It Ain’t About the Past: A Southern Rock OperAI
Laboratory | The Southern Rock Opera Seminar | Fall 2024
Laboratory | Fall 2024
Your assignment:
Compose a Southern Rock OperAI
How I suggest you do it:
Explore Southern Rock Opera mythology, history, and culture via the AI interface of your choice.
I used Google Gemini to generate the sample I share below.
https://gemini.google.com/
How do popular consumer AI models of 2024 parse, process, and render “The Southern Thing”?
Use the library, your notes and journals, The Southern Rock Opera Seminar reading list, and your imagination as you plan and execute your collaboration with the AI.
Share your edited outputs widely or don’t show them to anyone.
Note: I am not suggesting AI models are any substitute for human feeling and creativity in the practice of the arts and humanities.
What are they good for? Cultural interrogation.
Example:
A libretto framework established in collaboration with Google Gemini (June 2024) by Crystal Kile, Librarian
Rough draft; lightly formatted and refined AI output
From my lab notes: Remember to track AI prompts next time, at least note the establishing ones
It Ain't About the Past: A Southern Rock OperAI 001
Act I
Scene 1: A dusty diner along a Southern highway. Ronnie (20s), restless and yearning for escape, works the late shift. Enter Cody (20s), hitchhiking guitarist with a fiery spirit. They bond over shared dreams and a disillusionment with the weight of the South's history.
Song 1: "Long Haul" (Driving beat, evocative lyrics about leaving and chasing dreams)
Scene 2: A ramshackle bar on the outskirts of town. Ronnie and Cody meet Layla (20s), a fierce singer with a soulful voice. Layla introduces them to the underground music scene, a vibrant rebellion against the South's conservative hold.
Song 2: "Southern Stars" (Blues rock with Layla's powerful vocals, lyrics about breaking free from tradition)
Scene 3: An abandoned cotton field under a starry sky. The trio forms a band, "The Redeemers," channeling their passion into music that speaks of hope and change. They share their struggles and dreams, haunted by the ghosts of the past but determined to forge a new path.
Song 3: "Ghosts of Sahkanaga" (Haunting melody with a driving rock chorus, lyrics about the weight of history and the fight for a better future)
Act II
Scene 1: The Redeemers gain notoriety, playing packed honky-tonks and smoky juke joints. Their music ignites a fire in the hearts of the young, sparking a movement for social justice and income equality.
Song 4: "Down River" (Upbeat rock anthem with call-and-response vocals, lyrics about unity and fighting)
Scene 2: The band's success attracts the attention of a powerful local businessman, Silas (50s), who sees their music as a threat to the status quo. Silas tries to manipulate them, offering money and fame in exchange for silence.
Song 5: "The Devil's Bargain" (Dark, bluesy rock with a menacing guitar riff, lyrics about temptation and the corrupting influence of power)
Scene 3: The Redeemers face a difficult choice: sell out or stay true to their convictions. Layla is seduced by the allure of fame, while Ronnie and Cody grapple with their loyalty to the band and the cause.
Song 6: "The Fall of the Longleaf Pine" (Southern rock ballad with soaring vocals, lyrics about betrayal, loss of innocence, and the fight for what you believe in)
Act III
Scene 1: The Redeemers disband, their dreams shattered. Layla achieves solo success, but grapples with emptiness. Ronnie and Cody return to the diner, disillusioned but not defeated.
Song 7: "Let It All Burn Down" (Slow, melancholic rock with layered vocals, lyrics about loss, despair, and the burning desire for change)
Scene 2: A local protest erupts against social injustice. Inspired by the spirit of their music, the youth take a stand. Ronnie and Cody join the crowd, finding solace in collective action. They make a vow to rescue Layla from the Devil. They drive all night to Memphis
Song 8: "It Ain't About the Past" (Energetic rock anthem with a hopeful message, lyrics about unity, moving forward, and creating a better future)
Scene 3: The opera ends with a message of hope. The South's future is uncertain, but the fight for change continues. The legacy of The Redeemers lives on in the hearts of those who dare to dream.
Final Song: "Leaving Me in Memphis" (Reflective rock ballad, looking back on the journey and embracing the road ahead)
The spirit of this rather elegant outline reminds me of Charlie Terrell’s brilliant 2006 southern gothic rock opera, *Taking the Jesus Pill*.