Classic Black: Celebrating Black Excellence in Classical Music [Podcast]

What do William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, and Florence B. Price have in common? They’re all Black composers who contributed to the canon of classical music. Today’s podcast episode spotlights Classic Black, a groundbreaking youth program celebrating Black excellence in classical music.

Created by Montreal-born pianist, accordionist, producer, composer, and music director Ric’key Pageot in collaboration with Crewest Studio, Classic Black hosts live performances and educational talks that spotlight the incredible contributions of Black composers and musicians to the world of classical music. Tune into the episode on the player below to learn how Classic Black redefines the narrative surrounding classical music and honors the trailblazing musicians of color who helped shape history.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The inspiration behind Classic Black
• What the platform entails and how it honors Black excellence in classical music
• Live performances, educational talks, and other content on the Classic Black website
• Additional elements of Classic Black’s educational program
• How to access these inspiring resources and support the project through donations

Quotes:

“[Ric’key Pageot] is working hard to shine a long-overdue, bright, and important light on the incredible Black classical music geniuses who were as brilliant as Mozart and should be as famous too.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:06:03]

Longer Quotes:

“As a pianist who studied classical music from a young age, [Ric’key Pageot] was grateful to discover [the music of William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, and Florence Price] but frustrated that he, as a classical musician of color, did not know about these composers sooner. What might he have done had he learned about these artists growing up as he learned about Bach and Mozart? Why didn't he know about William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, or Florence B. Price? Well, of course, he knew why. But rather than getting angry about systemic racism, Ric’key decided to become an advocate for change and teach people about these and other musical geniuses of color unfamiliar to most people.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:04:37]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Classic Black — https://www.classicblackmusic.org/

Ric’key Pageot — https://www.steinway.com/artists/rickeypageot

Parlor Social — https://www.parlorsocial.com/

Ric’key Pageot on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rickeypageot/

Arterial — https://arterial.org/

NOT REAL ART — https://www.notrealart.com/

First Friday Exhibitions — https://notrealart.com/exhibitions/

Remote Video Series – https://notrealart.com/remote-exploring-public-art/

NOT REAL ART Hotline — 833-668-7325

Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.notarealartist.com/