A Seminar Recital from the Singing Justice Team

A Seminar Recital from the Singing Justice Team. 

This recital is an intervention created by the Singing Justice Team sponsored by the Humanities Collaboratory of the University of Michigan. It is intended to combat stereotypes about Black Song, and Black Space and is designed to make space in the concert hall for other voices. Unlike traditional recitals or lecture/recitals, the participation of the voice of the audience is crucial to the recital experience.

Program

Download the program.

Meet the Performers

Louise Toppin, soprano and Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, has pioneered the field of researching and performing African American songs. She has edited and published 8 anthologies and collections of songs by African American composers, such as Margaret Bonds and Adolphus Hailstork. She has performed on four continents with recent appearances including the 150th celebration of the ratification of the 13th amendment for Congress and President Obama at the U.S. Capitol, and the opening of the Smithsonian’s African American Heritage Museum. She has presented lectures on the music of African American composers throughout the U.S. and Europe and has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. She can be heard weekly on her show: Conversations in African American music, exploring the stories of many African American composers and cultural institutions.

Toppin will be joined by:

Caroline Helton, DMA, Clinician Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at University of Michigan and co-author of Singing Down the Barriers (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2023)

Colleen Beucher, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at University of Northern Alabama

Joshua Marzan, DMA, collaborative pianist.

Tyrese Byrd, Specialist Degree in Music student at University of Michigan.