Stupid History: A study of music that I hopes catches on

Many people are turned off learning about history because they think it's all about dates, explorers and wars. It need not be. Welcome to the concept of Stupid History.

In the fall of 1922, New York City was rocked by a riot over hats. A fashion rule decreed that no one could wear a straw hat beyond Sept. 1. Summer was over and it was time to put the straw hats away. Some disagreed and the accepted cutoff time crept to Sept. 15. Any straw hat-wearing beyond that, though, was verboten.

This rule was taken very seriously. Anyone seen in a straw hat beyond Sept. 15 was subject to extreme public ridicule. Groups of young men prowled the sidewalks searching for offenders, knocking their hats to the ground and stomping on them.

Things took a turn on Sept. 13, 1922, when a large-ish group of youths thought they’d launch a pre-emptive strike. They began by stomping on the hats of factory workers in the Mulberry Bend area of Manhattan. They then moved on to some dock workers. A brawl erupted and stopped traffic on the Manhattan Bridge before police moved in.

But it was not over. There were more attacks on straw hats the following night. The streets were filled with teenagers carrying large sticks, some of which featured a nail driven through the top, making it not only a tool for hooking the hats off people but also a weapon. On Amsterdam Avenue, a mob of about a thousand people went after people and their hats. There were fights, arrests and injuries. Several people were jailed.

And it didn’t stop there. There were more incidents in the fall of 1923 and 1924. At least one man was murdered for the crime of wearing a straw hat. Unrest continued until sometime in the early 1930s when straw boater hats went out of fashion.

This is the kind of history they don’t teach in school. I think if it were, people would have a greater understanding and appreciation of the world around us. I’d also like to apply the concept of Stupid History to the study of music. (Thanks to the TikToker who posted the Straw Hat Riot story and suggested the concept of stupid history. If I could find that video again, I’d give you credit.)

For example, many people just can’t get into classical music, maybe because they consider it such a dry subject. But if we use the Stupid History method, things perk up.

Mozart is widely considered to be the greatest composer of all time with his symphonies, operas, chamber music and choral compositions. In his 35 years, Mozart composed more than 800 pieces that touched on all western classical genres. The Marriage of Figaro. Don Giovanni. Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The Jupiter Symphony. The Magic Flute. You’ve heard them all. It’s some of the most beautiful and complex music created by humans.