Honk!

Book excerpt: HONK! A Street Band Renaissance of Music and Activism describes the fast-growing and transnational phenomenon of street bands--particularly brass and percussion ensembles--and examines how this exciting phenomenon mobilizes communities to reimagine public spaces, protest injustice, and assert their activism. Through the joy of participatory musicmaking, HONK! bands foster active musical engagement in street protests while encouraging grassroots organization, representing a manifestation of cultural activity that exists at the intersections of community, activism, and music. This collection of twenty essays considers the parallels between the diversity of these movements and the diversity of the musical repertoire these bands play and share. In five parts, musicians, activists, and scholars voiced in various local contexts cover a range of themes and topics: History and Scope Repertoire, Pedagogy, and Performance Inclusion and Organization Festival Organization and Politics On the Front Lines The HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands began in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 2006 as an independent, non-commercial, street festival. It has since spread to three continents. HONK! A Street Band Renaissance of Music and Activism explores the phenomenon that inspires street bands and musicians to "change the world" and provide musical, social, and political alternatives in modern times.