Melanated Moments in Classical Music

Season Four culminates with violist, entrepreneur, and podcaster Drew Forde, known to over 100,000 Instagram followers as ThatViolaKid. Angela and Joshua spend time with Forde, who shares remarkable insights into the power of classical music. He explains how the viola serves as a window into his soul and shapes his trajectory within the classical genre and outside of it by collaborating with mainstream artists Alicia Keys, Adele, and others. Through it all, Drew Forde is a champion for artistic entrepreneurship and demonstrates the level of dedication and passion required to carry this versatile art form well into the 21st century.

Featured Music:
“Bach Cello Suite No. 2 (prelude)” arranged for viola
“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, arranged for viola by Drew Forde
“Sunflower” by Post Malone, arranged by Vitamin String Quartet, featuring Drew Forde

Joshua introduces us to pianist and composer Dr. Mikhail Johnson. Born and raised in Jamaica, Dr. Johnson traces his musical influences from the region’s choral composers to his foray into instrumental and 21st-century composition. Angela and Joshua listen to three contrasting works as Dr. Johnson provides compelling insights into the origins of their inception. Relying heavily on the lineage and language of an island and a people who continue to impact nearly every aspect of global and musical culture, his imaginative compositions inspire discovery and accessibility to transform the constructs of the classical canon.

Featured music:
“Xamaica Fanfare”
“Dutty Tough” performed by Autumn Cochran Jordan (Voice) and Dr. Mikhail Johnson (piano)
“Wach ya HAYDN” performed by Benjamin Crook, piano

Joshua familiarizes us with the short but exceptional life of composer Julia Perry. He and Angela explore the meaning of postmodernism in connection with Perry’s compositional evolution from traditional to postmodern stylings. A two-time recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, Perry studied with the renowned Madame Nadia Boulanger in France, composed despite multiple strokes and significant health challenges, and had her music recorded by the New York Philharmonic in 1965.

Featured music:
“Free At Last” traditional spiritual arranged by Perry, performed by vocalist Robert Honeysucker and pianist Vivian Taylor
“Prelude No. 1 for piano” performed by Allegra Chapman
“Short Piece for Orchestra” performed by the Imperial Philharmonic of Tokyo

In this episode, Angela and Joshua welcome scholar, author, and renowned vocalist Robert Sims to discuss the life and legacy of Roland Hayes. An in-depth discussion reveals Sims’ great care in charting Hayes’ pioneering career pathway for Black male vocalists at the turn of the 20th century. Sims’ research also brings to light Hayes’ influence on subsequent generations of celebrated singers throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, including himself.

Featured music:
“Du bist die ruh,” sung by Roland Hayes
“Go Down Moses,” sung by Roland Hayes
“Little Boy,” sung by Robert Sims
“Oh My Lord, Keep Me from Sinking Down,” sung by Roland Hayes and Robert Sims

Joshua and Angela salute the illustrious career of opera soprano Leontyne Price. We hear three signature selections by Ms. Price and learn of her journey from Laurel, Mississippi, to capture the world’s attention and admiration for her unparalleled vocal prowess and artistry. She remains a standard-bearer for opera singers globally.

Featured music:
“Summertime” from Porgy and Bess
“O patria mia” from Aida – The Metropolitan Opera
“This Little Light of Mine” – Margaret Bonds

Angela and Joshua introduce and interview composer James Lee III. Lee gives us a peek into his composing process that is deeply rooted in his fascination with and inspiration from his cross-cultural and musical background. Listeners are treated to three exquisite compositions that clearly indicate why Lee is prized and in constant demand for his musical imagination and socio-historical significance.

Featured Music:
“Sonata for Violin and Piano”
“Niiji Memories,” performed by the Columbia Orchestra, featuring flutist Julietta Curenton, conducted by Jason Love.
“Beyond Rivers of Vision,” performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Scott Yoo.

The first episode of Season 4 introduces audiences to the life, work, and continued impact of composer, bandleader, and culture creator Francis Johnson. Angela and Joshua listen to his ‘Johnson’s March’ and ‘New Bird Waltz’ while providing commentary on Johnson’s unmistakable role in defining the sound of patriotic music for a young America desperate to cultivate an identity of its own.

 
Angela and Joshua wrap up Season Three with a flourish by speaking with solo and collaborative violist Ashleigh Gordon who is recognized internationally as an effective social change agent through education. Ashleigh reflects on her journey as a musician and how she endeavors to center and celebrate the works of Black artists and composers through her Boston-based organization Castle of Our Skins. Featured performances including Ashleigh’s rendition of Margaret Bonds’ The Negro Speaks of River as well as her performance of Vivace from String Quartet No. 1 by Adolphus Hailstork.

Joshua and Angela welcome the distinguished ethnomusicologist Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones to discuss one of the most important women composers of all time, Florence Price. An authority on Price, Dr. Jones tells of Price’s groundbreaking career path that dispelled the overwhelming barriers to a Black, female composing music. We’ll hear the pieces Fantasie Negre performed by Samantha Ege, Feet o’ Jesus performed by Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, and My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord performed by Leontyne Price.

Angela and Joshua reflect on the inspiring life and work of the brilliant composer Undine Smith Moore. As a woman living through the time of Jim Crow South, Moore’s body of work mirrors the deliberate and intentional evolution of her personal worldview. Our co-hosts spotlight three of her most emotive works including Love Let the Wind Cry performed by Aundi Marie Moore, The Allegro from her Afro-American Suite performed by Kate Steinbeck, Tim Holley, and Dewitt Tipton, and Watch and Pray performed by our very own Angela Brown.

Joshua and Angela expound on the life and work of the iconic British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, focusing on one of his most famous works, the Song of Hiawatha. Excerpts from the Hiawatha Overture punctuate the discussion of Coleridge Taylor’s international career, prolific body of work, and how composers of that era often did not receive fair financial compensation for their work.

Featured tracks: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — Hiawatha Overture – YouTube – Performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra and conducted by Adrian Leaper

Angela and Joshua survey the multifaceted life of legendary David Baker. An iconic composer, educator, performer, and native of Indianapolis, Baker is revered globally for his unique ability to traverse the worlds of jazz and classical music deftly and equally. His works Calypso, A Good Assassination Should be Quiet, and Bolling Suite for cello and jazz piano are featured to demonstrate his signature style that continues to be held as a model for classical and jazz composers.

Featured Tracks:

A Good Assassination Should Be Quiet – Performed by:  Mary Johnson Letellier, Scott Wheatley
Bolling Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio – Performed by: Yehuda Hanani, Michael Chertock, James Cammack, Arti Dixson
Calypso from Suite for Cello and Jazz Trio -Performed by: Monika Herzig, Pavel Klimashevsky, Dieter Schumacher, Manuel Fischer-Dieskau

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Joshua and Angela acquaint us with a groundbreaking composer and pianist, Margaret Bonds. Joshua takes us through the life of Margaret Bonds who was at the epicenter of cultural and artistic expression during the turn of the 20th century, collaborating with luminaries Florence Price and Langston Hughes among others. We hear a performance of Bonds’ Montgomery Variations, performed by the University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, a stunning example of the composer’s ability to “score” the civil rights movement.

Featured music: Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds performed by the University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra

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Joshua and Angela discuss the pioneering work of Harry Burleigh, how he directly influenced the sound of American music and paved the way into the traditional classical music space for the Black artists and composers who followed him. We are introduced to one of Burleigh’s non-choral works, Southland Sketches for violin and piano, as well as a rare recording of Burleigh singing Go Down, Moses.

Angela and Joshua explore the global and diasporic works of Rosephanye Powell and speak with the artist herself. Our co-hosts discuss Rosephanye’s approach to arranging, how to avoid cultural appropriation while honoring the roots of cultural inspiration, and why presenting a story can help diverse audiences understand music derived from the Negro spiritual. We’ll hear works performed by the Eastman Chorale,  Vocal Essence, and  from the Philander Smith Collegiate Choir.

Angela and Joshua explore the depths of the American Negro Spiritual with Dr. Everett McCorvey, noted tenor, conductor, and founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble. They explain how the American Negro Spiritual differs from gospel, its foundational relationship to American music, and how the art form transcended from the cotton fields to concert halls around the world.

Joshua introduces Robert Nathaniel Dett, a quintessential Diasporic composer who blended African-American folk music traditions with classic European musical styles to create masterful and unique compositions. A performance by William Chapman Nyaho of Robert Nathaniel Dett’s piano suite, In the Bottoms, is showcased to illustrate Robert Nathaniel Dett’s prowess as a musical scenescape painter.

Joshua and Angela welcome acclaimed and multifaceted performer Ric’key Pageot to the show. He speaks about his recent journey to explore his Haitian heritage and  discovering an impressive trove of classical music inspired from a legacy of Vodou and revolution. They discuss an amazing piece by Haitian born composer Carmen Brouard,  entitled Baron la Croix.

On this episode, Angela enlightens us about a performer she refers to as an “accidental activist.” Marian Anderson was an amazing and groundbreaking performer who used her talents to blaze a trail and help move our country and our world toward a more equitable future.

Angela and Joshua  discuss the short but immensely impactful life of Moses Hogan and his contributions to music through making spirituals a standard part of choral repertoires.

Joshua and Angela reflect on the amazing life and music of Ignatius Sancho, who was born on a slave ship and orphaned shortly thereafter. Through dedication and application, he was able to escape the institution of slavery and make a huge contribution to the arts, including many great classical compositions.

Angela and Joshua talk about an imaginative and powerful storyteller, Laura Karpman, who has been an advocate and ally for inclusion and equality her entire career. Her Grammy- and Emmy-winning music scores span film, television, theater, interactive media and live performance.

Angela and Joshua speak with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Anthony Davis and groundbreaking clarinetist Anthony McGill about the recent performance of “You Have the Right to Remain Silent,” and the catharsis of sharing painful yet powerful experiences through music.

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In this third and final bonus episode, Joshua and Angela are joined once again by the prolific and talented Dr. Bill Banfield. He shares insights from his time serving on the Pulitzer committee for music and we listen to his arrangement  titled The Cape Is Charming, whose lyrics were taken from a letter written by Langston Hughes.

On this episode, Joshua and Angela speak with Dr. Bill Banfield about his personal experience with the COVID-19 virus and how its caused him to think deeply about the deep issues of our lives and the lives of those around us. They use Dr. Banfield’s 6th Symphony as a catalyst to explore how hard times like the ones we are experiencing often precede moments of hope and joy.

On this bonus episode of the show, Angela and Joshua invite a special and renowned guest,  Dr. Bill Banfield, to share insight into his amazing body of work. This episode focuses on how art can help us process tragedies and draw through lines between the struggles of the past and the hardships of the present. Through this process, we learn how artists can help foster peace and hope on both an individual and social level.

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On this episode, Angela walks us through her storied career, and shares some of her favorite performances with the help of her long-time friend, Janet Jarriel.

Our featured composer this episode, Thomas Wiggins, is one of the most talented musicians of all time…who also happened to be non-verbal, blind, and born into slavery. Joshua tells us how in his own time, Wiggins was portrayed as a circus act rather than a musical genius but is now starting to get the recognition he has long deserved.

On this episode of Melanated Moments, Angela gives us an inside look at the making of a masterpiece. She tells us how composer Richard Danielpour worked with literary legend Maya Angelou to set a number of poems for the iconic song cycle, A Woman’s Life. Angela tell us of her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in Dr. Angelou’s own home; a performance which moved her to tears.

The libretto for this week’s piece was written by poet laureate and iconic literary figure Toni Morrison. Margaret Garner is an opera that tells the story of an escaped slave who is captured but decides to kill her own children rather than see them forced back into slavery. Our own Angela Brown voiced one of the principal characters during the world premiere in Detroit, and she walks us through this powerful and thought-provoking opera.

Evelyn Simpson Curenton was born into one of the most musically gifted families of all time, and her talent still shined through. She is one of the most sought-after composers and musicians of her time. On this episode, Angela walks us through two of Curenton’s personal favorite spiritual pieces: Sinner Please Don’t Let this Harvest Pass and Oh Glory.

On our debut episode of Melanated Moments in Classical Music, Joshua introduces us to one of his favorite composers, William Grant Still. Known as the Dean of African American Composers, his Africa Suite transports the listener to the dawn of time and the cradle of civilization. Joshua and Angela discuss the piece’s second movement, Land of Romance as well as cartoons, relationships, and defying stereotypes.

Classical Music Indy invites you to subscribe to a show that takes a fresh look at classical music. Join us as we shine a spotlight on musical works composed by, for, and about people of Black people. Hosts Angela Brown and Joshua Thompson take you inside the music and tell the stories behind the pieces with a perfect blend of lively conversation and no-nonsense straight talk. Full episodes coming March 18, 2020.