After a thorough . Due to his musical talent, William Grant Still Jr. was awarded a scholarship to attend Oberlin Conservatory of Music and left Wilberforce in 1915. [22] Still's works were performed internationally by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC Orchestra. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Manheim, James "Still, William Grant 18951978 Through their unique set of backgrounds, experiences, and values, composers create works that expose their audiences to humanitys rich variety of perspectives and cultural traditions. Swing dance, on the other hand, flourished in tandem with the music. Where did William Grant Still grow up quizlet? He worked as an arranger of popular music. [16] With Henderson, he joined Henry Pace's Pace Phonograph Company (Black Swan). All Classical Portland will be joining the celebration of Black History Month, featuring some of the best recordings of composers of African origin (American, and around the world). Still worked on the opera for several years, and its premiere at the New York City Opera on March 31, 1949, marked the first time an opera composed by an African American had been performed in a major house. Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to achieve a national reputation from both white and black audiences. Verna Arvey, his wife, collaborated as a librettist in the writing of many of his works. ." Still composed ten operas, including Highway 1, U.S.A. (1962), Troubled Island (1941), and A Bayou Legend (1941). He took composition lessons from the American nationalist composer George Chadwick when Shuffle Along went on tour to Boston in 1922, and from 1923 to 1925 he studied with the highly experimental French-born composer Edgard Vrese in New York. Subjects: People Tune in to Season 3! Incidental Music : The Prince and the Mermaid (1965). https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/still-william-grant-1895-1978, Manheim, James "Still, William Grant 18951978 . While there he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. (February 23, 2023). He preferred blues as a source of inspiration for his music since it lacked the impact of Caucasian music. Few composers have made such dramatic breaks from the status quo in classical music as Igor Stravinsky did in the twentieth century. Selected awards: Guggenheim fellowship, 1933; numerous honorary doctorates. Also, while in college he started to compose and do orchestras. All in all William Grant Still was the composer of more than 150 works. [citation needed], In 1981, the opera A Bayou Legend was the first by an African-American composer to be performed on national television. However, as an art that draws from a primarily western European tradition, celebrating diversity is also one of classical musics greatest challenges to overcome. [7] For Lost Horizon, he arranged the music of Dimitri Tiomkin. During the 1930s Still worked as a free-lance arranger and a staff composer for network radio. or Flute and Strings (1956); The American Scene (1957); Little Red Schoolhouse (1957); The Peaceful Land (1960); Patterns (1960); Los alnados de Espana (1962); Preludes for Strings, Flute, and Piano (1962); Threnody in Memory of Jan Sibelius (1965); Miniature Overture (1965); Choreographic Prelude for Strings, Flute, and Piano (1970). Which does not describe early twentieth century nationalist composers? For instance, the narrator states, I took six feeds a day and kept most of them down by the time the Vindictive was sunk in Ostend harbour, on which day I kicked with special vigour in my bath (para. Among these were Darker America (1924) and From the Land of Dreams (1925), the latter work showing the influence of Varse. With its dark timbres, the second is a clear expression of sadness. Secondly, How does the music of William Grant Still fit the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance? Associate degree. [14][22] Still and Arvey's papers are held by the University of Arkansas. D. radio and musical theater. "[23] According to Still's granddaughter, he couldn't attend the fair except on "Negro Day" without police protection. Composer, pianist [CDATA[ Music Director John Pitman also has some recommended recordings of Stills works from All Classicals music library. Richard Fields, Piano. Your browser is not using Javascript. 1 "Afro-American" (1930). What were some of the significant contributions and achievements of composer William Grant Still? This versatile composer also wrote ballets, chamber music, many solo songs and spirituals, and choral works. The work later received hundreds of performances in the United States and abroad. After completion of the symphony, Still linked each movement to verses from poems by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), which heighten the emotional impact of each movement. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. He wrote jazz arrangements for blues masters and bandleaders such as Artie Shaw, Paul Whiteman and W.C. Orchestration: flutes (3 = piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bells, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, gong, triangle, vibraphone), harp, celesta, banjo, & strings, First Los Angeles Philharmonic performance: July 23, 1940, David Broekman conducting. William Grant Stills Afro-American Symphony: A Critical Edition. Indiana University, doctoral dissertation, May 2014. Smith, Jessie Carney, ed., Notable Black American Men, Gale, 1998. 5, Western Hemisphere (revision of discarded No. Stills concern with the position of African Americans in U.S. society is reflected in many of his works, notably the Afro-American Symphony; the ballets Sahdji (1930), set in Africa and composed after extensive study of African music, and Lenox Avenue (1937); and the operas The Troubled Island (1938; produced 1949), with a libretto by Langston Hughes, and Highway No. [citation needed][9] His maternal grandmother Anne Fambro[7] sang African-American spirituals to him. But Still continued to seek out teachers who could challenge him in the classical field. He wrote music arrangements of William Robinsons Deep River Hour and also for Paul Whitemans Old Gold Show.In 1934, the world saw him being awarded the first of three Guggenheim Fellowships awards. His father was a partner in a grocery store and performed as a local bandleader. Still was also hired to arrange the music for the 1943 film Stormy Weather, but left the assignment because "Twentieth-Century Fox 'degraded colored people. William Grant Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi on May 11th, ________, Still stated violin lessons at age ________, The first recital of his music was in _____________, He studied with many famous teachers at __________ College, His studies were interrupted when he enlisted in the ____________, Still moved to New York to work for ___________, The Harlem Renaissance began around the time of Still's arrival in New York CIty and into the _______________, __________________ Records was a lael owned by African Americans, The first performance of a classical work by Still took place on February 8th, _______________, "Darker America" won a publication prize at the ____________, Still's "Afro-American Symphony" is infused with ______ inspired melodic lines, William Grant Still died December 3rd, 1978 at the age of ___, Still moved to ___________ in 1934 and began writing music for televisions and movies, In 1936, Still conducted the ____________ in a performance of his own compostions at the Hollywood Bowl, WIlliam Grant Still was so successful during his lifetimme, that he was often referred to as the :Dean of African American _______, Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka. During his fourteen years in the Underground Railroad, he assisted almost 800 former slaves in escaping. Either way, the melody is a joy to listen to, and in addition to the more fanfare-like second theme the movement echoes the themes of African American emancipation and empowerment in the Dunbar poem attached to the movement. What was bebops signature style? In the 1950s and 1960s Stills music fell out of favor as academic musicians prescribed the adoption of strict modernist styles. He left Wilberforce without graduating. All of these factors give a nod to the seminal influence of jazz as the style that became most associated with America between the two World Wars. While working with W.C. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Contemporary Black Biography. ." 172-173, National Association for American Composers and Conductors, Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters, List of jazz-influenced classical compositions, "When Europe Offered Black Composers an Ear - Spurned by institutions in America, artists were sometimes given more opportunities across the Atlantic", "Comment - A Black Composer Finally Arrives at the Metropolitan Opera", "Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) Report", "Biographical Sketch of William Grant Still", "A2Schools.org: PRI Co-Host Celeste Headlee, Conductor John McLaughlin Williams & Singer Daniel Washington in Ann Arbor Jan. 13", "Black History Spotlight: William Grant Still", "African American Composer William Grant Still is Born", "William Grant Still, African American Composer, Arranger & Oboist", "Hesitating Blues, The - W C Handy (arr. Arvey, Verna. Southern, Eileen, The Music of Black Americans, 3rd ed., Norton, 1997. http://chevalierdestgeorges.homestead.com, http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sgo/exhibit/captions/caption1.html (Duke University Library), http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sgo/texts/borroff2.html. William Grant Still (1895-1978) has been called the dean of African American composers. ." [13], In 1916, Still worked in Memphis for W.C. Handy (1916); then attended the Oberlin (Ohio) Coll. As a result, swing music rapidly became popular outside of nightclubs. emeritus, Bakers Biographical Dictionary of American Music, centennial ed., Schirmer, 2001. . During this time, Still also made history when he conducted (1936) the Los Angeles Philharmonic. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/still-william-grant, MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE "Still, William Grant In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for. William Grant Still. The Black Perspective in Music, vol. When he began sketching it in 1924, he had recently finished playing in the pit orchestra for Eubie Blake and Noble Sissles Shuffle Along, the musical comedy that launched the careers of Josephine Baker and Florence Mills and, according to Langston Hughes, inaugurated the Harlem Renaissance. In the whole history of African-American music, Still was one of the figures who thought most deeply about how to reconcile his African heritage with the European forms that dominated American concert life. 19171919 Oberlin College Wilberforce University existed from 1911 until 1915. Varses International Composers Guild provided Still the opportunity to have some of his works performed in the 1920s, and in 1931 the Rochester Symphony Orchestra performed Stills Afro-American Symphony the first performance by a major orchestra of a symphony composed by a black American. Early African American Composers and Conductors Manheim, James "Still, William Grant 18951978 There are also two rare gems by the composer on the CD, and a work by Olly Wilson called Expansions II, which connects Stills mid-century music to more recent times. CD. As Haro, Gould, Morton He made major contributions to African-American music: He was the first African-American composer to have an opera performed by a major company, the first to direct a big orchestra, and one of the first to write for. He taught himself to play clarinet, saxophone, oboe, double bass, cello, and viola. Who wrote the lines of a poem from which Still preceded each movement of this symphony. What term is used to describe the absence of key or tonality in a musical composition? Also, of note is that he wrote the theme music for the New York Fair for the year of 1939-1940. 4, Autochthonous (1947; Oklahoma City, March 18, 1951), and No. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/still-william-grant-0. In 1930 I rented a room in a quiet building not far from my home in New York and began to work. And he was inspired: the symphony was finished in two months. Who was buried there, and when was he most likely buried? Encyclopedia.com. William Grant Still's musical background. Volume Three: The Twentieth Century and After. As Johann Strauss is to the waltz and John Philip Sousa is to the march, so is Scott Joplin to ragtime: its guru, chi, William Harvey and the Discovery of the Human Circulatory System, William Herschel and the Discovery of the Planet Uranus, William Howard Taft National Historic Site, http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sgo/exhibit/captions/caption1.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/still-william-grant-1895-1978, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/william-grant-still, https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/still-william-grant-0, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/still-william-grant, https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/still-william-grant. Calvert Bean . What unique instrument did William Grant Still introduced into the orchestra for his work the Afro-American Symphony? [1]:15 He was the son of two teachers, Carrie Lena (ne Fambro) Shepperson (18721927)[7][8] and William Grant Still Sr.[1]:5 (18711895). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Taylors. . Still wrote mostly instructional music and music for children in the later stages of his career, expressing the hope that he might thereby foster intercultural understanding. Louis Blues and Hesitation Blues. Handy provided Still with employment on and off for several years. An ethereal, hypnotic feeling, pounding bass clarinets, a steady rhythm, and gently building chord progressions unfolding over the course of nearly one hour define the Music for 18 Musicians piece. The second movement, Adagio (Sorrow,) continues with themes that relate to the first movement but carrying on in the spiritual style. One of the few African Americans to have enjoyed a successful career in the rather closed-in world of acade, 22 It was premiered by Howard Hanson and the Rochester Philharmonic. In 1919, he moved to New York City. There his musical talents blossomed. He taught himself to play the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, double bass, cello and viola, and showed a great interest in music. [7] In 1918 Still joined the United States Navy to serve in World War I. After serving in the Navy during World War I, Still went to New York City to work in W. C. Handy's music publishing company. Prolific and influential, many call William Grant Still the "Dean of African American composers" and it's not hard to see why. The next selection was William Grant Still's "Suite for Violin and Piano," a three-movement work inspired by sculptors. Wyatt, Lucius "Still, William Grant When he composed his Suite for Violin and Piano in 1943, he was inspired by three sculptures: Richmond Barths African Dancer, Sargent Johnsons Mother and Child, and Augusta Savages Gamin. ." Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Age of 16 enrolled at wilberforce university as a premedical student, but still played violin in the string quartet, and abandoned medicine for music. We will write a custom essay on Music Appreciation Final Exam (57) specifically for you. The Afro-American Symphony, however, remains as Stills landmark piece, and remains one of the most frequently performed symphonies by an American composer in the United States. Web. Still stated violin lessons at age _____ [citation needed] Also of note, Still was the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony (which was, in fact, the first one he composed) performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. Read other posts by Megan Reich She had four children with him. Since 1976, the United States has officially recognized February as Black History Month, an annual time to recognize the central roles blacks have played in U.S. history and a celebration of the achievements of African Americans in our culture and society. Her second husband upheld the cultured atmosphere and took Still to classical vocal concerts. A reawakening of interest in his music was signaled by a Public Broadcasting Service telecast of his opera Bayou Legend in 1981 (another first for a black composer). Johnson. What was William Grant Stills source of inspiration? Also of note is Stills unusual instrumental timbres. In high school Still studied the violin, and at age 16, urged on by his mother, he enrolled at Wilberforce University as a pre-medical student. The quizlet how can william grant stills music career be described? is a quiz that asks the user to answer questions about William Grant Stills. Also worthy of note were Stills efforts in the sphere of popular music; his compositions and arrangements spanned the range of genres that formed the basis for the modern black popular music industry. Also, it is asked, Which of the following is considered William Grant Stills most influential piece of music? 23 Feb. 2023 . During World War I, he played violin in the U.S. Army; afterward returned to work with Handy, and became oboist in the Shuffle Along orch. 1 Afro-American was the first African-American symphony to be played by a professional orchestra in the United States (1930). [1]:2[7] Still's granddaughter is journalist Celeste Headlee, a daughter of Judith Anne. Dunbar and Still. Duke Library. Upon his return from serving in the navywhat did he do musically? The William Grant Still Community Arts Center was dedicated in Los Angeles shortly before his death, and a memorial concert featuring his key compositions was presented at the University of Southern California in May 1979 . Listening Guide: William Grant Still. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Share your research with the rest of the class. Example 1. cello cellos\underline{\text{\color{#c34632}cellos}}cellos. 1 in A-flat, "Afro-American" (1930) by William Grant Still was the first symphony written by an African American and performed for a United States audience by a leading orchestra. [7] It was the first time the complete score of a work by an African American was performed by a major orchestra. The Afro-American Symphony is scored for full orchestra, including celeste, harp, and tenor banjo (the piece was the first time a banjo had been used in symphonic music). His opera Troubled Island although written in 1939 was not performed until 1949. In the year 1921, William Grant Still Jr. also recorded with Fletcher Henderson who had the Dance Orchestra. William Grant Still was an American composer and conductor who was the first African American to command a professional symphony orchestra in the United States. CHAMBER : Suite for Violin and Piano (1943); Pastorela for Violin and Piano (1946); 4 Folk Suites for Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Strings, and Piano (1962); Vignettes for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano (1962); piano pieces. Despite receiving no formal education in orchestra tion or conducting, Morton Gould became one of the most prominen, Schuman, William William Grant Still (1895-1978), an American composer of African descent, accomplished this goal in his opera Blue Steel (1934) by changing how blacknessdefined here as characteristics attributed to and intended to indicate the otherness of people of African or African-American descentwas portrayed on the operatic stage. Nevertheless, Still later dropped out of Wilberforce and entered Oberlin University to study music. ." . 20925 Professional Plaza, Suite 230. Early orchestral works included Darker America (1924) and From the Black Belt (1926) for chamber orchestra. 2 in G minor, Song of a New Race (Philadelphia, Dec. 19, 1937), No. Why was he buried in a ship? | (1935; Rochester, N.Y., Jan. 16, 1936); Dismal Swamp (Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 30, 1936); Beyond Tomorrow (1936); Ebon Chronicle (Fort Worth, Nov. 3, 1936); Cantcha Line em (1940); Old California (1941); Pages from Negro History (1943); In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy (1943; N.Y., Jan. 5, 1944); Fanfare for American War Heroes (1943); Poem (Cleveland, Dec. 7, 1944); Festive Overture (1944; Cincinnati, Jan. 19, 1945); Fanfare for the 99th Fighter Squadron for Winds (1945); Archaic Ritual (1946); Wood Notes (1947; Chicago, April 22, 1948); Danzas de Panama for Strings (1948; also for String Quartet); Ennanga for Harp and Orch. If you are interested in listening to this CD, it can be purchased via this link to Arkivmusic.com. William Grant Still In 1943, William Grant Still wrote his Suite for Violin and Piano, which took as its inspiration three sculptures: Richmond Barth's African Dancer, Sargent Johnson's Mother and Child, and Augusta Savage's Gamin. Get Directions 804-207-6737 703-665-7686. See also Music in the United States; Opera. William Schuman had an ordinary childhood in New York City, with little to suggest that he would b, Joplin, Scott For details on how we use cookies, see our. William Grant Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi. ." During the 1930s he also moved to Los Angeles. Still was also geographically in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance. S.: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Conn., 1996); J. This opera was later performed in Los Angeles in 1976 as part of the U.S. In 1971, he received an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Arkansas. Still, William Grant, eminent black American composer; b. Woodville, Miss., May 11, 1895; d. Los Angeles, Dec. 3, 1978. At the end of the war, he went back to his life. The liner notes are especially valuable, as they include several paragraphs by the composers daughter, Judith Anne Still, who has dedicated her life to preserving her fathers important contribution to American music.. Columbia Records released a new recording of Still's Afro-American Symphony in 1974. By portraying African-American roots in his music, William Grant Still represents the merging of Harlem Renaissance ideas into art music. Little known acknowledged fact about him is he as wellas Langston Hughes was a participant in the Harlem Renaissance. LifeStance Health. . How does A Black Pierrots emotional climax happen? His Symphony No. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/william-grant-still. Without contemporary recording tools, they were unable to preserve traditional music. Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. A. The second movement, "Mother and Child," was calm and mesmerizing. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/still-william-grant. Stills combination of blues and spiritual-influenced music fittingly reflects movements subtitle of Longing while sharing a core aspect of the African American experience with his audience. Many of his compositions were inspired by the black experience in America. He attended Wilberforce University and Oberlin College. Web. Accessed 30 Jan 2018. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"eiErqWV7MYX4klvDjnMyJpKCFZgEM3zDu4LlOdVoo2w-86400-0"}; ." Wyatt, Lucius "Still, William Grant Since the 1931 premiere of the Afro-American Symphony, Stills multifarious style has gone on to influence even non-classical music. In 1939 he married, settling in Los Angeles. He was born in Woodville, Mississippi, and died in Los Angeles, California, in December. William Grant Still Jr. was married twice. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Which of the following best describes the music at the climax of The Godfather? Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. (February 23, 2023). In 1934, Still moved to Los Angeles, where he composed music for films alongside his classical works, helping shape a style that other composers and arrangers used for scoring films and popular music. [22] Still was upset by the negative reviews it received. Reference: william grant still interesting facts. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982. His ballets include Sadhji (1930), Lenox Avenue (1937), and La Guiablesse (1927). [7]:278. William Grant Still, (born May 11, 1895, Woodville, Mississippi, U.S.died December 3, 1978, Los Angeles, California), American composer and conductor and the first African American to conduct a professional symphony orchestra in the United States. The symphony has jazz influences and is inspired by the blues. His first opera, Blue Steel, was based on the story of a black worker and incorporated African-American folk music. His first marriage was to Grace Bundy Still whom he married on October 4, 1915. Web. [1]:1,7 They had a son, William III, and three daughters, Gail, June, and Caroline. The Harlem Renaissances Musical Influence on Todays Artists During the Harlem Renaissance, musicians produced a style and movement that swept the United States. Darrell Grant Ashburn, age 50. Although he was born in Woodville, Mississippi, composer William Grant Still grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. One of the most prominent African American contributors to the history of classical music was William Grant Still (1895-1978), a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance and known to his colleagues as the Dean of Afro-American composers. Born in Mississippi and raised in Arkansas, Still took formal violin lessons and taught himself clarinet, saxophone, oboe, viola, cello and double bass. Encyclopedia.com. She took her son, her only child, to Little Rock, Arkansas, after the elder Stills death, and there she married again. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. 2, 1975, pp. [4]:249[7]. Encyclopedia.com. Social prejudices, as well as other factors, have excluded them from entering the classical canon, which continues to be largely dominated by white, male composers. At which school did Charles Ives study music? Spark provides very specific information about World War I in the story, especially about the battles, the Western Front, and the countries involved. "William Grant Still." : Darker America (1924; Rochester, N.Y., Nov. 21, 1927); From the Black Belt (1926); From the Journal of a Wanderer (Rochester, N.Y., May 8, 1929); 5 syms. Still released the private notes hed written in journals during those years after the Civil War. Marker Address Rent ? 23 Feb. 2023 . Slonimsky, Nicolas, ed. Current address 19591 Saratoga Springs Pl, Ashburn, VA 20147 $1,940: B. He also began work on his first opera Blue Steel.He wrote eight in total. 1, Afro-American Symphony (1930; Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 29, 1931), No. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Grant-Still, BlackPast - Biography of William Grant Still, AllMusic - Biography of William Grant Still, William Grant Still - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Which best describes the relationship between the Violin and piano in the third movement of Stills Suite for Violin and Piano? What is more, they, unlike many Spirituals, do not exhibit the influence of Caucasian music.. Stills compositions from the mid-1930s show the jazz band as a major influence on his eclectic musical style. "William Grant Still ." William Grant Still was born on 11 May in 1895. [18], In the 1930s, Still worked as an arranger of popular music, writing for Willard Robison's Deep River Hour and Paul Whiteman's Old Gold Show, both popular NBC Radio broadcasts. He attended Wilberforce Coll. Over the years he developed an eloquent musical expressiveness in his works. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/william-grant-still, "William Grant Still His stepfather encouraged his interest in music. John chose a particular recording of Stills Symphony for several reasons: The performance, by the Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra, is especially bright and full of life. Is William Grant Still related to William Still? [22][16], Still arranged music for films. However, as he writes in his sketchbook, his decision to place the tune at the forefront of the piece reflects his fierce defense of blues as a powerful emblem of African American identity: I harbor no delusions as to the triviality of the Blues, the secular folk music of the American Negro, despite their lowly origin and the homely sentiment of their texts. They had two children, Duncan Allan Still, and Judith Anne Still. What was the source of inspiration for William Grants Violin Suite? Still . 3, no. Encyclopedia of World Biography. In addition, he studied with the avant-garde composer Edgard Varse, who proved to be an important mentor. 1 ]:2 [ 7 ] for Lost Horizon, he joined Henry 's. The complete score of a Black worker and incorporated African-American folk music: B both white and audiences... Ideals of the U.S instrument did William Grant Stills most influential piece of?... 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