MELANATED MOMENTS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC Rolls Out Season Three

A leader in the ongoing re-imagination of classical music structures and stereotypes, Melanated Moments in Classical Music podcast releases its third season spotlighting music composed by, for, and about Black people. The podcast has caught on with a youthful, global audience that is steadily growing in over 80 countries and nearly 1200 cities. The first show of Season Three airs Wednesday, August 18, on major podcasting apps and Classical Music Indy's website.

Effervescent co-hosts Angela Brown and Joshua Thompson with producer Classical Music Indy have crafted a stellar season of eight shows. Of the new lineup, Thompson says, "Season Three continues our mission of elevating classical luminaries of African descent, past and present, with engaging interviews, fascinating histories, and musical selections that brilliantly illustrate how magnificently melanated we are."

All shows feature a composer or performer and musical excerpts alongside spirited exposition by Brown, acclaimed opera soprano, and Thompson, noted music sociologist. Three episodes have the added bonus of an interview. Those include Dr. Rosephanye Powell, choral educator, hailed as one of America's premier women composers of solo vocal and choral music; Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones, internationally recognized ethnomusicologist discussing the works and life of Florence Price; and Ashleigh Gordon, violist and co-founder of Castle of our Skins, a concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black Artistry through music.

Broadway World readers have direct access to the first episode of Season Three titled Composing a Culture with Rosephanye Powell.

Angela Brown describes what it is like to spend time in conversation with these artistic and impactful leaders: "A feeling of kinship was evident when interviewing Rosephanye Powell. Her music envelopes you with a satisfying feeling of belonging. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones is a tour de force. She's heavy with book knowledge but the most down sistah I know. I admire what she brings to the world of ethnomusicology. She is this generation's Cornel West."

Episodes rounding out the season include the incomparable David Baker, composer, jazz artist, and educator; Undine Smith Moore, the "Dean of Black Women Composers;" Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, conductor and celebrated composer of the 19th century; Harry T. Burleigh, prolific composer of American art songs and arranger of African American spirituals; and Margaret Bonds, esteemed composer, pianist, arranger, and frequent collaborator with Langston Hughes.

Spotify reports that over 60% of Melanated Moments listeners are under 44 years old, fulfilling one of the podcast's missions to reach the next generation. In addition to personal listening, the podcast is used in classrooms, concert and lecture series to offer a fresh perspective on the many and brilliant Black contributions in the world of classical music.

Classical Music Indy proudly salutes the Black Podcasting Awards and Morning Brown, Inc., as Season Three promotional partners. For more information, please visit https://www.classicalmusicindy.org/podcasts/melanated-moments/.

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