Black Composers

I'm Jerren Spruill. I'm 22 and I'm a music producer in the music biz. I've worked with some major artists but I've always had a huge interest in composing and arranging for film. Being in the business for two years now, many producers do not play their own intruments and limit themselves to only hip-hop, r&b, or pop music, which is fine. But they are categorized, or "put in a box" of the type of music they do (especially those who don't play their own stuff). I've done some R&B, Pop, and rap, and a lot of what's mainstream is trendy or pretty much the same type of music circulating. I do play the piano and guitar, but composing is such a challenge for many to become successful it seems. I started composing four years ago when I got college.

Trying to beat deadlines, and doing a specific type of track for an artist can sometimes get stressful and redundant. Everybody wants what's hot! There aren't many who can stay true to themselves and be successful at it (Timbaland, Kanye West, The Neptunes). Those guys have their own distinct sound and can adapt to any genre.

As for composing and being Black, there are not many blacks who are known as great composers, with the exception of Quincy Jones, William Grant Still, and Duke Ellington. In our culture, we're sometimes not driven or inspired from composers and orchestrators. Not all Blacks though:thumbsup:

Although African Americans or Blacks are considered to be more "rooted" in gospel, jazz, spirituals, blues, hip-hop/r&b, etc., I've been inspired by great composers such as Igor Stravinky, Danny Elfman, Hanz Zimmerman, as well as those in R&B, Hip-Hop and Rap, and all across the board.

I know this is kinda vague and risque', but I'd like to know your opinions on why you think there aren't many black composers and just some comments about what I've just talked about.

Peace

Personally, I don't care what color/sex/age/orientation a composer is, as long as they put out interesting music.

I would say though, that if you limit yourself to "popular" types of music, or attempt to keep doing "the hottest thing right now" you're not likely to be regarded highly by most musicians... and your work will most likely be forgotten.

(live in the moment, but compose for posterity.)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think it's a matter of culture. Traditional classical has always been, not a white "person's" music, but the white "culture" music, (or, PC: European). Whereas, solely because of their culture of origin, black "folk" have primarily been exposed to gospel, jazz, rap, and other forms of "black" music. I think it's mostly about exposure, and this is a function of culture of origin.

I, on the other hand, grew up listening to very little music. My parents did not have a stereo, and we didn't listen to the radio in the car. I didn't strart regularly listening to music until I was in high school, and then I was drawn to "oldies" (60s-70s). (I'm white, by the way).

Now that I'm old (39 next month), my tastes are very eclectic, and largely defined by how long I can listen to a certain style before I've had my fill. I have a very short attention span for rap, but recently was listening almost exclusively to jazz and gospel ("black" gospel, not "southern" for which my tolerance is roughly akin to rap). Then the gospel radio station in town reformatted and I found myself less interested in jazz, and now listen to a mixture of classic and progressive rock and some symphonic classical as well (when I can concentrate on it).

So, in short (too late), the reason very few blacks compose classical music is exactly the same reason so many blacks do "compose" rap, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, etc. It has to do with the very strong pull of one's culture of origin.

My $0.02.

I, as well, am not affected by anything about a composer except the appeal of his or her work to me. Compose what you want no matter who you are!

As for writing what's hot... I honestly believe, if I was physically forced to write popular music and sell it, I'd make more money than if I wrote anything less popular but more complex... but I don't want to write hiphop beats, R+B and whatnot.

Someone may not care about what color, ethnicity or sex a composer is and it shouldn't matter but it often does. Usually, composers of "color" tend to composer music from a perspective that does speak about who they are as a "person of color". The musical perspective of composers like William Grant Still and James P. Johnson was that of Jazz, Gospel and reaching back to disconnected roots of the heritage of African music. And I would dare say that it seems their music is not regarded with the proper amount of respect and their music is far more than just interesting. I always wondered why William Grant Still was given the "label" "Dean of African American Composers"? I don't know how he came to have that title but it seems to say, the title will honor you but at the same time keep you categorized. I may be wrong but that's how I feel.

In music history one can't escape the constant praise to Copland for his pioneering of the American sound in classical music. Yet the very distinctive style and "American" sound that comes from African-American composers aren't really celebrated other than through popular music. Part of me feels that it is out of habit as far as the teaching and presenting of music history that causes this problem. But part of me remembers what the job of the music historian and music history teacher should be.

Exposure is also an issue. In generations past the opportunity for an African-American to be exposed and study classical music was very slim. There were social/cultural issues that got in the way. Culturally, music like Gospel, Jazz, Blues, R&B and whatnot was more accesible and also "expected".

I'm also thinking that the music of black or African-American composers is seen as having too close a connection to the "black" sound of music. I say this from experiencing the reactions of other musicians to such music.

I have always thought hard on this subject and have much to say (in a good and interesting way) but, I don't want to bore the readers :P

It is an interesting point to bring up though.

Adolphus Hailstork - great African-American composer.

I would love to hear some good, African-influanced classical music. Not just rhythimcally, but harmonically, too. That would be cool.

AfriClassical - African Heritage in Classical Music

Here is a site that has some info and audio sound samples of various Composers of African descent.

I used to know a website that also included prominent composers of Hispanic descent in the Americas and Caribbean from the 18th century onwards as well. I'll have to go find it.

Ah yes! That's the name I was looking for. Saint-Georges. Check him out... some of the violin concertos are stunning works.

Ah yes! That's the name I was looking for. Saint-Georges. Check him out... some of the violin concertos are stunning works.

If you like Saint-Georges you might enjoy this link. They also offer a DVD Documentary on his life with performances of his works.

Chevalier de Saint George Video

I, as well, am not affected by anything about a composer except the appeal of his or her work to me. Compose what you want no matter who you are!

I can't agree anymore:thumbsup: