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African-American Bassoonists and Their Representation within the Classical Music Environment

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2019, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.
This paper is the culmination of a research study to gauge the representation of professional African-American orchestral bassoonists. Are they adequately represented? If they are not adequately represented, what is the cause? Within a determined set of parameters, prominent orchestras and opera companies were examined. Of the 342 orchestral and opera companies studied, there are 684 positions for bassoonists. Sixteen of these jobs are currently held by African-Americans. Some of these musicians hold positions in more than one organization reducing the study to twelve black bassoonists. Translated to a percentage, .022% of the professional bassoonists within these groups are African-American, leading the author to believe that the African-American bassoon community is underrepresented in American orchestras and opera companies. This study also contains a biography of each of the twelve bassoonists. In addition, four interviews and five questionnaires were completed by prominent African-American bassoonists. Commonalities were identified, within their lives and backgrounds, illuminating some of the reasons for their success. Interview participants included Rufus Olivier Jr. (San Francisco Opera), Joshua Hood (Charlotte Symphony Orchestra), Monica Ellis (Imani Winds), Alexander Davis (fellowship recipient), and Andrew Brady (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra). These five bassoonists vary in age and geographic location.
Karen Pierson (Advisor)
143 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bell, I. A. (2019). African-American Bassoonists and Their Representation within the Classical Music Environment [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555519921599826

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bell, Ian. African-American Bassoonists and Their Representation within the Classical Music Environment . 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555519921599826.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bell, Ian. "African-American Bassoonists and Their Representation within the Classical Music Environment ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555519921599826

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)