FEATURE:
Dynasties and Eras
IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift in New Jersey during her recent Eras Tour/PHOTO CREDIT: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times
Will It Soon Become Commonplace for Artists Such as Taylor Swift to Become Part of the Curriculum?
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I know I mention Taylor Swift…
PHOTO CREDIT: Pari Dukovic for TIME
but, as she is a cultural phenomenon and one of the most important artists ever, there is no getting away from the fact that she inspired discussion and discourse. I am referencing her today, as an intriguing piece of news was announced on 27th November. I was curious to explore it more. I think I have mentioned this before in the context of Kate Bush. Whether she will make it on to school, college and university syllabuses. Someone whose music and career is almost historical and this vital cultural conversation point. Some might think that artists being studied as a course is cheap or throwaway. Almost like dumbing down education. In fact, beyond the music alone, artists such as Taylor Swift feed into so many subjects that would be taught to children and teens. In terms of their historical impact, the way they inspire different cultures, the sociological and historical impact of their music and live performances, in addition to the fact Taylor Swift is someone who has a political voice, donates to charity, and has paved the way for so many women coming through. Entertainment Weekly reported how Taylor Swift will ‘go to school’, as Harvard and the University of Florida are offering classes. She is not the only artist who has made it on to a syllabus:
“Taylor Swift is heading to Gainesville and Cambridge in 2024. No, it's not more Eras Tour dates, but college courses. Both Harvard and the University of Florida (UF) have announced new courses studying Swift for 2024.
At Harvard, the course "Taylor Swift and Her World" will be taught by professor, poet, and critic Stephanie Burt. At UF, the course "Musical storytelling with Taylor Swift and other iconic female artists" will be taught by Melina Jimenez. The UF course will dig into Swift's discography, "her evergreen songwriting," and investigate iconic artists like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, and Dolly Parton.
These schools are far from the first to dig into the lyrics and cultural impact of Swift, who is unquestionably one of the most influential musicians performing now. She is not only churning out chart-topping songs and albums but also making an economic impact everywhere her Eras Tour stops, breaking records at the box office, and even bringing new fans to the NFL. And that's just in 2023.
Other schools offering classes on Swift, Swifties, and culture include Ghent University in Belgium, the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Berklee College of Music, the University of California at Berkeley, Arizona State, New York University, and Stanford.
Those courses, while not uniform, tend to use a dissection of Swift's work as an entry point into criticism, analysis, and broader cultural issues and touchstones. Burt's course at Harvard, per the Harvard Crimson, will dive into how Swift's work intersects with the literary canon, with reading that includes William Wordsworth and Willa Cather. “We are lucky enough to be living in a time when one of our major artists is also one of the most famous people on the planet,” Burt told the Crimson. “Why would you not have a course on that?”
Studying contemporary pop culture is far from being off the academic map. Texas State University has offered a class on Harry Styles, UC Berkley has offered a class on Nicki Minaj, and San Diego State has offered a course on Bad Bunny. And that's really just the tip of the iceberg”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Nicki Minaj/PHOTO CREDIT: Young Money/Cash Money Records/Republic Records
I think, as music is being taken off of the curriculum of many schools in the U.K., we here could do with more courses where artists are at the centre. That exposure and connection with music through education is dwindling. I know it is slightly different in the U.S., though there is still less music being taught than in decades past. It is important, as we are seeing artists like Taylor Swift move beyond music and impact so much of culture and life in general, that they are being discussed. In some ways, they are modern-day historical figures. They will be as important in years to come as some of the more traditional/orthodox figures that are taught through schools, colleges and universities today. Music can change our lives. It can be life-changing learning music and adopting that skill. Rather than these new courses about Taylor Swift being an opportunity for fans to bone up on their live and knowledge of their favourite artist, Swift is history-making and someone who will be revered and highlighted years from now. Her recent Era Tour just wrapped up. She made history. That tour alone bleeds into economics, history, music, and so many other subject areas. As someone who has climbed from slightly humble artistic beginnings, Swift has become this hugely lucrative and successful artist. Someone who is a role model to so many. One who very much loves her fans and is a contemporary icon.
I guess a question comes in around next year whether other artists will become university courses. There is no doubt that artists like Beyoncé (whose Renaissance World Tour conquered the globe this year) and Billie Eilish could be brought into schools and universities. Inspiring to young children, teenagers and young adults, I don’t even think it is a particular demographic that will take these courses. Sure, it will mostly be girls/women who would take courses about artists like Taylor Swift. I hope that changes. One might not think her music and career has the importance and relevance of historical dynasties and these hugely seismic historical moments. Even as early as 2021, articles were being written about her longstanding cultural impact. This recent BU Today article, among citing other reasons as to why Taylor Swift is an icon, discusses the way in which she inspires others to be smart businesspeople:
“The release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) marks Swift’s fourth of her earlier albums. The reason? Her ex-manager and longtime enemy Scooter Braun acquired her former record label, Big Machine Records, and therefore owns her first six masters. A few years ago, she set out to reclaim her music by rerecording it, and the project has proven to be a massive success.
Jessica Silbey, a BU School of Law professor, studies intellectual property law, and she says copyright law recognizes two different rights in music: the musical work and the sound recording. Artists usually transfer the rights to the recording company for them to sell and market and then receive a percentage (or royalties) from that. But artists keep their musical work. And anyone can make a cover of a song for a fee.
Silbey says that what is so interesting is that Swift essentially made covers of her own music and is therefore competing with her old albums. “What makes it possible for her to succeed at this business venture is that she has developed a strong fandom,” Silbey says. “She’s telling her fans, ‘Buy my version, buy my cover, don’t buy the earlier version, because I don’t like those people anymore. Protest with your dollars.’”
Not all artists have that power, unfortunately. Silbey, who is also a Yanakakis Faculty Research Scholar, says that some musical artists sign contracts with their record companies that forbid them from doing this for a period of time. But at this point in her career, Swift has a considerable amount of leverage. Silbey says the rerecording project has turned into a “really impressive business maneuver.”
“If you think about the albums as an embodiment of her identity and her performance, she’s really taking back her identity,” Silbey says. “I think this is a huge statement in 2023, after the Supreme Court has taken away the right of bodily autonomy for women and after the #MeToo movement. She is making a huge statement about women’s power and our capitalist system”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Yan Krukau/Pexels
She has changed the music industry and made a real impression. A leader and advocate who is a feminist icon, a champion of artists’ rights and a political beacon who has this longevity, Taylor Swift is also a philanthropist and evolving artist who is an exceptional writer and creative. A visionary who also directs and is a filmmaker, she will continue to step into other areas of the arts. An acting career that is quite new, expect to see Taylor Swift on the big screen more in the coming years. She has accrued huge wealth. I think a lot of this will go to making people’s lives better. She will invest in charities and also to artists and people coming through. An artist in her thirties who remains hugely popular and relevant in an industry that tend to abandon and sideline women when they reach that age, there are so many reasons as to why Taylor Swift will go down in history. I think that other artists will get this same educational nod. Maybe there are few who rival Swift at the moment when it comes to legacy and importance. Even so, it will open eyes and change perceptions around artists and their cultural significance. As I say, it is not only about the music. They affect the GDP of nations. They touch and resonate with so many different cultural and communities. They have this political voice that can help affect change and unite people. Rather than see them as contemporary equivalents as great leaders and figures of the past, it is clear that some of our best artists are as inspirational and significant as many cultural and historical figures who are maybe not as relevant today or engaging to young minds. I don’t think any old artist should be featured in a school/college/university course - though highlighting Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey or Harry Styles is really useful and relevant. It engages that student with music. It also opens their mind to so many other areas and corners of politics and culture. Rather than people being snobs and dismissive when it comes to education and what is deemed ‘worthy’ and ‘pure,’' it is worth noting howe massively influential and important an artist like Taylor Swift is…
IN the modern age.