Singing Down the Barriers: A Guide to Centering African American Song for Concert Performers

Singing Down the Barriers offers a pedagogical guide for singers, singing teachers, students, and administrators to better understand the historical and cultural barriers to researching, programming, and performing repertoire by composers from the African diaspora. It is divided into three parts: historical context, culture of academic institutions, and strategies to foster integrated communities. It is a seminal resource for higher education, community music programs, private studios, and beyond, and will help support DEI initiatives for vocal music programs.

Format: Hardback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Cultural humility, diversity, and community dialogue are essential in addressing systemically exclusionary teaching practices in vocal music. Singing Down the Barriers offers a valuable resource for readers from all ethnic backgrounds to better understand the historical and cultural barriers to researching, programming, and performing repertoire by composers from the African diaspora. Emery Stephens and Caroline Helton present a pedagogical guide for singers, singing teachers, students, and administrators that will assist with programming and creating sustainable, brave spaces for critical conversations on race, equity, and American music. The book is divided into three parts: Part one presents historical context for African American song from the 19th century to the 21st century, part two examines the culture of academic institutions and provides a framework for positive change, and part three provides strategies to foster integrated communities that can explore this repertoire with respect and mutual support as well as ways to incorporate Afrocentric music into the canon. This book is a seminal resource for higher education, community music programs, private studios, and beyond and will help support DEI initiatives for vocal music programs.

Weight: 481g
Dimension: 237 x 157 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538169919