A project of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, Music by Black Composers (MBC) was born from the realization that young musicians learning classical music seldom, if ever, have the opportunity to study and perform music written by Black composers. This omission silences a rich vein of musical creation from global cultural consciousness. The effects of this erasure are most serious for aspiring Bla
ck classical musicians. Without access to the historic narratives of Black composers, these young musicians struggle to become part of an art form in which they do not appear to belong. Many give up; many more do not even start. The ultimate result is a lack of diversity in our concert halls, both on stage as well as in the audience. MBC will tell a different story. We will supplement the current instrumental training methods by publishing books of music exclusively by Black composers from around the world. Each orchestral instrument, starting with the strings, will be the subject of multiple volumes, which will be graded by difficulty from beginner to advanced concerto-level playing. We also intend to publish music for wind and brass instruments, band, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. In addition to making this repertoire available, our books will also educate through articles and interviews. Each volume will include biographies for every composer, features on Black music making throughout history, and profiles of Black role models in music, past and present. Over recent years, many educational and performance organizations have helped the cause of diversity by providing the opportunity for aspiring young minority musicians to realize their dreams. We believe that our project represents the next step. By changing the story about the music of Black composers, we want to help children be able to dream their dreams in the first place.
