Take a moment and list all of the American styles of music that come to mind.
I recently gave this same exercise to my high school students, and their list looked something like this:
Jazz
Rock ‘n Roll
Gospel
Blues
R & B
Soul
Motown
Funk
Ragtime
Hip hop
Spirituals
Doo-wop
Boogie-woogie
Spoken word
Country
Swing
House
Disco
Barbershop
What do you notice about this list?
Do you notice any commonalities in the origins of these styles?
When I teach my Opera History course, I offer a disclaimer: opera is not limited to Western Europe, but it originated there and, thus, our class focuses on Western European opera composers.
Likewise, when I teach my high school Vocal Technique: German Lieder class, we look at the Austrian and German composers writing at the height of the classical and romantic periods.
In both cases, our attention is on the origins of a particular musical style.
And so, in studying American music, it is essential to recognize the profound contributions of Black people on our collective culture.
American musical styles - from jazz and blues to gospel and rock ‘n roll - all have their roots in the Negro spiritual.
American music, as we know it, would not exist without the lineage of the Black cultural tradition.
Black history is, of course, American history, which is why it’s important for us all to honor and celebrate the positive impact of blackness on our society and collective cultural landscape.
Here are some ideas for honoring and celebrating black heritage this month:
To Read:
The Mountaintop by Katori Hall
Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau
Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris
Some Days by James Baldwin
Black Acting Methods by Sharrell D. Luckett
To Watch:
Black Opera Live hosted by Kenneth Overton
#KikiKonversations hosted by Karen Slack, soprano
To Listen:
Hello Seven Podcast - Rachel Rodgers speaks about finance.
Yas + Amen Podcast - Pricelis Dominguez speaks about faith.
I Know Him So Well - I recently stumbled upon Whitney and Cissy Houston singing this duet from the musical Chess. Speaking of Whitney Houston, CBS Sports did a segment for the 30th Anniversary of her iconic Super Bowl National Anthem. Watch it here.
Black History Month Playlist - I asked my PPAS voice students to share some of their favorite songs by Black artists, and this is what they came up with!
To Do:
Support black businesses.
Learn with 28 Days of Black History daily emails.
Looking to add new voices to your team? Hire Black Female Creatives and Black Musicians.
Purchase your August Wilson stamps and check out the programming at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center.
To Sing:
How are you celebrating Black heritage this month? Share your ideas in the comments below!
