William Grant Still Free Essay Example

Early years

William Grant Still Was born in Woodville, Mississippi on May 11, 1895. “He was the son of two teachers, Carie Lena Fambro Still (1872-1927) and William Grant Still (1871-1895), who was also a partner in a grocery store” (Zink). Unfortunately William’s father died when he was only three months old. His mother took William too Little Rock, Arkansas. Williams’s mother remarried a man named Charles B. Shepperson. Charles purchased many 78 rpm records of opera which William enjoyed. William Grant Still took violin lessons at the age of 14.

“Professor De Lerma notes that the youth also taught himself how to play the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, double bass, cello, and viola, and showed a great interest in music” (Zink). William Grant Still graduated from M. W. Gibbs high School in Little Rock Arkansas.

William Still Grant went to Wilberforce University to peruse a Bachelor of Science degree from 1911 to1915. On October 4, 1915 William dropped out of school and married Grace Bundy. Still’s went on to study at Oberlin but was put to the side while he served in the U.

S. Navy. While in the Navy, most black sailors were placed as food service attendants. When it was known that William Grant Still was a trained musician, he was entertained the officers of the U.S.S Kroonland with his violin. After his release from the Navy William returned briefly to Oberlin and then moved to New York in 1919 to work with W.C. Handy.

Working for W. C. Handy

While working for W.

C. Handy Mr. Still’s made band arrangements and played in the orchestra. He played in the orchestra of all-black musical shows as Shuffle Along (1921). “He also studied privately with two important composers in opposing musical camps: the conservative George Whitefield Chadwick and the modernist Edgard Varese” (343). William started to compose a unique sound called the African American flavor. This style was critical acclaimed in New York.

William Grant Still’s high point of his life was in 1931 when he premiered Afro-American Symphony by the Rochester Philharmonic. “Within the next two decades, this symphony was performed by thirty-eight orchestras in the United States and Europe” (343). William was the first African American to lead a major symphony the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 1981, three years after Still pass away, his opera A Bayou Legend was broadcasted on television.

Blues music originated in the northwestern Mississippi in the 1800’s. Initially the music was popular with former slaves living in Mississippi. Blues was played in a variety of styles. It was often played while accompanying musical companies, circuses, and even travelling doctors. Blues would be played alongside of ragtime and gospel. Most of the black churches of the time were independent. They used the flatten tone of the Blues to celebrate their joy and solidarity. One originator of the Blues was W.C. Handy who which William Grant Still worked for.

William Grant Still in the middle of the Jazz Age

William Grant Still left Oberlin right in the middle of the Jazz Age. Jazz started in the early twentieth-century and had roots in African American heritage. Jazz is a mixture of West African black folk music and joined with European popular and classical music. Jazz musicians have a sound and style all their own. For example, you could listen to the same Jazz song by different musicians and each one would sound differently. Jazz musicians were big on making each version different and improvising solos. “Jazz was led by a series of brilliant musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis” (Zink). Jazz music was the segway into swing music.

Swing music as it became to be started out of the big formations of bands and the activity on the dance floor. Swing Era was the age of the classical jazz. It is also responsible for the dynamic nature of jazz. Swing music was primarily played with a strong rhythm section including string bass and drums. This music was a medium to fast tempo.

William Grant Still’s music is comparable to blues, jazz, and swing music. William Grant music was composed during the era of blue, jazz, and swing. William composed the Afro-American Symphony (1931) and wanted to demonstrate that the blues is a lowly expression. “Still also gave an African American character to the symphony by using a tenor banjo as part of the orchestra and by inventing themes that recall spirituals and jazz tunes” (343). William Grant still also composed jazz music for popular films. On such film was a Bing Crosby musical Pennies from Heaven.

Conclusion

In conclusion William Grant Still was a Navy veteran who composed music major symphony orchestra. He led the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and also was awarded Guggenheim fellowship. William also had one of his opera’s televised after his death. William Grant Still was also the first African American to conduct a Philharmonic orchestra.

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