October is, among other things, LGBTQIA+ History Month. To celebrate, I have compiled a playlist of some extraordinary musicians from all different backgrounds, that fall somewhere on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and are not only part of that history but also music history. Below is a little sneak-peak of some of the musician featured:
To listen to the entire playlist, click here.
Wendy Carlos is a composer famous for her film scores. Growing up in a family of musicians, Wendy took up piano and began composing early on. She was also interested in computers, however, and received a degree in both Physics and Music from Brown. She is known for her incredible innovations with regard to Moog Synthesizers. She utilized these as tools in her compositions, and has composed the score for Disney’s Tron (see below), as well as The Shining, and The Clockwork Orange. Beyond her talents with music, Wendy has worked to take photographs of solar eclipses, and some of those images can be seen here.
Julia Nunes, of Youtube fame, is the cofounder of EveryoneIsGay.com, which inspired the name for my playlist. She has tours with musicians ranging from Ben Fold to A Great Big World, and performed with the likes of Katy Perry. On youtube, she has published multi-genre coves, as well as original music and music videos, specifically for her album Some Feelings which has recently been released in acoustic. Julia has also published a book that is a resource for parents of gay youth.
Mal Blum is a New York singer-songwriter. Their lyrics are incredibly rad, and their writing talents extend beyond music – they also write for publications such as Huffington Post. Mal is genre-bending, and utilizes lyrics which stretch the imagination (ever compared someone to vegan cheese before?). This all makes sense, of course, as Mal says they never thought of themself as a musician, but “I was more of a writer. I had a lot of things that I needed to work out. I picked up music as a vehicle to express words and narrative.” At just 28, Mal has six albums and eps!
Lady Gaga has recently started releasing new music, and honestly, I’m so excited. New Gaga was exactly what I’ve been needing in my life. She is a huge inspiration and advocate for women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights globally. She is not only an award-winning musician but also an actress, joining the cast of American Horror Story starting in season 5. Her latest album, Joanne will drop October 21st.
Aaron Copland is a composer from New York. Born in 1900, he is famous for his ballets and modernist style. His compositions have been considered to have a true “American” flavor. Growing up in Brooklyn, his father owns a shop on Washington Avenue, and his mother, a pianist herself, encouraged her children to explore musically. Aaron later studied music in Paris. Not only a composer, he also conducted frequently. Among his broad collection of work is the film score for Of Mice and Men (1939).
Happy LGBTQIA+ History Month! Image Credit: Washington University, Music Class, Giphy