UROP in History: “From Propaganda to Protest: The Effect of Music in WWII Germany and France”

Emily Lu, Ph.D. candidate in History, directed a UROP project on the history of military music during World War II. Her own dissertation focuses on the intersection between music and politics in imperial Japan through the lens of military music (gunka). During its period of modernization in the 19th century, Japan drew heavily on western musical traditions. As Japan reorganized its military along western lines, it also introduced marching bands and military music. Music was considered important for boosting the morale of soldiers. During the 1930s and 40s, because of Japan’s close connections to Nazi Germany, German composers who were celebrated in the Reich, like Richard Wagner, were also celebrated in Japan. German music and musicians were held in high social and cultural esteem. There was a vigorous musical exchange between Germany and Japan, and Emily Lu set out to explore the Japanese side.

This was the first time that Lu directed a UROP project. She wanted to mentor students with an interest in non-anglophone areas and a specific focus on political music. To help with such research, having a second language (besides English) was ideal. Garrett, a political science major, who worked with Lu, was familiar with European history and had a working knowledge of French. Lu asked him to investigate wartime French and German music.

What got you interested in this UROP project?

Garrett: My interest in history started in high school where I had a very good history teacher. I was in the International Baccalaureate program which meant I took AP European, World, and U.S. in addition to IB history classes. This UROP project let me combine my four years of high-school French with my favorite historical topic, World War II, to investigate the role of music in wartime propaganda. It was a win-win for me.

I found out about UROP on social media. I was looking for things to join when coming to FSU. I had done some research in high school, so UROP looked like a great opportunity.

What did you work on specifically?

Garrett: In the fall, I worked on music that was sung by the French Resistance movement during World War II. I did some translations, some historical research into the history of the songs, and I worked on how the music affected the people who sang or listened to it. In the spring semester, I expanded my research to Nazi Germany.

Everybody listens to music in their daily life, it affects our mood, and music can affect brain development. Music is a dimension that is not talked about enough in history classes. Looking at the music performed in France and Germany during the war, it struck me how much brass and percussion were used in the German songs, while string instruments predominated in French songs. The music from each country creates a very different emotion.

How does Garrett’s research tie into your work on imperial Japan?

Emily: I already know a lot about Japanese military music, and I was looking at the German influence on the development of modern Japanese music. In the interwar era, Japan was hiring a lot of German music teachers, and quite a few Japanese students went to study in Germany and Austria. German music philosophy, things like the concept of non-representational music, influenced Japan’s military music. I wasn't very familiar with particular songs from Germany or from France, and with Garrett's help I was able to familiarize myself with their lyrics and scores.

How did you go about your research?

Garrett: I started my search in the FSU libraries and on JSTOR. I found a really good source in the FSU libraries, a book that had a list of folk songs, military songs, military marches, and so on. I looked at the lyrics and listened to the songs. I tried to find information on who had composed a song, and when and where it was performed. A lot of the songs had a long history going back to the 18th century, from around the time of the French Revolution. Other songs had been composed specifically for the Free French Movement. For example, Les Chant des Partisans was the anthem of the French Resistance; it was written for it by French exiles in London. I had already learned a bit about the song in high school. I am glad that my knowledge of French was good enough to analyze it. Some of the older songs gave me a bit of a grammatical and syntactical challenge.

What was the most challenging part of the project?

Garrett: To link the different eras when the songs were composed. Songs from the 16th century, the 18th century, - what made them applicable to the 20th century? The older songs were sung to underscore the principles on which the country had been founded. I reviewed over 20 songs and did in-depth work on about five. For the German side, I mainly looked at classical music like Wagner.

How often did you meet?

Emily: In the beginning, we met on Zoom every other week, as I was still on fieldwork in Japan. Outside of these virtual meetings, we did a lot of our conversation via email. Whenever Garrett had a question, we corresponded.

Garrett: Yes, this way of staying in touch gave me flexibility and independence. That was good for me, as it let me budget my time as needed. Whenever I wanted help, Ms. Lu was there for me.

What was your favorite part of the project?

Garrett: My favorite part was the project itself as it helped to expand my worldview. But the best part, the most fun part, was creating the poster for the research symposium. I am not a very good graphic designer, but trying to visualize my work was a great learning experience. I practiced talking about my project quite a bit before the actual presentation day, and that was fun and enjoyable too.

What advice would you give to students who are thinking about doing UROP next year?

Garrett: In the beginning, it can be a bit intimidating, when you have to apply to all these projects, and you will get some rejections. But you will find a project that is a good fit for you, where the vibes are right. UROP is a very solid tool for first- and second-year undergraduates to get experience doing research under the mentorship of a grad student or faculty member. And the program includes a bi-weekly seminar class in which you are taught how to do different kinds of research and how to communicate professionally. All that was very helpful and eye-opening.

Are you hoping to continue with research?

Garrett: Actually, I wanted to ask Ms. Lu if I can continue to work with her next year. More long term, I am considering doing an Honors in the Major project.

Emily: Of course, you are welcome to continue working with me. I would encourage all Ph.D. candidates to register their projects with UROP. It is an incredible opportunity. And not just for undergraduates. It also gives graduate students an opportunity to learn to mentor students. Learning how to guide students through the research process is an invaluable opportunity. I hope to offer a UROP project again next year.