MUSIC FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
and capture the Black aesthetic. Can people outside the Black community compose and arrange music that is authentic to the Black idiom? Certainly. Just be sure that it contains many of the characteristics that are identified above. When not sure, consult an authority in the idiom, and do your research. Another reason to sing spirituals arranged by Black composers in particular has to do with appropriation and the silencing of Black voices. Equity and justice involve amplifying source voices that exist within the culture, rather than privileging voices outside the culture that speak for the community.
For Black gospel music1 I encourage you to listen to
the music of various gospel composers whose music is published and available through resources and outlets such as J.W. Pepper and Sheet Music Plus online. Listen to music by gospel music greats such as James Cleveland, Roberta Martin, Clara Ward, Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, and Kirk Franklin, among others. Consider attending Black music conferences, such as the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference (which occurs jointly with the Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild), the Gospel Music Workshop of
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America (founded by James Cleveland), the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (founded by Tomas Dorsey), and the Archbishop Lyke Conference with its Rivers Institute, which focuses on the liturgical needs of Black Catholics.
As with all our musical preparation, consult reputable sources and leaders in the field, do research, study, prepare, practice, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be humble enough to ask for help. Te ultimate goal is to make Black Catholics feel welcome in our worship spaces and create a multicultural environment that respects and represents the cultures of all people with equity. As Chupuncgo states, “Te immediate aim of inculturation is to create a form of worship which is culturally suited to the local people, so that they can claim it as their own. Its ultimate aim, on the other hand, is active and intelligent participation in worship, which springs from the people’s conviction of faith” (77).
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