Guest Speaker: martha Gonzalez, Ph.D.

A song as a sonic and literary manifestation is life's soudscape, a unique, cathartic memento as well as a powerful political tool.

A song can also operate as an important historical text; a person's testimonio (testimony, life views, triumphs, aphorisms, and struggles can be expressed in song lyrics. Gonzalez will discuss the collective songwriting process as it is utilized by Chican@ Artivistas (artist/activists) in East L.A. towards different ends.

Martha Gonzalez was born and raised in East Los Angeles and is a Chicana artivista, musician, feminist music teorist and Assistant Professor in the intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at the Claremont Colleges.