06/06/2020
There are a lot of discussions happening regarding race and prejudice, especially in music! We wanted to add to the conversation by bringing Black American composers of Classical Music and their works to light as a resource to educate and inspire. Just as the United States is inherently dependent on the contributions and innovations of Black people, these composers have contributed an extraordinary amount to the development of American music.
There's so much more to say on the matter, and so much research to explore and cite, but ultimately, we hope this post will encourage you to take action--whether donating to organizations that promote Black musicians (slide 23), seeking out and performing music by Black composers (slide 22), learning more about the prejudices these composers faced by reading further (slides 16-21) or simply, taking the step to engage in difficult conversations about race, equality, and justice, and to learn more.
If you have a favorite composer whose music or life inspires you, let us know in the comments.
Black lives matter.
Part II, Black Vocalists in Classical Music, is underway.
**EDIT 6/15 Hey y'all, kindly disregard the weird grammar, capitalization & tense mistakes throughout. Feel free to correct phrases!**
Research/infographic compiled by Catherine Chapman (catherinechapmanmusic.com)
