Dissertation: Examining Musical Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman's Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn

I am happy to announce the completion of my DMA dissertation’s Examining Musical Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman's Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn.

A huge thank you to Valerie Coleman, Jonathan Page and Monica Ellis for agreeing to be interviewed for this huge project! I would also like to give a special thanks to my graduate committee members especially, Prof. Nina Assimakopoulos and Dr. Matthew Heap for their mentorship throughout my graduate studies.

I will be presenting my research at the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport on Saturday Feb 15 from 3:00-4:00 in the Sully Room.

Abstract:

The purpose of this research document is to examine elements of musical hybridity and cultural influences in renowned African-American flutist-composer Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn for solo flute and piano. Prominently known for her chamber music works, Coleman describes her compositional style as “urban-classical,” which infuses elements of popular American styles into modern Western art music traditions to highlight and encapsulate the cultural experiences of various diasporas of our time.

The most significant elements of hybridity and cultural influences examined in Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn are programmatic imagery and compositional motifs. The programmatic imagery is represented through Coleman’s creation of narrative tone poems by transforming poems by Fred D’Aguiar and Maya Angelou into music. This creates a specific storyline and mood in the listener’s mind. The melodic motifs serve as a compositional tool to create melody, rhythm, and harmonies that encompass influences from both inside and outside of the traditional realms of classical music. This study uses the hybridity inherent in Coleman’s style to create an analytical framework to explore her works for flute and piano.