, which was fabulous, but some thoughts she shared mid-show about the power of music: “It doesn’t matter who you are — Democrat, Republican. You’re here because you love music, and music is love. And love and hate cannot exist in the same atmosphere.”
In the midst of this incredibly politically charged summer, E.’s words hit home. It’s a well-known sentiment, but couldn’t have rung truer or have come at a more appropriate time.
Even when harnessed for political purposes, music has played a uniting role — from endearing footage of Kamala Harris buying records of her favorite artists to the viral proliferation of the “Many Men” 50 Cent soundtrack (a song about surviving a shooting) being played over video footage of a bloodied or bandaged Donald Trump.
In a recent conversation, Paul Babcock, CEO of MacPhail Center for Music, said “there’s an innate aspect of music. We use it to celebrate, memorialize passages, and communicate to connect us all together.”
And Minnesota has a community that’s immensely supportive of music and the arts. The regional theater scene alone is one of the best in the country, and among the robust music programs across our state and in our schools, we have a premiere music institution in the heart of our downtown, the MacPhail Center for Music.
MacPhail’s programs stretch well beyond the realm of private lessons and include programs for early childhood development, music therapy and music for older adults. Collaborations with community institutions like Andrew Residence, extensive online offerings and multiple satellite locations across the state reach an incredible diversity of ages, incomes, abilities and beyond.
In addition to being a unifying credit to the community, music can help us become the best versions of ourselves. Babcock described some touching anecdotes about the cognitive benefits of music, such as its role in rehabilitating patients after traumatic brain injuries, helping developmentally delayed toddlers catch up on their milestones and sparking older musicians suffering from neurodegenerative disease to recall once-lost memories.
And kids playing music throughout their school-age years can develop a laundry list of valuable skills that will aid them for life, or even find their own calling with it at the highest level.
When I asked Sheila E. after her show what advice she’d give to aspiring musicians, she said: “You got to put in the work. You’re going to get tons of nos. But no means an opportunity. It takes you on a detour that can bring you somewhere to where you never thought of.” This kind of spirit fostered by musical development, that of resiliency, hard work and fortitude builds up young adults and beyond. And Minnesota does a stellar job of supporting this, to the benefit of a more thriving, cohesive community.
When my great-grandfather Ole arrived alone in Minnesota fresh off the boat from Norway, music, specifically playing drums in college, played a pivotal role in his acclimation and connection to the community. It didn’t matter that he barely spoke English and knew little about Minnesota culturally and politically. Music transcended those obstacles and helped him successfully integrate.
Later, the close Minnesotan ties of Prince and his iconic drummer Sheila E. inspired my mom to take up drumming as a girl, despite the male-dominated nature of the field. And growing up, seeing her jam out on stage inspired me in turn to take up drumming and percussion, which I played throughout middle and high school.
As a college-aged intern for the Star Tribune I don’t drum very often, as I don’t want to make my roommates regret ever knowing me. But the connections, joy and appreciation of music that stem from it have persisted. Being able to come together with fellow lovers of music and watch Sheila E. rock out with my fellow Minnesotans, united at least for an evening, our attention enraptured, was an unexpected bright spot in this chaotic summer.
In these tumultuous times, let us Minnesotans not forget that we have so much in common, and not just in regard to music. For example, I daresay our love of music pales in comparison to our rabid passion for our upcoming state fair. So, when the top-of-mind differences that feel all-consuming threaten to swallow you whole: Remember what really makes us human, what makes us love life and our community here in Minnesota, and how it can continue to connect us across communities and generations, and make us stronger, together.
Aurora Weirens, an intern for Star Tribune Opinion, is a Minnesota native and a student at Cornell University.
After 15 years at the Minnesota State High School League — and nearly 20 at the Star Tribune before that — John Millea is preparing to call it a career.
