Collegian Online Edition

Message of music transcends existence

(KRT) In James Torrence’s class, punk rock is not about noise.
The Bellevue Community College instructor translates the message of the music—its political and social issues, including gender, race, animal rights, protest and capitalism.

Torrence, 34, teaches a first-of-its-kind class at BCC called Children of the Revolution: Punk Rock and American Underground Music. It is a survey of punk since the 1960s and explores its common themes.

One of those themes, environmentalism, will be the topic of a talk, part of BCC’s Earth Week celebration.

“ Some of the ideals of punk rock are consistent with the environmentalist perspective,” Torrence said. “The genre of music is progressive and part of a tradition of protest music in the United States.

“ The social commentary is a critique of late capitalism and industrialism.”

Common ground found between punk rockers and environmentalists might include vegetarianism, do-it-yourself attitudes, anti-war beliefs, concerns about nuclear waste and radiation and opposition to animal testing.

“ The postmodern sense of alienation that is frequently expressed in punk music can also extend to the human relationship with the environment,” he said.