Roots and Branches: Developing a Concert Program Based on Cultural Influences

This masterclass will cover my process of researching and selecting repertoire for a concert based on the African Diaspora and the many genres of American Music that resulted. I will briefly describe early African American music in North America, then the six major American musical genres that grew out of those beginnings. I will then discuss three broad approaches to finding wind band compositions that can be associated with an African American Roots and Branches themed concert: music by African American composers, music from one of the genres resulting from African American influences, and music descriptive of the African American experience in American society. I plan to give specific musical examples of wind band repertoire for each of the ideas I cover.