BC’s Levan Center hosted a webinar that was based around music called Deep Cuts and Conversations, on Nov. 18.
Josh Ottum, professor of commercial music, Reggie Williams a philosophy professor, and Kris Tiner an associate professor of music (Jazz) and Director of the Jazz Ensemble, were the panelist of the webinar and began by talking about the theme or focus of the conversation. Williams mentioned that the themes for the Deep Cuts and Conversations, previous to this last session, were focused around the historical context of music, social significance, or instrumentation. For the last conversation, Williams explained that the theme was focused on music that creates a calming, unwinding sensation to help with the stresses of the end of the semester. The time of the semester where many feel “burned out”, Williams explained.
During the Deep Cuts and Conversations, the professors shared different types of music that helped with certain moods. “ There is a record for any moment in life,” Tiner stated. Ottum explained how there are different types of exhaustion and different types of stress, so, there can be different types of music to help with those. Music being shared varied from being only instrumental to very vocal.
Each panelist shared their appreciation and love for music. They explained how the moods of an individual can change based on what may be playing. They also discussed how some music that may be calming to someone, may not be to someone else.
Once the panel shared what music helps for the stresses of being a professor and grading at the end of the semester or life stresses in general, they opened the conversation to the attendees. A few students decided to share songs that helped them get through the stress of the end of the semester. Some suggestions from the students were songs by Fleetwood Mac as well as Pink Floyd.
The webinar could be compared to an in-person Jam Session where various types of music are played and observed by others. However, this was a virtual way of gathering students at the final stretch and get to unwind with different types of music.