vividreports: Black Composers Workshop

Yesterday (Saturday) we attended an event at the Guilford Community Church which we were told was the first of its kind not just in Vermont, but in the whole country. It was sponsored by the Black Lives Matter Commissioning Project in affiliation with the U.C.C. Racial Justice Task Force, and was led by Dr. Kathy Bullock, an old friend who was somewhat responsible for Ellen and me getting together back in 2003. (Ellen and I were at a Village Harmony Adult Camp in July, 2003, led by Dr. Bullock, when we met). Dr. Bullock also just happens to be an outstanding black gospel choral director, a fabulous pianist, and a prominent figure in the world of black choral music, a retired, long-standing faculty-member in music at Berea College, KY. She introduced us to eight songs composed by black musicians, and the frosting on the cake was a Zoom session with six of those eight composers who discussed pretty thoroughly and I think profoundly the issue of "appropriation" of black music by white people. These eight composers, all African-American, and all but one, women (and the name of the song they composed) are: Melanie DeMore (“Say, say yes”), Brenda Rattray, ("Why?"), Diane White ("Let time be your friend"), Arnae Batson ("Black Lives Matter"), Una-May Olomalaiye ("Better day"), Jennifer John ("It’s easy sometimes"), Lea Morris ("Lifting as we climb"), and the one male: Michael Henry ("Calling and Pictures"). The workshop went from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it was fabulous. We were given word sheets, and in only two instances, a musical score. During the musical part of the workshop, when we were actually learning how to sing these compositions, we first listened to a recording of a group singing the song, so as to get an orientation to the entire composition, and then, Dr. Bullock, sitting at a keyboard, taught us the piece, line by line. The complexity of the pieces varied widely. One that I think could be learned by my Dummerston Choir, Let Time Be Your Friend, was composed by Diane White, Kathy Bullock's sister, whom we got to meet and listen to at some length on the Zoom session. The song by Melanie DeMore, Say, say Yes, was also quite singable. DeMore also wrote the song I Am Sending You Light, which Hallowell sang just this afternoon at a vigil on the Brattleboro Commons: a very simple, beautiful song. Here is a bit about Melanie DeMore:

Melanie DeMore "Melanie DeMore was born in the Bronx, raised in Anchorage, folks moved all five kids to San Antonio, finished school, got out of Texas, kinda got off on being the only Black folk singer in Taos, N.M, then decided to get back into the mix, took all her stuff and moved to Oakland where she’s been for the last 21 years. (Actually, Mel and Tracy C. had a good laugh one day in San Francisco where they finally met and realized folks had them mixed up all the time. They still do!) Every town Melanie traveled became her teacher and an opportunity to hone her craft as a songwriter, troubadour, and an emissary of tolerance, kindness, and harmony through the sound of her golden voice. HERE’S THE DEAL: She’s traveled the world, was a founding member of the Grammy nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and is constantly amazed by her life. But nothing is closer to her heart than bringing people together wherever she is to experience the healing power of music. Whether she’s performing solo, leading stick pounding workshops, doing residencies with choirs all over the country or teaching Sound Awareness to sixth graders, baby boomers, or senior citizens, one thing is certain: her mission is to make sure you unlock the key to experiencing yourself in all your Glory and return home with the very same excitement and passion for living that she herself has. When she comes your way, her energy will charge the very air you breathe like a meteor shower, so get ready to rise up!" If you want to hear Melanie DeMore sing "I Am Sending You Light," and hear her incredible voice, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIsZuoNFtXg . It is amazing. For a short video by Melanie DeMore about singing songs of the civil rights movement, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uOBjk7681Q . I hope to share information about all these composers here on this blog, over time. One issue discussed in the "appropriation" panel discussion was that of compensation. Black composers, especially women, have rarely been compensated in any way adequately. This workshop practiced what it preached - our word sheets and the two scores were collected at the end. If we want to use this music, we can go to a website and order it. What we pay will almost entirely go to the composer. In the Zoom discussion, the composers all emphasized that they want their music to be sung. They want it to be sung well, faithful to the intent of the music, they want the singer to be knowledgeable about its origins and style. They also want to be compensated. White singers can certainly do all that. Singing this music can be a vitally important way for white people actually to make connections to the black community. On the other hand, it is certainly possible for white people to use black music in a way that is exploitative, and that has happened in the past. It has been used without knowledge or understanding, without attribution, and without compensation. This workshop modeled a way for white people to sing black music which emphasises appreciation, not appropriation. Hopefully, workshops like this one will proliferate and turn the tide.