Music as Resistance and Hope – Protest Songs and More

In times of conflict, war, injustice and oppression, there are artists who push back in protest. Music has been used to challenge authority, shout dissent, and be an agent for change. Join this presentation with Vermont Symphony Orchestra conductor and educator Matt LaRocca as he investigates the power of music that has been created as a form of sonic resistance, listening to and singing songs both old and new.

Participants are encourage to bring their own songs to the discussion. A community playlist will be created with the group for this program.

Matt LaRocca is a cross-genre composer, performer, and educator who likes making beautiful sounds – you’re just as likely to see him playing with a rock band as conducting an orchestra. He is the Artistic Advisor and Special Project Conductor for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra where he works with all things non-traditional, a professor of composition/theory at the University of Vermont, and the Music Director of the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra. Matt performs on the electric viola (through an array of guitar pedals) with Michael Chorney’s psych-rock improvisation ensemble Freeway Clyde and is a frequent collaborator with rock, folk, and electronic musicians. He has written string and orchestral arrangements for and performed with artists such as Guster (his music can be heard on their OMAGAH! album), Grace Potter, Henry Jamison, Francesca Blanchard, and more. With a love of improvisation and crossing disciplines, Matt is a regular in the dance world and his collaborators include Jessie Owens and Paul Besaw.

LaRocca holds degrees in chemistry and music from Middlebury College and a doctorate in music composition from Boston University. He lives in Waterbury Center with his wife Heather and their children Jasper, Sawyer, and Macy. Learn more on his website here.

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