Freedom and Song in Pictures: Take 2

This year’s Embassy photo contest is in honor of U.S. Independence Day and Estonia’s Song Festival. We’re asking people what music, America and Estonia mean to them. It’s a question we posed to one of our summer interns Aylin Erdogan. 

Freedom + Music = The Boss

When I think about freedom, music, America and Estonia; the initial word that flashes is “people”. And the initial thought is imagining Bruce Springsteen playing his guitar with an American flag in the background, but on the stage of Song Festival and not the Jersey Shore.

The dictionary defines music as “the art of ordering sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” We can change a couple of words in this definition and use it to describe what freedom means for people, regardless of their nationality. Unity and continuity in a group has always been the path towards freedom. People need to be united whether to sing in a chorus, speaking out against injustice or chanting at a march— to have their voices heard or to gain their freedom. Estonians initiated their freedom movement by assembling choirs, sang until their voices were strong enough to be heard and initiated a unique freedom movement.

As for why Bruce Springsteen, I see him as one of the singers whose songs represent American values. He understands America’s struggle and successes with freedom, feels it in his heart and relays these feelings through his music. The Rising (9/11), Born in the USA (Vietnam War), Streets of Philadelphia (AIDS epidemic) were reflections of American resilience. Americans come from different backgrounds, look differently, speak various languages but represent one united feeling towards freedom.

No matter who you are in America, you are passionate about your freedom. And Bruce Springsteen reflects these values for people across the globe.

To celebrate the 4th of July and Song Festival the U.S Embassy in Tallinn, has launched an online photo contest. Let us know what comes to mind when you hear the words freedom, song and Estonia. Photograph that image (we want to see how creative you are) and enter the contest.

Post by Aylin Erdogan