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Music

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 Music
The Dancing Lesson - Thomas Eakins
The Dancing Lesson
-- Thomas Eakins (1844 - 1916)
Many cultural traditions interpret man/boy love mainly as an aesthetic experience, albeit one that has great social and personal value.  Music and dance often play significant roles in these traditions.  Early examples include the Athenian Symposia and similar social functions in the Far East in which boys’ performances served to entertain and inspire, as well as more mystical rituals such as the Sufi "contemplation of the unbearded" where the appreciation of beauty becomes a central, transformative experience.

Today, it is easy to view the transformative experience as bi-directional: Younger and older performers inspire each other, each bringing different qualities and strengths to their lives and performances.  Likewise, while young performers inspire their audiences, as in the case of boys’ choirs, young audiences can inspire those who create for them, as in the case of composers such as Benjamin Brittain.

NAMBLA has published many articles exploring these aesthetic realms.  The articles linked below are just a few of these.  In time, this section will expand, with more articles both new and old.  Feel free to help us with this effort.
If you'd like to submit an article for this page, please see our How to Help page for submissions info.