A New York Rant: Music Is The Great Uniter

NEW YORK, NY

A NEW YORK RANT MUSIC IS THE GREAT UNITER

By Sean-Patrick M. Hillman ome of my fondest childhood memories are singing along with my mother in the car to classics like “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley, “Cupid” by Sam

Cooke, and many, many more. With my father, music was more centered around the ’60s and ’70s hitmakers like Chicago, Cream, Hendrix, Joplin, Dylan, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

My obsession only furthered my fascination with music for Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the one-hit wonders of the Decade of Decadence. In other words, my parents made sure I had an incredibly diverse upbringing concerning music genres and types. It didn’t matter if it was a Beethoven symphony, a tune from the Swing era, or the earliest Rap hits. My parents made sure I understood music’s importance from a historical and pop culture perspective. It wasn’t about entertainment. It was about history and the “time capsule” effect that certain songs provide.

A LYRICAL HISTORY

Think about Don McLean’s “American Pie” whose overall thematic centered on the loss of innocence of the early Rock ‘n Roll generation (“the day the music died” refers to the tragic 1959 plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper). For a more contemporary example, think about the outrage by Democrats that President George W. Bush was making war in Iraq at the beginning of this century, which led to Green Day’s “American Idiot.” And a lot of my fellow “Why Bother”-generation (GenX) was raised the same way.

However, in my experience, most Millennials and GenZ members have a limited understanding of Rock ‘n Roll history, let alone popular music, at least other than what they learn by watching older acts promoting their latest releases on American Idol or America’s Got Talent.

So, my issue and consequent rant, is why did younger Baby Boomer and older GenX parents fail so miserably in raising their Millennial and GenZ children with an understanding and appreciation of music? The 21st century might have been vastly different for our city, let alone our country, if they had.

Madonna

TOGETHER WITH MUSIC

As an example, there is one thing that I think we can all agree on; music is the great uniter. Think about it. From festivals to concerts to even listening parties, music is the rarest of the rare in terms of bringing people together. And while the music festival business has exploded in the last 20 years, that had nothing to do with bringing people together but rather everything to do with corporate and music industry greed. At least with 1985’s We Are The World, Farm Aid, and Live Aid, it was more about helping to stop famine and bring about awareness of those nations, and populations, that were suffering from starvation (what the PC crowd ridiculously refers to as “food insecurity” in developed nations). Yes, this generation has operations like the Global Citizens Festival, which on its face seems altruistic (I will not dive into the politics behind this one right now). But that is one example amongst a plethora of corporate-driven festivals that only seek one thing—profitability.

Remember, music and music history help children perform better in mathematics, the sciences, and composition. Why on God’s green earth do we fail to provide our children with experiences in such an essential aspect of life? Music is a unique historical glance at the period those songs were written. To ignore music is to divide people and shun the lessons history has tried to teach us. That may explain why we are in the mess we are.

NEW YORK, NY

TIME OUT WITH… HANNAH FASTOV, DESIGNER

By Bailey Beckett he’s the CEO and founder of Go Dash Dot, who previously worked in merchandising and product development for highend fashion houses. Today, she has created a virtual market for something truly versatile: stylish bags for women that go from workout to go out. With a collection that includes totes, backpacks, crossbodies and her own signature Puffle (a re-imagined duffel worn as a hand-shoulder or crossbody bag), Go Dash Dot has generated a loyal fan base.

“I knew Go Dash Dot was going to work when I saw people reacting to the bags precisely the same way I did when I came up with the concept—immediately understanding the necessity of a bag like ours.” Fastov went on to tell us, “My inspiration comes from major fashion houses. We look for trending silhouettes and fabrications and then redesign them to fit the Go Dash Dot aesthetic—fashionable, functional, yet timeless.”Of course, the young designer will always listen to the advice and opinions of others. “As a young, female entrepreneur with minimal business experience, I often felt overwhelmed and underqualified to be making business decisions. But I have learned that no one knows Go Dash Dot better than me.”

A TRIBUTE TO NYC

Fastov’s latest design is dedicated to New York City. “I wanted to create something that celebrates the strength of New York while reflecting the humanity we showed during the worst of 2020,” she recently told New York Lifestyles. Speaking on a Zoom call, the young entrepreneur is her usual peppy and confident self and told us she’s debuting her very first dedicated creation. The New York Rose Tote, a bag honoring her hometown and its strength and perseverance and especially its people who showed courage during the worst of the pandemic.

How times have changed. It was just a year ago Fastov presented her new collection for 2020—a series of stylish and functional bags including the signature Puffle which instantly became the go-to bag. While bags are aplenty, Go Dash Dot had an angle: its creations could serve every part of your day: morning, afternoon and night, whether at work, the gym, social occasions, even travel and vacations. Spacious, with pockets galore, the bags could fit laptops, workout gear, water bottles and just about anything you need in your day-to-day life.

Hannah Fastov

A FLORAL INSPIRATION

But it was the pandemic that forced Fastov to change course. The “girl on the go” had indeed stopped. As she saw the world change before her eyes, the now 30-year-old leader was inspired by what she witnessed beyond the headlines: humanity and braveness in such tragedy. Specifically, New York where she resides on the Upper East Side responded to the pandemic.

“The New York Rose Tote celebrates the resiliency of this city,” says Fastov. “We got each other through it, which is what New Yorkers do every day. We may have been beaten down, but we are resilient and will come back stronger than ever.”

Fastov named the bag after the Lenten Rose, a flower that grows in New York under the harshest conditions. “The rose starts to bloom during the last six weeks of winter signaling the start of a new season, a new beginning,” says Fastov. “That is exactly what our limited-edition New York Rose symbolizes. The start of a new beginning.” The limited-edition Jet-Black design (a shade Go Dash Dot never used until now) includes special features like all Go Dash Dot bags.

For more information on Go Dash Dot and the Black Rose Tote, visit godashdot.com/products/black-rose-tote. •