Melanated Moments in Classical Music Podcast Cues Season Five, Advancing Works By, For, and About Black People

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- 

On October 19, Classical Music Indy begins airing eight new episodes of Melanated Moments in Classical Music for its growing audience in over 100 countries and nearly 2000 cities. Co-hosts Angela Brown and Joshua Thompson are back with a season of guests and subjects that irrefutably illustrate the excellence of Black artists in the classical canon over three centuries. As in past seasons, the podcast leads the long overdue movement to promote awareness and deserved echelons to historically excluded artists and musical works. Their award-winning podcast has attracted an audience of mainly 24 to 44-year-olds.

Music sociologist and pianist Joshua Thompson, known to many as Sock Joplin on social media, says, "This season is exciting because of our intentional focus on organizations around the country that unapologetically promote comprehensive representation in classical music and programming. They have sketched out strategic blueprints for others to model how classical music can and should be framed well into the 21st century.”

Four of the eight episodes feature deep-dive interviews with national leaders of organizations whose missions align with the podcast. And four episodes delve into the music and careers of current, celebrated composers Jessie Montgomery and Tania Leon as well as the venerable, 18th-century violin virtuoso George Bridgetower and 20th-century trailblazing opera baritone Robert McFerrin, Sr. 

The interview episodes include Afton Battle, General Director of Fort Worth Opera; Terri Allen, Executive Director of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts; Liz Player, Founder and Director of Harlem Chamber Players; and Adam Eccleston, All Classical Portland’s Artist in Residence and Chair of their Recording Inclusivity Initiative. Each leader shares their organization’s successes, challenges, and aspirations in conversation with Angela and Joshua. Angela hopes listeners will tap into the synergy of these like-minded leaders: “These industry movers and shakers in classical music really get what we here at Melanated Moments have been preaching for the last four seasons -- that Black musicians have a voice and representation should be for all.”

Angela and Joshua are available for live presentations of Melanated Moments for school, university, and community concerts. The show comes to life with their outsized personalities and clever narrative alongside their live performances of works from the African diaspora. Companion classroom curriculum of six lessons for grades 9 through 12 is available on the Classical Music Indy website at https://classicalmusicindy.org/high-school-resources/ or by emailing Director of Community Engagement and Artist Services Eric Salazar: musicunites@classicalmusicindy.org.

Melanated Moments in Classical Music is made possible in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support comes from the Indy Arts Council and the City of Indianapolis. Season Five product partner is Indianapolis-based Auralex Acoustics, and promotional partner is Morning Brown, Inc.

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