Los Angeles Choral Group Tonality Affects Social Change and Fosters Empathy Through Contemporary Classical Performance

LOS ANGELES CHORAL GROUP TONALITY AFFECTS SOCIAL CHANGE AND FOSTERS EMPATHY THROUGH CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE

Bucklesweet Introduces Tonality

"Tonality came about because of my experiences as a Black classical musician and not seeing the equal respect for the music that represents my background.,” Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake shares about the formation of the award-winning, Los Angeles-based choral group Tonality. “It wasn’t until my junior year of undergrad that I even saw someone who looked like me leading a concert, and that’s when I knew I could do this.”

Growing up in North Carolina, Blake started singing gospel music in his church choir as a young boy, but as his interest in classical choral performance grew he noticed that gatekeeping during auditions, the emphasis on some performance techniques and musical styles over others, and other discriminatory practices did not encourage BIPOC artists to excel in classical music. As Blake—first a voice major and later focusing on choral conducting—continued through his graduate studies, he discussed his misgivings with other musical students of color, realizing that the feelings of othering ran deep and ended nascent careers before they even began. Blake realized he wanted to enact change within the world of choral performance by bringing together BIPOC classical singers and performers.

 While still working on his doctoral degree in Musical Arts at USC, Blake attended American Choral Directors Association’s regional conference. Moved while listening to a performance by Conspirare of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, about the brutal murder of a young gay man, Blake had an epiphany.

 “What really hit me was listening to the audience after the concert, hearing people talking about Matthew Shepard and LGBTQ issues. The recital hall became the space to have these important conversations and that's because of listening to this music.”

For the first time Blake saw the opportunity to bring together social justice activism and classical music in meaningful ways. Although he had not intended to start a choir while completing graduate school, Blake was inspired to contact other choral singers in the area and hold a rehearsal meeting, over 25 singers showed up for this first meeting in June 2016. Two weeks later when a choir had to back out of an event, the burgeoning new group took the spot and performed, which led to a series of church performances. Five years later, and Tonality has just celebrated its fifth year of uplifting diverse voices in classical settings, fostering empathy, and inciting change concerning social issues.

 Currently featuring over 25 singers, Tonality represents the ethnic and racial diversity of the greater Los Angeles area while amplifying the voices of classical singers of color. Tonality strives to commission and perform contemporary works that speak to social justice, human rights, and environmental issues, offering space for various non-profit organizations, encouraging conversations with audience, and showing up where it matters, such as performing at the March for Our Lives protest in 2018 in Los Angeles. Tonality practices intentionality and responsibility in subject matter, song selection, and performance style. The selected songs for Tonality’s performances and recordings determine the diverse musical styles from contemporary choral to pop music, gospel, acapella arrangements in a pop style, and jazz. Because of the musical and cultural diversity of the backgrounds of Tonality’s members, the group blends classical and popular styles seamlessly appealing to a wider audience.

 Tonality has performed in numerous film scores, adding vocal textures, depth, and warmth, to to original compositions from Michael Abels’ haunting compositions for Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, Disney’s The Lion King, Kris Bowers’ score for Space Jam: A New Legacy, the forthcoming HBO series The Time Traveler’s Wife, and the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect starring Jennifer Hudson, also composed by Bowers, whom Blake refers to as “trailblazer in the industry.”

 “It was really special and inspiring to watch him kind of bring me in as a new vocal contractor. Kris understands what that opportunity and representation means,” Blake continues. “There are very few contractors who get to work on feature films in our fields, so for him to trust me and trust Tonality with something as big as Space Jam really says a lot about his character. His bravery in trusting new people create possibilities for newer, younger artists.”

The admiration is mutual. “I’ve been a supporter and believer in Tonality, their work and their ethos, and I thought this score would be the perfect place to feature their talents.” Bowers shares.

With greater visibility in major television and film scores, Blake believes that Tonality can expand its mission and reach. Over the next several months, Tonality has many projects in store, from concerts to working on a to-be-announced film this fall to releasing their second album America Will Be on August 20th with Aerocade Music, featuring both original songs such as the stirring “Build Me Up” as well as new arrangements of classics “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “A Change is Gonna to Come.”

Tonality would like to plan a tour, bringing their inspirational music and uplifting messages to a wider audience. Returning again to the influence that Considering Matthew Shepard had on Blake, he hopes to commission more composers of color and from underrepresented groups to create new works for Tonality that tell stories of exceptional lives, stories of injustices or triumphing over biases and violence.

 “Music helps us redefine and expand what our sense of humanity is. By performing works that are less about political causes directly but more about stories that listeners can empathize with, that leads to engagement and incites change,” Blake states. “But until you really hear someone tell the story, and then you are involved in the music or in some type of art with them, then you move beyond arguing about the issues, but listening, learning, and making bigger changes in the world.”