Episode 69: Classical Composer - William Grant Still
Transcript
00:03
Welcome to the Push Or Pivot podcast, a podcast that inspires you to trust yourself and the crossroads of life. I'm your host, Thea Charles. As a life coach. I know that when you put fear aside and trust yourself, you'll know when to push through adversity, and when to stop, reassess, and pivot. I believe magic happens whenever a push or pivot story is shared. And that magic is exactly what you'll find here.
00:42
I am a lover of music. One genre of music that I've listened to since I was a little kid is classical music. I loved hearing the Boston Pops on the Fourth of July. And classical is often the music I listened to while studying or writing a report. I still play often when I just need a sense of calm.
01:31
Most of us can probably pick composers like Beethoven or Mozart out of a crowd. But a lot of names and classical music are presented to us without a face behind the name. I was recently introduced to William grant still, from the first song I played, I knew he was going to be our next Black History Month spotlight.
02:44
William Grant Hill was an American composer who composed more than 150 works, including five symphonies and eight operas. William was known as the Dean of African American classical composers, as well as one of America's foremost composers. He was born on May 11 1895 in Woodville, Mississippi. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a bandleader. William's father died when he was just three months old. After his father's death, the family moved to Arkansas, where his mother remarried, Williams formal music education began with violin lessons, and his love of music grew due to a stepfather, taking him to operettas and buying classical music recordings. As a young man, William went off to college to learn to become a doctor. However, he soon found himself conducting the university band, writing music, and teaching himself to play various instruments. He left his traditional college before graduating, so he could attend Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While working at the school as a janitor to pay his tuition. Faculty members saw the talent and drive in him and gave him a scholarship to learn music composition. William served in World War One, and after the war, he moved to Harlem where he worked for wc handys band. During this time, he was involved in the Harlem Renaissance movement. And through the 1920s, he composed and arranged music for various musicals and band leaders. By the 1930s he was writing popular music for radio programs and movies. In 1931, his first major orchestral composition, Symphony number one Afro American, was performed by the Rochester Philharmonic. It was the first time a complete score of work by an African American was performed by a major orchestra and by the end of World War Two, the piece had been performed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. Berlin, Paris and London. Until 1950. It was the most popular Symphony composed by an American. William also composed song of a city for the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. And in 1949, his opera troubled island was performed by the New York City Opera. It was the first opera by an American to be performed by that company, and the first by an African American to be performed by a major company. Here's part of an interview that William gave that talks about the song of the city in his opera, troubled Island.
05:46
Since our conversation here has to be overheard by listeners throughout the world who want to learn more about American ways and American people. Perhaps we ought to talk a little bit about some of your other works. Perhaps many of our listeners have heard the afro American Symphony, which has been widely played in Europe as well as in this country. Visitors to the New York World's Fair in 1939, and 40. may remember the theme music that I compose for that exposition is that so that's almost 10 years now, since that happened. I don't know whether I remember it. Would you mind humming a little bit of that for me? Try.
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That is that brings to mind now the orchestral theme as we used to walk into the World Fair Grounds. How about some of the other things that you've done? Among other composition is there are
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Williams still continue to break barriers all through his career, and his musical influence can be heard and felt all throughout American classical music. William Grant Hill died on December 3 1978. William once said, I don't think that it is good for the world of music to have everything come out of the same mold. God didn't place only roses on Earth, or only lilies, or only violence. He put flowers of many sorts and many colors here. The beauty of each enhancing that of the others. William grant still pave the way for many artists. I hope this story inspires you to cultivate bloom, and share your talents with the world. Thank you for listening to the push or pivot podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button. And please leave us a review. To learn more about the show and to access the show notes. Visit our website, push or pivot.com I'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and takeaways with me on Instagram app. Thank you for listening, and join me next time on the push or pivot podcast.