Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) chamber musicians will perform HBCU composers’ compositions in New Haven on Friday.
It is a component of the HBCUArts: Chamber Music for a Cause regional concert tour, which will promote underappreciated composers and generate funds for HBCUs’ continuing arts initiatives.
According to a press release from soprano vocalist Jolie Rocke, who founded HBCU Arts and organized the tour, the event honors a rich musical heritage.
According to Rocke, some of the most inventive and poignant pieces of American music may be found in the classical compositions that are coming out of HBCU traditions.
Until August 3, the series will tour the Eastern Seaboard, from Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. On Friday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m., the United Church on the Green in New Haven will host the donation-based concert.
Rocke and other musicians will play pieces by contemporary and classic composers like Jasmine Arielle Barnes as well as more well-known performers like Roberta Flack.
According to Rocke and others, such as Lauren Ford, HBCU Arts’ director of partnerships, the performances showcase the rich artistic traditions of HBCU music that have had a lasting impact on American music.
Even if a large portion of it was overlooked or disregarded by the general public, Rocke claimed that African Americans have a long history of composing music.
According to Rocke, many people just were unaware of the large number of composers from the HBCU tradition. The creation of Negro spirituals by former slaves takes us back to the 1870s.
The Julliard Music School claims that many of these performers experienced the same institutional racism and discrimination that other African Americans did in those days.
A lot of people depended on HBCUs to advance their professions. But despite Black musicians’ success in popular music, such difficulties persisted well into the 20th century. According to Rocke, a female composer named Undine Smith Moore taught music at an HBCU until the 1970s.
Rocke claimed that although Moore, who passed away in 1989, had significant success with her work, she was not given the recognition she deserved.
“She probably would have been much more well-known if she had lived today because she would have had more opportunities to perform on stage and have her work heard,” Rocke added.
People of color continue to encounter obstacles to these places because of stereotyping and misconceptions about their skill sets, according to Rocke, who noted that many of those past hurdles are now all too frequently present-day realities.
According to Rocke and other individuals, such as Lauren Ford, HBCU Arts’ director of collaborations, their organization is built to be inclusive. According to Rocke, the concert tour has set a fundraising target of $30,000.
According to Ford, students from HBCUs can find arts careers through the Career Resource Entrepreneurial Development Opportunity (CREDO) component of HBCU arts.
“I think it’s crucial that they have the chance, and this specific program CREDO enables them to do that,” Ford stated.
Barnes, a 1991 graduate of Morgan State University, is the composer whose pieces will be performed in New Haven. Rocke claimed that a song from her Songs for the African Violet called Flowers struck a chord with her.
According to Rocke, this song genuinely discusses the African Violet and how she is frequently ignored and underappreciated.
Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray, Jr. and his wife, Susan, expressed their excitement about the performance at United Church on the Green. According to Ray, she sees it as an opportunity for New Haven locals to appreciate music.
According to Ray, it’s a great chance for people to visit New Haven and listen to a wide range of music, including some that they may not have heard before, as stated by Dr. Rocke. The church is thrilled to be supporting HBCU arts and this concert.
