Lin-Manuel Miranda: History Has Its Eyes On You

Written by Rebecca Jo Loeb

Mezzo-soprano

In category: Song of the Day

Published September 18, 2018

This is a song from the Hamilton Mixtape, which I believe is pretty well known and popular at the moment. (I don’t even totally know, I live in Europe!) It’s a song that is sung by George Washington in the original show and is an insightful, touching song about how history is written.

But in the remix, sung by John Legend and a choir, the song feels, to me, to be more a call to action. More than saying “this is right”, “this is wrong” or “we are better” and “these people are horrible” it asks the question: what will history write about you?

We can all get caught up in the political mess that the US seems to find itself in at the moment. Sometimes voting, protesting, and getting involved seems futile. I get it. But when I think of it in terms of zooming out—wondering how history will view ME—then I feel more pressed to do something. To physically manifest into action what I stand for in spirit. This piece shows to me, in short, the power of song.

https://youtu.be/uGWZO-P093E

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Based in Germany, American mezzo-soprano Rebecca Jo Loeb sings regularly with Deutsche Oper Berlin and across Europe. In addition to her operatic repertoire, Becca Jo specializes in the music of Kurt Weill. Becca Jo returns to NYFOS in our tour performances of Arias and Barcarolles and other Bernstein Songs in Boston and Exeter, NH this month.

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