"Life's a journey, but it's not about the speed," crooned folk icon Noel Paul Stookey of the legendary group Peter, Paul and Mary as he headlined Saturday night's Music for Social Change concert in Spaulding Auditorium. The performance was put on as part of the day-long Music for Change program, a series of socially conscious concerts and performance sponsored by Dartmouth and the Public Domain Foundation. Music for Change is part of the College's annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., a month-long sequence of events that honor King and promote the principles of justice and equality that he espoused.
Stookey along with rapper Baby Jay and singer-songwriters Amy Carol Webb and Josh White, Jr. charmed the audience during the evening of song and film. In keeping with the program's goal to honor King's message, the presentation preached the role music can play in achieving the goals of social justice and equality around the world.
The last time Stookey performed in Hanover was with the trio Peter, Paul and Mary in 1965, when the group was active in the civil rights movement. In the '60s, the trio famous for classic folk hits like "Puff the Magic Dragon" was at the forefront of the movement for social change.
Most notably, the group performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 march on Washington, D.C. when King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Returning to Dartmouth more than 40 years after his first visit, the 73-year-old Stookey said his goals have evolved as time has passed and circumstances have changed.
Now that many of the transformations Stookey sought in the '60s have occurred, the folk singer said he is committed to the broader, more fluid mission of instituting social change through the power of music.
"It is that community [of conscience] that we continue to celebrate tonight," Stookey wrote in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "We yearn for equity in today's changing and ever challenging world."
Stookey's Music for Social Change performance drew an audience of primarily Hanover community members, including many devoted Peter, Paul and Mary fans.
After a few introductory remarks and songs from Stookey, a documentary about White's work integrating music with childhood education was presented to the audience.
The son of the legendary Josh White, a major civil rights activist and confidant to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, White, Jr. strives to carry on his father's work of spreading the message of social change and positivity, according to a program guide for the event.
With lyrics like "We can do it, yes we can," White paid homage to King's iconic words, adding an unexpected twist with his upbeat rhythms and solicitation of audience participation.
Described as a "song weaver," Amy Carol Webb, the next performer, showcased her inspirational work with inmates of a women's prison in the documentary "Songbird." The film featured a group of incarcerated women singing self-composed lyrics about hope and positivity part of Webb's musical therapy project. "Ty is out and doing just fine," she said of a particularly talented former inmate, a statement that provoked cheers from the audience.
The evening also included a performance from 19-year-old hip-hop rapper Baby Jay, who preached about anti-bullying and promoted equality in his hit single "Don't Laugh at Me."
Originally named Jonathan Gutierrez, Baby Jay comes from the gritty, urban side of Houston, Texas where he faced not only the divorce of his parents but also the incarceration of his two brothers.
His mission to spread a positive image through music contrasts directly with the prevailing trends of the rap genre.
"The F*ck this' and disrespecting women, I don't do that," Baby Jay said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
The artist also said he recognizes that his efforts are part of a broader social struggle.
"The way he wanted to make a change was to speak to adults," Jay said of Dr. King. "I believe that's his art ... I have my own style of expression."
Baby Jay's hip-hop stylings provided a jarring contrast to the folksy atmosphere of the night, as the young artist encouraged audience members to "break it down" while exhibiting his own breakdancing skills.
The last performance included a collaboration of professional and student songwriters, the result of an afternoon songwriting workshop hosted by Stookey, Webb and White.
"I had no clue what to expect when I sat down with nothing but an empty piece of paper and a pencil, but the moment [the three songwriters] started just strumming out stuff on their guitars, it was like magic," Diane Chen '14, one of the collaborating student songwriters, said. "It felt like we all really believed in what we were singing for."
For the stirring conclusion to the evening's message of inclusivity, the audience joined the performers in a rousing rendition of "This Land Is Your Land."
