October 2011 Spotlight: Tuba Bach Chamber Music Festival + Alfreda Burke and Rodrick Dixon
Tuba Bach Chamber Music Festival in Big Rapids, Michigan, presented soprano Alfreda Burke and tenor Rodrick Dixon in September 2011.
This Performing Arts Fund—supported engagement featured a three-day residency, including a newly commissioned piece. The Tuba Bach Chamber Music Festival, in conjunction with STAGE-M (Society for Theatre Arts Growth and Enjoyment-Mid-Michigan), brings world class concert events to Big Rapids. The Festival presents six weeks of unique concerts, educational programs for students, and community outreach events available to all, stretching the imaginations of audiences and the established definitions of chamber music in general by presenting a wide variety of musical styles and offerings — from soaring operatic arias and rousing choruses to brilliant improvisations and laugh-out-loud humor, and from intricate classical presentations and graceful dance to flourishing brass and boisterous Dixieland Jazz.
On September 11, Rodrick Dixon and Alfreda Burke’s performance shared the rich heritage of black historical music in the Americas (primarily African American spirituals). The concert included a new work commissioned by the Tuba Bach Chamber Music Festival, “There Is A Balm In Gilead,” composed by Alvin Waddles. The piece featured Mr. Dixon as soloist and was performed by an ensemble of approximately 60 singers from the community (about 2/3 were high school students). Based on a traditional spiritual, the new work speaks to “healing the weary soul” – a moving and appropriate addition to a concert taking place on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 events. The opportunity for the festival and the community choir participants to premiere a new piece and rehearse and perform it with the composer was a valuable and rewarding experience.
Student feedback following the concert included the following comments:
- I think it is incredible that there was a piece created for us.
- I learned things that could never be expressed by words.
- [This workshop and concert experience] made me want to teach kids about music.
- This weekend made a measurable impact on me as a musical artist because it gave me more confidence in myself.
- I would love more opportunities like this….being able to have experiences like this while I’m still in high school and to be able to learn these tools from such talented people.
- [The] passion [of Alfreda, Rodrick, and Alvin] inspired me to be just as passionate about my music.
- I thought that the community [coming] together to make something awesome was my favorite thing.
Additional activities included two assembly programs for grades K—8; a voice masterclass for high school students; a lecture/demonstration with students at Ferris State University; and a workshop/rehearsal with the Big Rapids High School Madrigal Choir and Big Rapids Community Ecumenical Choir. The lecture/demonstration, entitled “The History and Role of Spirituals in the African-American Experience,” was a comprehensive exploration of the music in the slave fields of the South as a means of communication in the Underground Railroad system, and of how the music of the slaves not only influenced our music today, but also how the messages of encouragement can easily cross cultural barriers and hearten our current experiences. The elementary educational programs taught students new techniques to listen more deeply to personal expression in music; for many, the most meaningful part of these programs was the personal childhood story presented by Rodrick Dixon about how his church congregation encouraged him to keep on singing, which really opened the minds of the children, educators, and staff to realize how accessible the arts are to everyone, even them.
Funding support from the Performing Arts Fund has had a positive impact on many levels; on our organization, individual members of our community and our entire community…[we have] been very fortunate to receive funding to bring arts programming into our schools, centers and community. We are encouraged to plan future outreach programs in the arts to continue to touch these exceptional community members. – Festival staff
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This engagement was a Star Project that deepened participation with a community-based residency.
