Mississippi musicians discuss their careers in classical music
Mississippi musicians discuss their careers in classical music
Adrian Walker
Although Mississippi is known as the “Birthplace of America’s Music,” its contributions are generally tied to blues, jazz, rock, country and gospel. However, there are five Mississippi musicians breaking the mold and excelling in the classical music genre.
Robert Fisher, after a successful career in classical music, returned to Mississippi where he now teaches string music at Jackson State University. As part of his teaching, Fisher decided to introduce his students to musicians who had their start in Mississippi and branched out throughout the country and beyond. He did so via ZOOM, April 16.
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From paper to piano
The initial impetus came from theologian Harvey Cox, whose preaching had inspired her to write her first oratorio, The City is Burning. He was talking about the shaking up of the Spirit, and how the spirit of God is often portrayed as this peaceful, quiet thing, [but] when the Spirit really shakes us hey, we need to do something, she said. I feel this idea very strongly in terms of earth justice and taking care of our planet.
Scarcely had she completed and performed that work when Cox suggested that she read
Laudato Si . I was just blown away. It was so beautiful, said Chase, who teaches at the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory in Boston.
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John McHenry Boatwright.
It was in the sanctuary of St. James A.M.E. Church in Tennille, Ga. that John McHenry Boatwright (1928–1994) developed a passion for music. He was seven years old at the time and a natural piano player.
Boatwright was the youngest son of Levi and Lillie Boatwright. His father was a switchman in Tennille’s rail yards. He found himself out of work when the Great Depression struck in 1929. Boatwright’s mother helped to support the family by working as a cook in a private home.
The people around young Boatwright who’d experienced his gift knew that his talent would go unrecognized if he stayed in the South. So, his older sister invited him to live with her. By age 12, he’d abandoned familiar surroundings for opportunities in Boston.