This week we got to dive into a very underrepresented area of the arts and its influence on political protest. Throughout history, dance has been used as a tool for political power and protest, even though it's also been laced with controversy and sometimes outlawed in countries and communities (even today). We talk about a myriad of cultures and societies that have been influenced by this political power of dance. From Zimbabwe warriors, plantation slaves, 17th-century French Courtiers, Soviet Communists, LGBTQ+ activists, to the counterculture scene of Sao Paulo, dance has been used as a way to express unity, power, and protest. We also talk about the myriad of issues that have used dance as a catalyst for change including protests against the economy during The Great Depression, the refugee crisis, gender equality, human trafficking, and most recently police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. This episode will definitely make you rethink dance... and also the movie Footloose. 

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Today on the Podcast, Stauney introduces us to Josephine Baker. Often referred to as "The Black Venus" or "The Black Pearl" she was a Paris showgirl with a shocking routine that took the world by storm (often joined on stage by her pet cheetah Chiquita). She also was an accomplished actress (the first black woman to star in a major motion picture), a singer, and a American Civil Rights activist, speaking and marching alongside Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. She also was well-known for her adopted children, a large crowd of 12+ kids from different countries and cultures across the world, called "The Rainbow Tribe." Add in a close personal relationship with Princess Grace Kelly and so much more, and she is truly a collective of a million accomplishments and abilities that surpass all expectations. 

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This week, we're doing a full pop culture (specifically pop music) episode, diving right into a Guardian article "Billie, Lorde, Lizzo: has being a female pop star in 2021 become unbearable?" and talking all about recent talk and trends in the music industry, where we think it's headed and controversy that has risen up against the music labels, or the pop stars they represent. We also talk about the mental health and hate comments that pop stars face, and the toxicity of fame that may be making them unrelatable to their audience.

THEN we talk all about recent releases in music! What we're loving, hating, and what we're excited for, including Halsey, Billie Eilish, Lorde, Lana del Rey, Marina, Doja Cat, Kasey Musgraves, ABBA, and more!

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For this month's bonus book episode, we briefly go over the book expounding on the Riot Grrrl movement, "Girls to the Front" by Sara Marcus, and the impact it made on us this month before we are joined by two wonderful guests!

We had the absolute pleasure of talking to the co-founders of Grrrl Music, Kelsey, and Ashley. With an organization named after the iconic punk riot grrrl music movement, it ties in beautifully to our recent topic and book. We talk all about how they started, the music industry, the modern-day effects of the riot grrrl movement, and much much more! Kelsey & Ashely are an absolute joy and this chat we had with them is such a fun and relaxed, music-filled conversation we know you'll enjoy.

Check out the playlist Grrrl Music made for us

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This week we're talking about the jazz instrumentalist, Lillian Hardin Armstrong. Often referred to as the "First Lady of Jazz," she was mostly known for her connection to her husband, the famous Louie Armstrong. However, with a very impactful career and jazz presence long before Louie, she is worthy of the deep dive this episode provides. We also dive a little into the potential conspiracy surrounding her sudden death, and what little we have left of her legacy today.

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TW: We are discussing mental health, mental disorders, unfair medical practices that basically qualify as torture, and other topics that are more adult and serious. We also briefly mention suicide and eating disorders. We don't focus too much on them but they will be mentioned, so if you don't want to listen, we completely understand!

This week we're talking about the comparison between Camille Claudel and Britney Spears, who although were born more than a century and nearly 5,000 miles apart, share the similarity of having their mental health used against them unjustly for the majority of their lives. We'll also dive into the history of women's mental health, the lack of understanding about it through time, medication, institutionalization, and other women who dealt with similar injustices, and how that can be a threat to women artists throughout history.

Some of the articles we reference:

Britney Spears’s conservatorship alludes to an older story of controlling women artists

How Victorian Women Were Oppressed through the use of Psychiatry

The Dark American History of Silencing Women Through Psychiatry

Women Who Defied Gender Roles Were Once Imprisoned In Asylums

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This week we're talking all about the sculptor Camille Claudel. Most famously known for her love affair with her mentor Auguste Rodin, she is frequently overlooked and underrepresented. With a long legacy of art overshadowed by her lover, a large amount of critiques who declared her on no unnecessary terms, a pure genius, and a tragic end due to an unsupportive and unloving family, she truly is the epitome of everything in our title: more than a muse. 

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In November 1918 Amy Beach (aka Mrs. H. H. A. Beach) wrote an article for Etude magazine titled "To the Girl Who Wants to Compose." In this episode, we dissect the article and talk about technical skills and how that relates to art, education, taking your art seriously, different types of music classification that Beach outlines, and her best advice on how to compose. This is a great episode that relates to way more than just music composition, and especially if you're searching for inspiration!

Read the Article by Amy Beach

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This week Sadie introduces us to Amy Beach, the American music Composer. First widely known for her piano performance, and then later her compositions, with a vast library of works, Beach was definitely not underrated during her lifetime (although history loves to overlook her now). We discuss the nuances of relationships back then, roles of women in society, the idea of "being one of the boys" and more as we talk about her accomplishments, success, and lasting impact on the history of American music. 

The Article about Amy Beach

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Surprise!!! In honor of the Olympics we’ve been spotlighting some of female artists behind the Olympics on our Instagram This week. We figured since we already had those three mini-pods recorded, we’d throw them together on here for you!

We’re talking about Bonnie Cashin, the designer behind American sportswear and the first designer of Olympic uniforms, Deborah Sussman, the graphic designer behind the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic opening ceremony with Leanne Rimes and the Chicks. 

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