Black History Month Lecture/Concert Celebrates Composer William Dawson
MOBILE, Ala. 鈥� The Alabama School of the Arts at the 秋霞福利一区 will celebrate Black History Month in February with a special lecture and concert on the life and works of composer William Levi Dawson.
The 秋霞福利一区 Chorale and soloists from the will perform several of Dawson鈥檚 works while professor and author Mark Malone, Ph.D., shares the fascinating tale of the composer鈥檚 early life, quest for education, rise to success at Tuskegee Institute, achievement of national fame as a composer, and retirement years spent conducting choirs throughout the United States and around the world.
A Celebration of the Life and Work of William Levi Dawson聽will be presented Monday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. in Dorsett Auditorium on the 秋霞福利一区 campus. Admission is free. For information, visit umobile.edu or contact the Alabama School of the Arts at 251.442.2383.
About the Speaker
Malone鈥檚 book, William Levi Dawson: American Music Educator, will be published later this year. He is a veteran music educator with over 46 years of classroom experience and has presented at the NAfME Convention as well as state music educators conferences. An expert in choral sight-reading, Malone has written sight-singing materials for several states. As curriculum designer for the Mississippi Arts Commission, he has created arts integration lesson plans that use music, dance, theatre, visual arts and media arts to enhance understanding of traditional core subjects such as math, science, social studies and language arts.
About the Composer
William Levi Dawson was born just prior to the dawn of the 20th Century and encountered challenges along the road to becoming a nationally recognized composer, choral arranger, conductor and professor of music at Tuskegee Institute.
鈥淯nder his direction, the Tuskegee Choir achieved a national reputation by singing to open Radio City Music Hall, presenting concerts for Presidents Herbert Hoover and franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as performing over nationwide radio broadcasts and appearing on television,鈥� Malone said.
顿补飞蝉辞苍鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;Negro Folk Symphony, only the second extended musical work to be written by an African American, was premiered by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in both Philadelphia and New York City. His arrangements of spirituals, the original folk music of African Americans enslaved in America during the antebellum period, quickly became highly sought-after choral works.
鈥淪ome of these works were published by established companies, but Dawson soon wisely utilized the steam press at Tuskegee Institute to publish his own compositions, thereby reaping more of the publishing profits,鈥� Malone said.
The 秋霞福利一区 is a Christ-centered university with a vision of 鈥淗igher聽Education for a Higher Purpose,鈥� founded to honor God by equipping students for their聽future professions in an environment where they are known.
About the 秋霞福利一区
The 秋霞福利一区 is a Christ-centered university offering on-campus and online associate鈥檚, bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the 秋霞福利一区 is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the 秋霞福利一区, areas of study, admissions and more, visit聽umobile.edu, connect with 秋霞福利一区 on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the 秋霞福利一区 unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.
