review in Christian Century, and interview at SmartGirlsRock.com
I'm always pleased to get covered by the excellent publication Christian Century, and it's extra cool to share a column with reviews of Peter Himmelman and Lou Reed! Here's a link to a review that appeared in a recent issue...and the text is below:
The Best of Jonathan Rundman: 20 Songs from the 20th Century
by Jonathan Rundman
Salt Lady, indie rock
This quirky, clever Lutheran rocker from Minneapolis has experimented a lot—he once enlisted the Silos as a backup band, and he issued a 52-song double-disc tied to the liturgical calendar. Here Rundman collects his favorite tunes. "Tape" and "Meeting Nixon," from the Recital album, have always been two of this reviewer's favorite Rundman tunes, while "Front Row at the Fashion Show" could be Neil Young's acoustic-rock commentary on a fashionista gathering.
In other press-related news, I was interviewed via email this past week by a writer from a girl-power pro-education website who discovered my song "Smart Girls." Follow this link to read my interview with SmartGirlsRock.com or read the text below:
MUSIC FOR SMART GIRLS: JONATHAN RUNDMAN Q & A
In my previous article I discussed the sexist side of music and how badly women and girls were portrayed sometimes, but we found a man and his music that respected women. He definetly inspired us and so did his music!
1. What made you write the song "Smart Girls"?
The song was inspired by my brilliant wife, Dawn, who has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and became a college professor at age 26. I also wanted to celebrate the attractiveness of the intellect. There are a lot of songs about physical attraction to women (from classics like Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," to recent hits like "Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer), but I didn't know of any songs about the appeal of the brain!
2. How do you personally feel about smart girls in general? As a kid I was in advanced math and science classes and got to be friends with some really smart female classmates. I noticed that excellence in academics often translated to high levels of musical ability as well, plus it usually suggested a very quick and wild sense of humor. Both of those qualities were very appealing to me!
3. How is it being a smart man and how was it being a smart boy? I grew up in a small town where athletics and outdoor sports were given highest priority. This was challenging for me because I was more interested in reading, drawing, playing music, and doing more personal relationship-based activities. I got teased in middle school for being a "fag" and a "band geek," etc. Thankfully, near the end of high school my musical and academic interests were more encouraged and appreciated, and now as an adult I'm so glad I spent so much time working on those more intellectual pursuits!
4. Do you have any smart girls or women in your life? My wife has been my creative muse throughout my music career. We met as high school students, and our earliest "dates" were spent playing piano duets, attending school functions, and going to church events together. She had an extraordinary academic life, and she continues to do lectures and research in her field, writes and edits for nationally released books and magazines, and is a very gifted classical pianist. We've got two little kids now, and it's wonderful to see them picking up so much from her!
5. I know that many men feel that men are better than women. How do you feel about the phrase, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool"? Well, I've never heard that exact phrase before, but I know that research on schooling and salaries shows some sort of subconscious cultural bias towards males. As the Father of a little girl, I'm certainly doing my part to insure that she doesn't get short-changed out any opportunities for education or healthy development. Speaking as a man, I'm also aware that there's a real pressure for guys to behave and talk in a "macho" manner, and I think it results in a lot of dysfunction in relationships and society. I'm interested in living out the best elements of what it means to be a man, and providing an alternative to the negative stereotypes of male behavior. Hopefully my song "Smart Girls" offers a helpful voice!
The Best of Jonathan Rundman: 20 Songs from the 20th Century
by Jonathan Rundman
Salt Lady, indie rock
This quirky, clever Lutheran rocker from Minneapolis has experimented a lot—he once enlisted the Silos as a backup band, and he issued a 52-song double-disc tied to the liturgical calendar. Here Rundman collects his favorite tunes. "Tape" and "Meeting Nixon," from the Recital album, have always been two of this reviewer's favorite Rundman tunes, while "Front Row at the Fashion Show" could be Neil Young's acoustic-rock commentary on a fashionista gathering.
In other press-related news, I was interviewed via email this past week by a writer from a girl-power pro-education website who discovered my song "Smart Girls." Follow this link to read my interview with SmartGirlsRock.com or read the text below:
MUSIC FOR SMART GIRLS: JONATHAN RUNDMAN Q & A
In my previous article I discussed the sexist side of music and how badly women and girls were portrayed sometimes, but we found a man and his music that respected women. He definetly inspired us and so did his music!
1. What made you write the song "Smart Girls"?
The song was inspired by my brilliant wife, Dawn, who has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and became a college professor at age 26. I also wanted to celebrate the attractiveness of the intellect. There are a lot of songs about physical attraction to women (from classics like Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," to recent hits like "Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer), but I didn't know of any songs about the appeal of the brain!
2. How do you personally feel about smart girls in general? As a kid I was in advanced math and science classes and got to be friends with some really smart female classmates. I noticed that excellence in academics often translated to high levels of musical ability as well, plus it usually suggested a very quick and wild sense of humor. Both of those qualities were very appealing to me!
3. How is it being a smart man and how was it being a smart boy? I grew up in a small town where athletics and outdoor sports were given highest priority. This was challenging for me because I was more interested in reading, drawing, playing music, and doing more personal relationship-based activities. I got teased in middle school for being a "fag" and a "band geek," etc. Thankfully, near the end of high school my musical and academic interests were more encouraged and appreciated, and now as an adult I'm so glad I spent so much time working on those more intellectual pursuits!
4. Do you have any smart girls or women in your life? My wife has been my creative muse throughout my music career. We met as high school students, and our earliest "dates" were spent playing piano duets, attending school functions, and going to church events together. She had an extraordinary academic life, and she continues to do lectures and research in her field, writes and edits for nationally released books and magazines, and is a very gifted classical pianist. We've got two little kids now, and it's wonderful to see them picking up so much from her!
5. I know that many men feel that men are better than women. How do you feel about the phrase, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool"? Well, I've never heard that exact phrase before, but I know that research on schooling and salaries shows some sort of subconscious cultural bias towards males. As the Father of a little girl, I'm certainly doing my part to insure that she doesn't get short-changed out any opportunities for education or healthy development. Speaking as a man, I'm also aware that there's a real pressure for guys to behave and talk in a "macho" manner, and I think it results in a lot of dysfunction in relationships and society. I'm interested in living out the best elements of what it means to be a man, and providing an alternative to the negative stereotypes of male behavior. Hopefully my song "Smart Girls" offers a helpful voice!
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