Portraits of Langston - College Music Society 2023 National Conference

Valerie Coleman’s

PORTRAITS OF LANGSTON Dr. Rachel Woolf, flute Dr. Nicholas Councilor, clarinet Dr. Tracy Cowden, piano

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Sixty-Sixth National Conference

October 26, 2023 1

Portraits of Langston Valerie Coleman

Program notes by the composer: The early 1900’s was a new era for African-Americans. For the first time in American history, the disciplines of visual art, music, and literature simultaneously took a turn to celebrate African-American culture. As a result, the “Harlem Renaissance” was born. Langston Hughes was in the center of that cultural explosion, and like many African-American artists who lived in Harlem, Hughes had dreams of living in Europe - living a life unfettered from segregation.

‘Portraits of Langston,’ is a suite in six short movements, and is my take on Hughes’ poetic memories of Harlem and Europe (mainly Paris). These movements can be performed separately or in its entirety. I chose Langston not because of who he is in literature, but because he was in fact, an ‘eye-witness’ to legends born. His poems are so descriptive of the era, with references to particular settings and individuals that influenced him: Josephine Baker, Helen Keller, the nightlife/music of Harlem jazz clubs and Parisian cabarets. The imagery that Hughes provides gives me quite a historical palette that inspires me to illustrate a work truly unique to duo repertoire. Stylistically, this work incorporates many different elements that are translated into woodwind technique: the stride piano technique, big band swing, cabaret music, Mambo, African drumming, and even traditional spirituals.

Each movement is a musical sketch of selected (and lesser known) poems from Langston Hughes’ vast library.

Helen Keller Danse Africaine In Time of Silver Rain Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret Summer Night

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“Le Grand Duc Mambo” is the only exception. It is a musical sketch of the Jazz Club in the scandalous red light district of Montmartre, where Langston worked as a busboy for 25 cents a night.

Poetry and Prose of Langston Hughes “Helen Keller”

“Danse Africaine”

She, In the dark, Found light Brighter than many ever see.

She, Within herself, Found loveliness, Through the soul’s own mastery.

And now the world receives From her dower: The message of the strength Of inner power.

The low beating of the tom-toms, The slow beating of the tom-toms, Low . . . slow Slow . . . low Stirs your blood.

Dance!

A night-veiled girl Whirls softly into a Circle of light.

Whirls softly . . . slowly, Like a wisp of smoke around the fire And the tom-toms beat, And the tom-toms beat, And the low beating of the tom-toms Stirs your blood.

Excerpt from “Don’t Hit a Woman” in Hughes’ memoir From the Big Sea: One night there was a terrific fight in the Grand Duc. It began like this: a little French danseuse named Annette was going to have a child.

Feeling badly, no doubt, Annette began to be very spiteful to those clients who didn’t think that they could afford another bottle of champagne, so one night the owner of the place asked her not to come back any more. He called an attendant to eject her. Annette would not go. The attendant laid hands on her and pushed her, struggling in her satin evening gown, toward the door.

As she passed the last table, Annette seized a patron’s champagne bucket-ice, bottle, and all--and flung it straight at the proprietor at his cash desk behind the bar; whereupon the attendant slapped Annette to the floor with one blow of his hand.

Then it was that Florence, the famous entertainer, that same Florence who snubbed millionaires nightly, arose from her table near the orchestra to evening gown of gold and a spray of orchids in her hair. She swept across the floor like a handsome tigress, blocking the path of the waiters, who, at the bidding of the management, rushed to eject the little danseuse.

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Florence said: “Don’t touch that woman! She’s a woman and I’m a woman, and can’t nobody hit a woman in any place where I work! Don’t put your hands on that woman.”

By that time the little danseuse had risen from the floor and seized another ice bucket, which she sent whirling into space. Customers dodged behind tables.

The orchestra struck up “Tuck me to sleep in my Old Kentucky Home,” to drown out the noise.

A waiter did lay hands on the danseuse, but Florence laid hands on the waiter.

Then the Negro manager laid hands on Florence, and a battle royal began between the women (and those who sided with the women) and the management (and those who sided with the men).

“In Time of Silver Rain”

“Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret”

In time of silver rain The earth puts forth new life again, Green grasses grow And flowers lift their heads, And over all the plain The wonder spreads

Play that thing, Jazz band!

Play it for the lords and ladies, For the dukes and counts, For the whores and gigolos, For the American millionaires, And the school teachers Out for a spree.

Play it, Jazz band!

You know that tune That laughs and cries at the same time.

You know it.

Of Life, Of Life, Of life!

In time of silver rain The butterflies lift silken wings To catch a rainbow cry, And trees put forth new leaves to sing In joy beneath the sky As down the roadway Passing boys and girls Go singing, too, In time of silver rain When spring And life Are new

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May I? Mais oui.

Mein Gott!

Parece una rumba.

Play it, jazz band!

You’ve got seven languages to speak in And then some, Even if you do come from Georgia.

Can I go home wid yuh, sweetie?

“Summer Night” The sounds Of the Harlem night Drop one by one into stillness.

The last player-piano is closed.

The last victrola ceases with the “Jazz Boy Blues.”

The last crying baby sleeps And the night becomes Still as a whispering heartbeat.

I toss Without rest in the darkness, Weary as the tired night, My soul Empty as the silence, Empty with a vague, Aching emptiness, Desiring, Needing someone, Something.

I toss without rest In the darkness Until the new dawn, Wan and pale, Descends like a white mist Into the court-yard.

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Artist Biographies

Dr. Nicholas Councilor is a lecturer of clarinet at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He previously held teaching positions at Texas A&M University—Kingsville and The University of Texas at Austin. He also maintains a large private studio in Austin, where his students frequently make the TMEA All-State ensembles and earn top accolades in solo competitions. As a clinician for the D’Addario Woodwind Method Program, Dr. Councilor has taught nearly 100 clinics to students of all ages throughout Central Texas.

Dr. Councilor is a versatile freelance musician with an active schedule of solo, orchestral, and chamber music performances. He has performed as a featured soloist with the Austin Symphonic Band, the Waterloo Wind Band, and performed John Corigliano’ Concerto with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble in a premiere performance of a new wind band transcription by Craig B. Davis. Nicholas is a member of the Central Texas Philharmonic and regularly performs with the San Antonio Symphony, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and other regional orchestras across the state. He has also appeared as guest principal clarinetist with the San Antonio Symphony and the Dallas Winds.

He can be heard as principal clarinetist in the UT Wind Ensemble recording Wine Dark Sea. As an avid chamber musician, Dr. Councilor has earned the silver medal at the prestigious Fischoff Competition and is a prizewinner of the Coleman and Plowman chamber music competitions, as well as the

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American Prize. He is also a skilled woodwind doubler and has performed for dozens of musical theater productions.

Dr. Councilor earned his Doctoral of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Eastern Michigan University. In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys daily walks in the park, game nights with friends, and spending time in the water during the summer.

Pianist Dr. Tracy Cowden’s professional life centers around making music with others, whether in duos, chamber music, or orchestral settings. Her work as a collaborative pianist includes a wide range of music and partners, from the music of Jane Austen’s songbook with soprano Julianne Baird, to klezmer-influenced music with clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein and cellist Nick Cannelakis, to American fiddle music with violinist Mark O’Connor. She is also active in commissioning and performing 21st century music, and has premiered works in concerts from Kalamazoo to Bangkok. Cowden’s interest in poetry and art song has led her to commission a song cycle by Gregory Hutter that features the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, and another by Daron Hagen titled Vegetable Verselets, which features poetry by Margaret Hays. This song cycle, along with other works by Hagen performed by Cowden, soprano Ariana Wyatt, tenor Brian Thorsett, and cellist Benjamin Wyatt, was released on an album titled Rapture and Regret on the MSR Classics label in 2021.

Appointed in 2018 as Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Chair of the Department of Music at The University of Texas at San Antonio, Cowden’s recent work includes performing in health care settings, both in person and virtually, and facilitating interdisciplinary research regarding music and health; she is a member of the Brain Health Consortium at UTSA. Also active as a clinician and lecturer, Cowden has presented master classes and workshops on topics related to collaborative music-making and creative programming across the country. She has been a presenter or performer at conferences including the National Opera Association, Music Teachers National Association, College Music Society, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, International Trumpet Guild, International Tuba Euphonium Conference, and the National Flute Association. Cowden is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music through the Music Teachers National Association.

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A Michigan native, Cowden has previously served as a faculty member at Virginia Tech, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kalamazoo College, and Hope College. She received the D.M.A. and M.M. degrees in piano accompanying and chamber music from the Eastman School of Music, and a B.M. degree in piano performance from Western Michigan University.

Dr. Rachel Woolf serves as Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Music. Under her leadership, the UTSA Flute Ensemble has been invited to perform twice at the National Flute Association (NFA) Convention and at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention (TMEA 2023), the Austin Flute Festival (2022), the Texas Flute Society Festival (2021), and the San Diego Flute Guild Festival (2021). In 2021, Rachel commissioned four compositions for the UTSA Flute Ensemble to perfo-rform at NFA, three by UTSA alumni composers.

Accomplished as a multidimensional artist, Rachel is Principal Flute of Symphony of the Hills, flutist in Dallas based symphonic pop rock band, The Polyphonic Spree, and a member of middle eastern fusion group Viatorum. Rachel has performed at the NFA Convention six times—most recently she participated in the NFA’s 2022 premiere performance of Julia Wolfe’s Oxygen. Rachel has also performed with the San Antonio Philharmonic, Dallas Winds, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Abilene Philharmonic, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, among others, and spent two summers performing at the Brevard Music Center. She has performed under the baton of such luminaries as JoAnn Falletta, Keith Lockhart, Leonard Slatkin, Peter Oundjian, Michael Tilson Thomas, Jeff Tyzik, Marin Alsop, and Mattias Barnert. She has also performed with Swedish-Argentinian indie folk singer José González, Iranian pop legend Aref, multi-platinum operatic-pop superstars Il Divo, GLEE star and Emmy-winning Darren Criss, and has recorded with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton on experimental rock band Swans record, The Glowing Man (2016). Not one to be boxed in by notes on a page, she has sought out an array of opportunities to improvise—from freeform to jazz to Indian ragas. Notably, she was selected to perform traditional Hindustani North Indian flute during the Dalai Llama’s visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Rachel previously taught flute and chamber music at Brookhaven College and extensively across the DFW metroplex. She has given masterclasses

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and clinics at The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Oregon, SUNY Potsdam, Lamar University, in-Madison, the University of Oregon, SUNY Potsdam, Lamar University, Baylor University, Oklahoma State University, Texas Lutheran University, Grand View University, and Central College. She has been a Guest Artist Teacher at Texas A & M Commerce and has given clinics and recitals at the Austin Flute Society’s Festival, Texas Flute Society’s Festival, Texas Summer Flute Symposium, Floot Fire camps, among others. She has also been on judging panels for the Texas Music Education’s Association (TMEA) All-State Convention, Myrna Brown Competition (Texas Flute Society), and VOCE Competition (San Diego).

An avid champion of contemporary music, Rachel has been a founding member of multiple new music groups in Ann Arbor and Los Angeles and has premiered numerous new works for flute and piccolo, including Paul Schoenfield’s Psychobird (A Sonatina for Piccolo and Piano) with Paul Schoenfield on piano. She can be heard premiering works by William Bolcom and Jennifer Higdon on the widely released Classical Structures with the University of Michigan Symphony Band on Equilibrium Records.

Additionally, she can be heard playing principal and bass flute on the GIA Windworks label, Canvases and Offerings, with the UNT Wind Symphony.

Beyond her performances across the United States, she has performed in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and England. She received her Bachelor of Music at the University of Michigan, obtained her Master of Music at Bowling Green State University, where she was the flute Teaching Assistant, and completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of North Texas as a Teaching Fellow with a related field in Ethnomusicology. She has studied under the tutelage of Amy Porter, Dr. Conor Nelson, Terri Sundberg, Dr. James Scott, Marianne Gedigian, and Karen Reynolds.

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colfa.utsa.edu/music

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