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| R. Nathaniel Dett |
R. Nathaniel Dett, the author of the article was the Director of Music at Hampton Institute. The article was actually a chapter in a pamphlet on black American music. The article here appears as written and published in 1918.
NEGRO MUSIC OF THE PRESENT
On page seventy-two of his “American Masters of
Painting,” Mr. Charles H. Caffin makes the following statement: “ So far as
could be judged from the showing made by American painters at previous
expositions, they were but reflecting the influences of Paris, or of German and English painting.”
And then he asks this pertinent question, “Was there, in fact, as distinguished
from art in America,
any American art?”
Turning
to the realm of music, one finds an analogous situation; for, until very
recently, music in America
was but the reflection of music in Europe.
Many of the works by American composers were even named in a foreign language,
which shows how extensive was the disregard for things of native origin. If
there was, in fact, any real American music as distinguished from music in
America, it had as a foundation the songs of popular minstrels, including those
of Stephen Foster, the ditties sung in colored operas, and the farcical “coon
songs” of the vaudeville stage—music which, while being distinctive enough, was
too trivial in intent and effect to constitute anything worthy of the name of
“art.”
As for Negro composers, since it seemed the style to
avoid in serious efforts any modes of expression by which one’s work might be
recognized and consequently condemned as “homemade,” they, too, turned to
far-away things for inspiration, becoming either second-hand imitators of Europe
through their white American brothers, or, if possessing ideals, sacrificing
them for mercenary ends in the creation of a form of popular music designed to
satisfy a preconceived (and not very high) ideal held by white people of what
Negro music should be.
It remained for an outsider, a Bohemian—the famous
Dvorak to show America
and the world something of what is possible in the larger forms of musical
composition by using the Negro and Indian folk tunes, if not as actual themes,
at least by allowing the spirit of them to be the acknowledged source of
inspiration. So much has been written and said of the “New World Symphony," that more is not necessary here. It is sufficient to recall the fact
that the symphony and Dvorak’s remark that “the future music of this country
must be founded upon what are called Negro melodies” were innovations of a
rather startling nature to Americans—forerunners of a new trend of thought,
whose truly prophetic significance the present-day work of American composers,
especially that of the Negro composers themselves, is evidencing.
Yet one sometimes hears in Negro concert choruses and in
the playing of “rags,” jass music, and other dance
tunes by untutored or only partially educated Negro orchestras and pianists,
effects which surpass in real characterization any of the results obtained by
Dvorak. Beautiful and unusual as the “New World Symphony" is, it yet
leaves a great deal to be said through the medium of Negro folk idiom,the true
expression of which will undoubtedly best be made when some Negro composer, who
is thoroughly alive to and appreciative of the traditions of his race, “rises
up to say some glorious thing” in the musical language of his fathers.
I do not mean by this that the Negro musician and
composer has not been hard at work to elevate and develop his music and thus
create a new and indigenous art in this country, for such a statement would be
far from true. The foreign scholarship which enabled a few young Negro
musicians to go abroad for further study was raised and maintained by a colored
woman, who has since given festivals of Negro primitive and developed music in
many of our leading cities, to the great edification of both races and of
especial encouragement to aspiring black artists. One of the beneficiaries of
this scholarship has made arrangements of several of the old spirituals which
have gained considerable public favor as new compositions; an article from his
pen on the music of his race appeared in one of the leading music journals of
the country, and recently one of our largest publishing houses issued a
composition for the pipe organ on a folksong theme by the same contributor.
Another
foreign scholarship beneficiary, besides touring as solo violinist, has
recently published violin arrangements of a high degree of merit based on Negro
spirituals.
Again, a
Negro musician, the protegé of Northern white philanthrophy, is now one of the
best known of American singers and classic song writers. While his efforts in
Negro music are small as compared with his general work, yet one short choral
arrangement of an old Negro theme has become one of the most widely used pieces
of American religious music.
Still another Negro composer has been called the
Mourssorgsky of his race, because of his unusual ability faithfully to portray Negro
characteristics, especially those which savor of old-fashioned superstitions
and quaint humor.
In the
West two Negro brothers have made collections of, folksongs and have used them
as elements in cantatas; in the East two other Negro brothers, one of whom is a
famous American litterateur, have cooperated in the production of lyric and
operatic Negro music which has no equal elsewhere, and the influence of which
has been largely instrumental in the rise of a new school of popular music in
America.
Several
other Negro musicians were, until the recent draft of men for the World War,
leaders of characteristic orchestras especially devoted to Negro dance
music—orchestras whose services were sought by leading actors and play houses
in the largest metropolitan cities.
Another
Negro composer has written two suites for the pianoforte of five numbers each,
on ideas incidental to Negro life; these suites have been considerably used in
conservatories and music schools. At the memorial service held at Hamilton, Ontario,
last year, for the Canadian dead of the Great War, the Pièce de résistance of the program was an anthem based on a Negro
spiritual by this same composer. Another of his folksong anthems has been used
by practically all of the leading universities and community choirs of the
country, and was one of the features of the Norfolk, Connecticut,
music festival last fall. The dedication of one of this composer’s piano suites
expresses something of his feeling of appreciation for the efforts of those to
whom he is very largely indebted for his musical education.
Lastly,
there has been established at the National Capital a conservatory of music,
dedicated to the furtherance of Negro music; it is entirely officered by
colored people and a colored woman is its principal. It has as trustees some of
the leading white musicians of the country.
As the scope of this paper is limited to America, the
work of Negro composers overseas is not mentioned. Suffice it to say that two
English Negro composers have attained a most enviable position among the
world’s music masters, largely by reason of their activity in the development
of their own racial idiom.
This glimpse of the work of Negro musicians of the
present day in handling their own folk tunes shows that they are at last
awaking to the fact that there is a great truth in the words from Holy Writ, “The
kingdom of heaven lies within.” It also shows that appreciation, often beyond
what has been hoped for, is ever attendant upon worthy effort. Why even more
has not been accomplished by Negro musicians in the development of their own
music will appear from a study of the following facts :—
1
General indifference, amounting almost to contempt for things of native origin,
and a slavish admiration on the part of American composers, critics, and, to
some extent, publishers, for European ideals in music and art
2 Lack of literary masterpieces of Negro themes, which as
librettos or programs would be sources of inspiration for great idiomatic
musical works
3 Lack of proper musical and academic training among
Negro composers
4 Lack of time for racial study and composition on the
part of Negro composers
Only a moment is necessary for the discussion of these
four impediments.
Regarding
the first I quote from a treatise on music history for students by a professor
in one of our leading American colleges, a college whose conservatory
department ranks second to none, and which ought therefore to lead one to
expect an extremely progressive point of view: “From a world-historic point of
view, it cannot be maintained that American composition has advanced the
development of the art, enlarged its field of expression, or propounded new
problems. . . . There is no native music; there are no national traditions on
which to build.”
And also from a society of American intellectuals devoted
to the dissemination of educational literature comes the following: “From this
standpoint one is inclined to contend that neither the Negro melodies nor the
Indian melodies, which seem to have most impressed Dvorak in his musical
researches in this country and which have been cited as the possible basis of a
national school of music, have any significance whatever, or in any degree
reflect national feelings or characteristics.”
While it
must be admitted as true that American composition so far has not materially
advanced the art of music, the reason is not because there is nothing
indigenous on which to build, but because the great store of native assets
which might be so used has been ignored by American musical architects.
Furthermore, if Dvorak, Busoni, Coleridge-Taylor, and Laparra, all foreigners,
could discover in America, after only a few months’ sojourn, enough native
material for a symphony, a piano concerto, an oratorio, a great quantity of
salon music, and an opera, it is rather safe to conclude that if American
composers themselves have not found here at home inspiration for similar works.
defective eyesight rather than the lack of well-springs from which to draw must
be to blame. And further, if the Indian and Negro songs do not of themselves
express national feelings and characteristics, it still remains true that the
race question
in America
is a national issue, having national interests and national effects.
The second point needs no discussion, not even the great Dunbar having left anything which might serve this
purpose. The significance of the third becomes apparent when it is remembered
that, so far as the writer has been able to find out, the schooling of no Negro
musician has resulted in any higher degree than that of Bachelor of Music. The
foundation for the fourth item is the fact that, omitting one instance which is
very exceptional, even in the case of those Negroes who seem to have attained
the greatest success, composition is a “side issue," done between classes
in school or after hours of work in some other profession or trade by means of
which a real living can be made.
In the development and conservation of her physical
resources, America
has spent millions of Government money, but almost all that has been done
towards the establishing of a national American school of art or music has been
through the personal efforts of students and philanthropists. Recently an
Indian boy who has no money came to me after one of my sight-singing classes and
asked for lessons in harmony. He knows that the study of harmony forms no part
of our school course; he came because he has caught the spirit of race and
wishes to learn to express properly the music of his people. I sincerely trust
that off-hours will find us working together.
Among
the large number of Hampton
students there are always some who, being endowed with pronounced natural
ability, would make excellent musicians and could be trained to become strong
factors in the preservation and development of race idioms. Many have earnestly
expressed themselves as being ambitious in this direction but are held back by
lack of funds or other circumstances which they cannot control. Such conditions
among students are probably to be found in all Negro and Indian schools.
Could a national
American philanthropy serve a worthier purpose than the special education to
the highest possible point of these native-born Americans, to the end that folk
traditions, which are rapidly passing away, may be saved by those who know them
best, that the backward races in this country may be greatly encouraged through
the attainments of their individual members, and that through a great national
enterprise, true servants may be created to the great cause of a real American
art?
