Abstract
This doctoral project explores Black cultural lines of influence in contemporary American wind ensemble music. The study unpacks the relationship between a historically Eurocentric institution and the necessity of a diverse future through the lens of its Black composers, interpreters (conductors and performers), patrons, and repertoire. The project's significance lies in its contribution to the conversation on inclusivity in American music education and the acknowledgment of all cultural contributions to the American wind ensemble community. The study addresses three questions: 1. What can be qualified as Black aesthetic lines of influence? 2. Where/how are they represented in modern American wind ensemble repertoire? 3. Why are these lines significant to the sustainability of the wind ensemble idiom?
The project's background and significance are discussed in Chapter 1, which highlights the origins of the modern American wind ensemble, its cultural influences, and its importance in American music education.
Day's Concerto for Wind Ensemble reflects his upbringing as a young Black musician and composer, while Healy’s Passages offer a diverse fusion of musical genres. Thomas' Come Sunday pays homage to traditional Black church music and its connection to Jazz pedagogy. The works of Day, Healy and Thomas offer a model for how wind ensemble music can incorporate Black cultural representations that contribute to the repertoire, providing an inclusive and accepting space for stakeholders of color and a cross-cultural education for everyone. This project is significant as it sheds light on the importance of diversity in the arts and the need to reassess the traditional repertoire to include marginalized voices.