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December 05, 2005
For Class, For Me, and For V.V.
The Science of el Ritmo and other Amalgamations
History. The retelling of an important event for posterity, for preservation; for future reference. Identity. The social construction of who we become racially, culturally, ethnically, and publicly. The science of el ritmo. The rhythm. The way we use history, theory, and other bits of information to generate the beats we follow as we formulate who we are and who we want to be. This is the theory of identity.
Paul Miller’s work discusses each of these things, but amazingly allows for the free interpretation of this information, of history, and of amalgamation. The freedom to interpret, that I would argue, we do not have when we discuss other theorists that many feel must be taken up in a certain way; not in a way that would necessarily allow us to remix it, but instead only as a fixed tune and an prescribed dance. Not free, but fixed. I’m not saying that this type of dance is not valuable or even necessary. What I am saying is that if we all do the same dance isn’t that perpetuating hegemony? I know-you will say that there are many theories, not just one. But who creates them? Upon whose work are they predicated? At the end of the dance (the essay, the book, the article), who are the members of the band (who is in the works cited list)? And, more importantly, where do I fit in? Where do I go to dance when they are playing the (tried and true, never to change) Waltz while I stand with my nose pressed against the glass wondering if they will ever play an eclectic, come as you are Mambo? Where is my theory? This is where identity comes in.
Paul Miller’s theory is my Mambo. It is my identity. It is where I can use the history I learn and generate the identity I want to forge. It is an amalgamation of ideas that speak to me because it does not take up (“T”) theory in the expected way; it is not the same old song. For me, Miller allows the discovery of what was and what can be, and who Denise is now, and who I am going to be. The point being that I want to choose-not have some theorist that has no idea of how I construct my identity choose for me (simply because the gatekeepers of the discipline say dead white males are qualified to do so). I want to be the remix-the scholar, the Mom, the student, and one day the professor. Don’t tell me what dance to do, for I know how to do many; all of which demonstrate who I am. Victor Villanueva stated this beautifully at the NCTE convention when he said “we all carry many identities, and we assert one over another based on the contexts in which we find ourselves. When I’m among a bunch of folks in my business, I identify as one of them—a compositionist, say—and apart from them—a Latino. If I’m among a bunch of Latinos, I’m more likely to be a Puerto Rican. Among Puerto Ricans, a Nuyorican. Or maybe a Professor. Abuelito. Dad. We choose.(NCTE, 2005)” Miller’s take on theory allows me to choose. He is not preoccupied with what was as much as what can be, and perhaps more importantly, how we want it to be at any given moment-not how others say it should be. A remix.
The social construction of who I am and want to be racially, culturally, ethnically, and publicly is still a work in progress; and I hope that will always be the case. My identity is eclectic, so the theory that speaks to me must also be thus. And while the history and (traditional) theory we learn will certainly contribute to this growth and expansion, for me it will never be the total description. Theories should never be conclusive or closed; they should be instructive-flexible enough to withstand the remix, the growth process, and whatever changes those situations and different identities may bring. Science alone has very little flexibility, but the science of rhythm, that’s something else.
The science of el ritmo. Miller would not object to this appropriation of his title. He might wonder if I have the beats down, if I know how to jam in a way that will produce a melodic creation, but he would step aside and let me do it. And the science part; synechodoche. Not all inclusive, but a small part-my part. A small piece of the scholarship I have learned and want to learn; a small piece of myself that I choose to share-a sample. And only a sample.
For me, theory is rhythm. That is how I need to understand it if I am going to discover my scholarly self (within it); it is not the arbitrary way in which we are told we must take it up, but guidelines to the dance. Therefore, theory must be told en mi ritmo, my Mambo. And according to Miller, that’s okay. So yes, for me Miller is capital “T” and lower case “t” theory; my kind of theory. It is the kind of theory that can be worked by all of us, not just the gatekeepers of the DJ booth. It is a theory that allows me to find my way in, and, when necessary, my way out. And while I might have to learn to play my instrument in a prescribed way so that I may gain admittance to the band, I do so with the knowledge that one day I will be not only a member of the band, but a bandleader. And within my scholarship I will be able to create my own beats using “T” and “t” theory. Like this non-traditional writing. A remix.
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Villanueva, Victor. “Blind Racism”. Pittsburgh Convention Center, Pittsburgh. 17 November. 2005.
Posted by dvaldesd at December 5, 2005 03:17 PM