This episode is brought to you by Juneteenth
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Welcome back to another episode of The Piano
Pod, everyone. This month marks a truly special
moment for our show. We are honoring Juneteenth,
a time to celebrate Black liberation, creativity,
and resilience. And what better way to close
out Season 5, a season dedicated to authenticity
and joy, than by partnering with Juneteenth LP
for two powerful episodes that spotlight the
voices shaping a more inclusive future for classical
music. I first met Dr. Nena Aguo, the visionary
pianist and founder of Juneteenth LP, when she
joined us as a guest last season. Since then,
our connection has grown into a meaningful collaboration,
and I am honored to celebrate the work she and
her ensemble have been doing for over a decade,
amplifying Black artistry and building community
through music. To commemorate this partnership,
I am thrilled to welcome two phenomenal guests
this month, Dr. Leah Claiborne and Dr. Maria
Thompson Corley, artists, educators, and thought
leaders who are boldly reshaping the musical
landscape. Today's guest, Dr. Leah Claiborne,
is a trailblazing pianist, educator, and advocate
for representation in classical music. As the
founder of Ebony Music, Inc., She is leading
a national movement to make piano music by Black
composers more accessible, visible, and celebrated.
Most recently, she spearheaded a monumental recording
project at Yamaha Studios, where 10 Black pianists
recorded over 100 works by Black composers, with
support from the Sphinx Foundation. Her groundbreaking
pedagogical publications through Hal Leonard
are already transforming how piano is taught
across the country. In this episode, we explore
the mission and national impact of Ebony Music
Inc., the making of the 100 -piece recording
project and what it revealed about legacy and
representation, how her educational resources
are reshaping piano pedagogy, and her bold, joyful
vision for the future of music education. Season
5 has been an incredible journey. 20 episodes,
21 phenomenal guests spanning 6 countries and
3 continents. Our YouTube community has grown
to over 2 ,900 subscribers and we saw a major
rise in our audio downloads as well. We launched
our sub stack where over 10 % of subscribers
are now VIPs and we were honored to be named
one of the three finalists for the 2025 Quill
Podcast Awards in the Best Video Podcast category.
And this is just the beginning. We are already
preparing for Season 6, launching in September,
with the themes of creativity and connection,
and an exciting lineup of guests ready to inspire,
challenge, and uplift. Plus, For the first time
ever, we are hosting a live event on October
4 at Stiefel Hall at the New School in collaboration
with Manus Prep, an evening of performance, conversation,
and community. So if you believe in the work
we are doing, uplifting bold voices, sparking
important conversations, and building community
in classical music, I invite you to support the
show by becoming a subscriber on Substack. thepianopod
.substack .com, you will receive early access
to episodes, behind -the -scenes reflections,
and curated playlists that keep the dialogue
going. This is a powerful and timely episode,
so please sit back and join me in welcoming the
remarkable Dr. Leah Claiborne to The Pianopod.
Please enjoy the show. You are listening to The
Piano Pod, where we talk to the brightest minds
in the industry about how they are bringing the
piano into the future and thriving in a complex,
ever -evolving world. Welcome to The Piano Pod,
Leah. It's truly wonderful to have you here and
your work as a pianist educator and an advocate
has been incredibly inspiring. And from, you
know, founding Ebony Music Inc. to reshaping
piano pedagogy through your scholarship recordings
and publications, you're helping redefine what
it means to be a classical musician today. So,
and then especially this episode, as we celebrate
Juneteenth this month, because this episode comes.
during the month of June. So it's an honor to
feature voices like yours. It's very important,
especially now, and voices that continue to enrich
and diversify the classical music landscape.
And so to start, here's my first question. If
you were to capture the essence of your artistry,
mission, passion in just a few sentences, how
would you define who you are as an artist today?
I would probably define... Well, one, I think
it's okay that this question that maybe five
years from now, I will change it, right? And
maybe five years previously, I would have changed
it too, right? But something I always think about
is one of my favorite artists, her name is Nina
Simone. And she always talks about the artist's
mission is to change the perspective of society
and to be a voice for the people of society.
And right now, just as I've been growing up,
The thing that's most important to me is making
sure that people feel seen in whatever space
that they're in. So beyond music, right? For
me, it is music. But what I try to do with my...
with my work, with my scholarship, is making
sure that people have perhaps a different perspective
of what classical music is and what it sounds
like, and then kind of challenging those perspectives
too. So if it's someone who looks like me, I
identify as a Black female on a concert stage,
and being willing to hear my story about that,
because when we share our stories, we can find
so many connections between us. broadening our
scope, challenging perspectives through music.
That would be probably my mission. Thank you.
Now, so you've built such a powerful and a far
reaching body of work from championing Black
composers to leading DI efforts, publishing,
launching major initiatives. So let's take a
moment to spotlight some of your most recent
recognitions and what they represent. So first
of all, Congrats to receive several major honors
in recent years, including the Stecker and Horowitz
Power of Innovation Award, which is a huge deal,
and a Yamaha's 40 Under 40 as a Yamaha artist.
And that's also a huge deal. And then the University
of Michigan Alumni Artist Award. So could you
tell us what each of those awards represent and
what they've meant to you personally and professionally?
Sure. Well, I'll start with the Stecker and Horwitz
Power of Innovation Award. That was given through
the Music Teachers National Association, an organization
which has been such an incredible organization
to be part of, especially as I fully left my
collegiate years and stepping into the professional
world as a pianist and teacher. But this award,
it had different pillars. If I'm remembering
correctly, one was artistic excellence. One is
pedagogical leadership. And I think impact, yeah,
impact and leadership are pedagogy. And if I
can talk a little bit about Stecker and Horowitz,
who have been just incredible pillars, what I
think a 21st century artist should be or could
aspire to be. These are two figures who are absolutely...
incredible pianists, but also with every performance
that they had, they're always giving back to
different communities and always looking to see
how can I help the next generation. And that's
something that really, really spoke to me. So
I applied for this award, I forget what year,
maybe 2022. And that was the inaugural year of
it. It's for artists who are, I believe the year
it's 36 and under in age. And they gave me this
award. And I have to say, since being a recipient
of the award, Steckman Horts have been incredible,
incredible mentors and heroes and people that
I still look up to. And they're still revolutionizing
music education to this day. They've given even
more money and more opportunities for the next
generation. So I'm a benefactor of that and still
reaping the benefits of that award. What was
the 40 under 40 for Yamaha? So that was an unexpected,
real honor. This was an award that is based on
nominations from teachers or students and community.
All the awards are very, you know, very heartfelt
to me, but I really, really, really feel grateful
when the community speaks up and says, this is
someone that we want to recognize. This is someone
who's impacting our families or our society.
And that's deeply really what that award was
about. And when you look at the roster of these
incredible teachers in America, the work that
they're doing is well beyond teaching, you know,
quarter notes and half notes, which is important,
right? But it's more about what are these teachers
doing in the lives of the people that they work
with every day? And how does that have that ripple
effect in the areas that they live? So that's
a lot of what. the 40 under 40 was. And then
the alumni award, yes, University of Michigan,
go blue. I just love my school so much. The school
that I graduated, I did my master's in DMA there.
And that was really... Just a wonderful time
to go back to the university that really nurtured
and started my journey with looking at music
by Black composers. I always tell people I never
touched a piece by a Black composer until I was
in graduate school and not even performing it
publicly until my DMA, well into my DMA. So that
was the place where it all started. So it was
really wonderful to come back. share with faculty
and students my journey, where it all started
and kind of where I'm at right now. So it's been
a great journey. It's been a great ride. And
I'm deeply honored for those type of recognitions.
Hello, my name is Dr. Leah Claiborne, and I am
founder of Ebony Music Incorporated, which is
a nonprofit organization that promotes Black
pianists and piano music by Black composers.
This week we are at Yamaha Studios in New York
City and me and nine other black pianists are
here to record 100 pieces by black composers.
This project is being sponsored by the Sphinx
Foundation and we are all incredibly excited
to be in New York City and recording these pieces.
I am so excited to be sharing the music that
you will be hearing as coming out of this project.
Then let's talk about really the career -defining
milestone, which is the Ebony Music, Inc., which
is the organization you founded to promote Black
pianists and then the music of Black composers,
right? Yes, that's right. Yeah, so, you know,
it's interesting. I don't consider ebony music
the, you know, like a career defining moment.
And that's mainly because the work had been happening
for many years prior to starting, you know, officially
getting that legal nonprofit status. So really,
I have to credit my years at University of Michigan,
because that's when I had developed a program
where Black youth would come into the University
of Michigan, and I would teach them piano for
free every Saturday. And this was, this was,
it was a love project and a passion project.
I kind of used them a little bit as guinea pigs
for my dissertation work because I was researching
piano music by Black composers, but I just didn't
want it to be music that I liked. I wanted to
see how could this help or what would be the
pedagogical benefits for this demographic, for
these students. So I did that for several years
as a student and it well exceeded my expectation.
I thought that I was, you know, building community
and that is... But what I also realize is that
when you build community, again, you have parents
that are being exposed to aspects of music that
they've never been to exposed to before you have
definitely the students are opening their eyes
up of possibilities of what it could mean, not
just to be an artist, but what it means to come
every week and work hard at something, you know,
I Just received a text yesterday from my advisor,
Dr. John Ellis, who leads the pedagogy area there,
showing me pictures of the program. They just
had their final, you know, their end of the year
recital. And it's so, so nice when... A person
who creates a program can leave, right? And the
community still says, this is something that's
important to us. This is what we want to continue
to do. So really, that is the place where it
all started for me. Really looking at the demographic
of Black youth and making sure that they had
good representatives of what a life in classical
music could look like. And that that can look
like someone who looks like them. The music that
they're studying, they can also have representation
of people who look like them. Although that was
the start of it, what I realized very quickly,
no matter your skin tone, right? White, Black,
Asian, Hispanic, doesn't matter. This music is
fantastic music that everyone can benefit from.
And when we broaden our understanding of... classical
music, I think in that aspect that all music
is beneficial and all music is so worthy to be
performed and studied and shared that that's
really what can help bridge understanding and
allow our awareness to be even larger of everything
that this field has to offer us. So what you
started as something grassroots work, let's say,
while you were studying at the University of
Michigan and then the neighborhood kids would
come and you're basically teaching piano, right?
Yes. But you're trying to make an effort, try
to engage with them. Yes. Yeah. Instead of just,
oh, here's Mozart, here's Beethoven. But, right.
So then became this years later. So that's very
interesting that, I guess, years of hard work
of grassroots and that became the inspiration.
For sure. For sure. And I think it's a continued
journey, right? That keeps going because it started
that way. And then I'll definitely say during
COVID, right? When we're all locked down, right?
That also became like this other wave where...
I realized I was put into different organizations
and institutions, right? Where the collective
starts getting larger and larger, right? So my
own network of being exposed and partnering with
other Black pianists and other Black musicians
is growing as well. And you realize we all have
the same, very similar stories, different lives,
but similar stories. So we started... really
building community in that aspect. So yeah, it
was kind of it was bringing all of these things
together community within, you know, the next
generation, but community, really for myself,
as well, you know, like, where I'm not the only
one out here. And you know, these other people
are not the only ones out here, that there's
huge, beautiful power in numbers. Wow, Ben. Very
recently, which is last year, your organization
was awarded a major grant from the Sphinx Venture
Fund. That's correct. The Sphinx organization,
yes. To support a bold and unprecedented project,
which is the 100 Works by Black Composers project.
Can you tell us about this whole thing, how it
happened, and also how's it going? Yeah, great
question. How's it going? Yeah, so this was,
it's through the Sphinx organization. And Sphinx
is an incredible, really incredible organization
that promotes Black and Latinx classical musicians.
really, really big. And orchestra has done so
much work with bringing advocacy and awareness
of representation, or I should say the lack of
representation within orchestras. This project,
the Sphinx Venture Fund, it's a grant that allows
organizations to I believe their words are transformed
the understanding of classical music in some
capacity. So what I wanted to do was to find
a way to amplify the work that I was already
doing. And what I wanted to really, really highlight,
first and foremost, is that there have been so
many incredible Black classical pianists. I would
not be where I am today without the generation
before me. They wouldn't be where they are today
without the generation before them, right? So,
you know, in pedagogy, we love to talk about
the lineage, right? The lineage of teachers are
like, I'm, you know, five generations removed
from Rachmaninoff, right? We deeply have that
in the Black community too. And when we come
together, we can hear these stories and it's
just such a beautiful collective. So that is
something that I wanted to highlight. And I believe
that was done and it's continuing to be done
through this recording project where me and nine
other Black pianists came together at Yamaha
Studio in New York. Yamaha was absolutely wonderful
and allowed us to come in there to their studio
for a week. Each performed at least 10 pieces
by Black composers. The total is like 122 pieces
that we were able to record in that first year.
That was in July of 2024. And each of us performed
music at the beginning level, intermediate, and
advanced level. And that was really important
for me because... I'll probably share later on,
but when these recordings are available, I wanted,
you know, the youngest pianist to be able to
see, you know, like we have Michelle Kan, a Grammy
award winning, you know, pianist. Maybe they'll
be reminded, hey, Michelle Kan at some point
had to learn where middle C was, right? And she
kept up with it. And now, you know, she just
won a Grammy. So it was important that all of
us were. recording music at all these different
pedagogical levels so that there would be a great
entry point for anyone who wanted to be exposed
or learn a little bit more about this music.
The second round of this grant is that we're
commissioning 10 composers to write pedagogically
as well at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced
levels. They'll be working with the pianists
that were part of their recording project. And
then we'll do another round of recording of those
commissioned works as well. So that's the scope
of the project. It's going well. I think it's
going well. Yeah. Wow. So it's ongoing. Yes,
it's ongoing. It's still continuing. We finished
the first round, which was like the 122 recordings.
We have a few albums that will come out from
that. And then this year, once we're in May right
now, but once this academic year comes to a close,
I'll be able to start working on the commissioning
aspect of it as well. Wow. Yes. So that is spectacular.
Thank you. I've been having a really fun time.
It's been a good time. But, you know, projects
like this, it's not just happened overnight or
it's not an overnight idea. It's really definitely
coming from the grassroots work that you started
in Michigan, right? For sure. For sure. Definitely.
I'm always thinking about what I needed. When
I was starting piano, you know, whether it was
more community, seeing more people who look like
me, I think that would have made my time at different
stages a lot easier. Also seeing people that
I would want to aspire to be that look like me,
you know, or having music. by, by people who
looks like me, it would, it would have solidified
my place and belonging. I think earlier on, instead
of more questionings or doubt even. So I definitely,
I think that's, that's truly the heart of this
mission. Now tell us about those 10 amazing black
pianists. So, yeah. So you mentioned that there's
a first round you already taped and the second,
third around all these 10 pianists, are they
going to be in this? like first and second and
third rounds, like all the same? That's the hope.
Okay. Let me tell you about the pianist for the
first round of this. Yes. And the hope is that
we, you know, we would have the same pianist
for the second round of this when the commissioning
project comes. But it's been so wonderful to
not only record with pianists who I... just tremendously
respect their artistry, but have absolutely become
dear friends as well. And that just made this
project even more special. So we had William
Chapman Nyaho, who's a dear friend, beautiful
person, definitely has become a huge mentor.
And I always tell this story that I knew about
Nyaho's works well before I ever met him, right?
And I remember thinking, wow, like if someone
like Miyaho did this, it's possible, right? It's
possible for me to do that as well. So all this
to say, he's on the recording project. He's on
this recording project because I would not have
even been able to start my dissertation work
had it not been for the foundation that he created.
I always get emotional when I talk about Miyaho.
And then we also have Karen Wallin, Dr. Karen
Wallin. Also huge figure, the very first pianist
to be able to record Florence Price Piano Concerto.
She has dedicated her life to programming and
bringing so much awareness to Florence Price.
This is also well before the industry even put
a spotlight and said, who is this figure, Florence
Price, right? Karen was at Howard University,
which was down the street from my institution.
So it's always been wonderful to be in D .C.
and to have a figure like her to talk about this
journey, being a Black female pianist. And then
we had Maria Thompson Corley. Just a wonderful
powerhouse, powerhouse pianist. She actually
is the second guest of this month. So I was able
to book her. Yes, I'm so happy. You will love
it. You will love her. It's going to be a good
time. What a delight she is. She recorded so
much music for us. I came to know Maria's works
through Leslie Adams' etudes. And I believe she
recorded two of the etudes and many, many other
works as well. She has two incredible albums.
I'll say historic albums of Black female composers.
So it was wonderful to have her voice on it.
What you'll notice with the artists, they're
different generations. you know, of artistry
on here. And that was important to showcase.
We also have Artina McCain, who I know is on
your show. Yes, fantastic. Absolutely incredible,
incredible musician, pianist. She did two world
premieres, actually, of Joseph Joubert. And I'm
so excited for everyone to hear these pieces.
We had Michelle Kan. As I said, she did an all
-Black female recording for us. We had Joe Williams
out in Seattle, Washington. He did a program
of all living composers. He really advocates
representation of millennials, right? And that
we're still here, we're out here, and we're doing
great work. And then we had, who am I forgetting?
Who am I forgetting? Elizabeth Hill, Dr. Hill.
She's also here out in the DC area. Did wonderful,
wonderful recordings of William Grant Steele,
who is one of my first Black composers I ever
performed. And we had, I'm so sorry. Did you
also invite Kyle? Thank you. Kyle Walker. Yes,
because I interviewed him and I remember. Amazing.
Yes. Three, two seasons ago. Yes. Yes. Yes. Kyle.
Kyle is on this wonderful recordings. Irene Britton
Smith, Samuel Coleridge Taylor. He did a few
of my pieces in my publication as well for young
students. And then we had Lewis Warren as well.
I think that's the 10th one. Lewis Warren. I
learned of Lewis's work. He won. uh the mtna
um i guess there was the collegiate level or
the young artists competition um i think he also
won the chopin prize that year and then he took
on the ebony prize as well um so he just kind
of did like you know clean clean sweep there
um and one of the pieces he he performed is by
anthony green living composer Oh my goodness,
I cannot wait for you all to hear that fugue.
It's an etude and a fugue mixed together. It's
just definitely for your most advanced artists.
But yeah, I hope I didn't leave anyone out. I
believe that's all of them. And like I said,
we all were able to record music that we loved
the most. And then also... recording music that,
you know, the beginning pianist or the intermediate
pianist will be able to listen and hear a great
artist perform that piece as well. Wow. But those
are like name dropping that you did. I get excited
all the time thinking about it, you know? And
it was just, the music was, you know, the forefront
of this project, right? But there was something
so special. about all of us being together in
New York, right? And I realized that was bigger
and more impactful than anything, really. Just
to sit at a table together in fellowship and
just say, I love you. I love the work that you're
doing, you know, fangirling this entire time.
Yeah, just to be in community with each other
and to continue that well after this recording
project has been really, really special and amazing.
But to be able to curate that and organize everything.
Yeah. What a visionary you are. Thank you. Yeah.
Then is there any moment where, wow, this is
a big shock or surprise or, you know, by doing
this, especially with this particular project
or maybe a surprising discovery, for example,
you discovered a new artist, a new, you know,
composer, that sort of thing. Definitely. You
know, when I was thinking about getting the music
together for this recording, I had like my top
100 pieces, if you will, that I wanted to record.
And then it was more about thinking about, okay,
well, who would I want to give this piece to?
Or who would I want to give this piece to? And
the reason why behind that, right? And then there
became a point when I realized it also might
be wonderful just to open this up to say, hey,
I would love for you to be on this project. What
works are speaking to you right now? So I would
say most people, most of the pianists at least
recorded three advanced pieces. And those are
the pieces that I had nothing to do with. It
was the works that they were either concertizing
or they said, this is what I want to be, you
know, to offer for this. The other part of it
was a shock. And in the best way possible was.
For example, Joe Williams, he offered so many
pieces for me at that intermediate or late beginning
level, which honestly, I felt like that was my
area, my specialty of scholarship, right? But
to know that living composers and young, like
under 40 composers are writing for young people,
for young pianists, that was new to me. So the
whole entire process was a lot of discovery.
you know, as you keep learning, you realize how
much you don't know, right? And that was definitely
that moment. I was like, wow, I thought I understood
this literature pretty well, especially at the
beginning level. But even then, when you bring
more people, you know, to the gathering, you
start to learn from each other. With literature,
I'm still learning constantly and I'm learning
through these artists. So that was a big wow
and a shocker. And I'm so glad that I went with
the route of bring what you want to the table.
And there can be a bit of collaboration in that
aspect too. So yeah, I think that was really
good for me. That's fantastic. Now then, how
are we able to access to your, is it going to
be streamed on music services and also videos
available? Yes. Some publications. Can you tell
us? Yes. All the above. Oh, wow. That's awesome.
So the first album will come out in August of
this year, August 2025. And the first album is
geared towards children, because that for me,
that's always the heart, the heart of it. And
this is not to say that this is music, that all
the music is. is music that maybe your five,
six, or seven -year -old can play, but it is
music that I believe will inspire them to think
about fantasy or imagination or get them excited
about music at large. So the first album that's
coming out, this will be coming out through Parma
Records, and we're titling it Arise and Shine,
Piano Music by Black Composers for Kids. All
10 pianists will be represented on this album.
And once that is available, we'll also have open
access through YouTube channels, through social
media of the videography that was taken as well.
We had the most incredible videographer on this
project as well. The music is wonderful, but
it's also important that they see the person,
the artist behind creating this music. And also
pedagogically, there's some really fun things
happening. So we have a great bird's eye view
that's happening so that, you know, pianists
can see, you know, fingering and all the fun
things that are happening kind of behind the
scenes or behind the piano. So that will be all
open access. We'll have another album coming
out, which. I don't have a title just yet, but
I have signed the contract, so it's fine. It'll
also be through Palmer Records, and that'll be
somewhat of our top 10. Each artist on the recording
project, it's one of their best features of the
recording session or a piece that really speaks
to them or was an important step in their journey.
So that will come out in early of 2026. Wow.
Do you have a website for your organization?
Yes, these will also be available on my website,
which is ebonymusic .org. And Parma will also
be creating a site specifically for these, for
the albums that are coming out as well. And we
are in the early stages of talking, but there
will be another, there will be a publication
as well. So that when you're listening to the
music, you can say, hey, I want to play that
and it's readily available as well. Oh, as a
score, as a sheet music. Wonderful. That's wonderful.
And then so helpful and educational, too, in
so many ways. Yeah, it's been really wonderful
for me to witness is that Ebony Music also sponsors
the Ebony Prize at Music Teachers National Association.
So this is a prize for the best performance of
the piece by a Black composer at the national
level. And it's been such an honor to listen
to the music that's coming out of these incredible
children, you know, young artists and young pianists
each year. I believe this is the third year that
we've done or sponsored the prize. And it's so
encouraging to hear even before the competition.
Teachers reaching out and sharing their exposure
to this music and how much it has helped them
or how much it's helped their studio or their
student. If it's their first time, how much they've
enjoyed programming it or doing it for a competition.
So it's helpful to me because sometimes I think
we always feel like I wish I could be doing more
or it's just not enough. And those those type
of emails, it really. it gives me the motivation
to keep going. So I'm very grateful for the teachers
across the country. Also at large, there's quite,
there's quite, there's a lot happening too, you
know, in Europe as well with my publication.
So it's really wonderful to see that the impact,
I guess you could say, that teachers are utilizing
this music. Before we continue, we'd like to
take a moment to highlight our sponsor of the
month, Juneteenth LP, an inspiring organization
and ensemble dedicated to celebrating Black artistry,
history, and legacy through music. Their support
makes this episode possible. Hello! I'm Dr. Nena
Ogwo, pianist and founder of Juneteenth LP, a
Harlem -based collective of Black classically
trained musicians dedicated to celebrating the
music of the African diaspora through bold, genre
-defying performances that redefine what classical
music can be and who it's for. At Juneteenth
LP, we believe in access, outreach, and community
building through music. Whether we're performing
a rarely heard music, piece of music by a Black
composer, or reimagining soul and gospel classics,
or creating immersive education modules. for
schools, we're always expanding and growing audiences.
When we play, we invite listeners into a richer,
more inclusive musical world. This year marks
a huge milestone for us, 10 years of our Juneteenth
celebration at Joe's Pub. What started as a single
night of music and liberation has blossomed into
a full week of concert and events, thanks to
support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council,
the Aaron Copland Fund, and Chamber Music America.
We are thrilled to invite you to Juneteenth Festival
Week 2025, a week of concerts and conversations
across New York City. We kick things off with
Portrait of an Artist event at Reservoir Studios
in Midtown Manhattan. And continue on with a
noonday concert at Interchurch Center, followed
by date night performances at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Finally, on Juneteenth at 6 .30
p .m., June 19th, join us. for our 10th annual
Juneteenth Celebration Concert at Joe's Pub.
It's our signature event where genre -defying
performances, powerful storytelling, and a spirit
of joy come together in one unforgettable night.
We're also so excited to be sponsoring the June
episodes of Yakimi Songs, the PianoPod podcast,
wrapping up Season 5. Pianist Dr. Leah Claiborne
and Dr. Maria Thompson -Corley are incredible
artists and educators with truly fascinating
lives, and these interviews promise to be absolutely
captivating. At Juneteenth LP, we center representation,
cultural connection, and musical excellence.
Whether through performances, education, archival
work, our goal is simple, to make classical music
more inclusive and more expansive. We're reimagining
what classical music can be by honoring its past,
transforming its present, and opening doors for
the future. Please join us on the 19th at Joe's
Pub for a wonderful, wonderful concert. We know
you'll enjoy it. You shared in the guest form
because I asked each guest to fill out the guest
form. And then what struck me was that you mentioned
that being the only Black person in classical
music spaces gave you a unique perspective on
the gaps in performance pedagogy and education.
Now, that kind of awareness so early in your
musical professional journey speaks to a really
deep... clarity about who you are as an artist
as a person and how you want to shape the field
before we dive deeper into how that awareness
evolved into your mission and so on i'd love
to rewind our time and they hear about the early
influences that shaped your path so can you take
us back to the beginning how did your musical
journey start and what role did your upbringing
and community play in shaping your early passion
for the piano Yes. Well, my my upbringing is
laid the foundation for everything. And it still
does. And, you know, very much of my my dad is
a jazz bass player. So there's always jazz music
in my household. I will say, you know, it's not
that there was classical music in my household.
I think that's important because my first love
was jazz music. I did not know about Beethoven
or Bach or Mozart, right? I didn't know any of
these composers. So my first love was jazz. And
not only was the music exciting to me. I loved
how my dad would talk about these artists, that
these were not just musicians, but these were
citizens who were changing the world through
music. That they were saying, hey, in my society,
in my community, my community is not being treated
fairly. And how can I use my talent of art to
change perspectives, right? I thought that...
I always put musician and activist or activism
together. I thought that that's just what artists
did. So because that was my foundation, I just
thought, you know, being a musician must be the
best thing that you could aspire to be. So I
started with a teacher who lived, you know. pretty
close, pretty close to me. And she started me
with classical music. And not just started with
me, started me with classical music, but she
developed such a huge love for these composers.
And that's why I stuck with it. I definitely
wanted, I realized that my first love was jazz,
but I... created a new love right with classical
with classical music and even with that in the
back of my mind I was still thinking there seems
to be this divide though right in the jazz world
that's um you know that was my first love and
not only first love but I definitely saw more
people who looked like my family members or you
know my dad and you know the reason I started
it and then in the classical world also a huge
love for this um for this music Not seeing anyone
who looked like me. Not always not seeing anyone,
but also not really having the musical language
that first got me into this space. But I was
still very much okay with that. My parents were
so good. And I think probably intentional that
I was often in spaces where I was the only Black
person. Same with my sister, all doing other
extracurricular activities where we were the
only Black person. And I think they normalized
that for us. And I'm so glad that they did because
what they taught us was that. Community is what
we create. You can get that within family, right?
You can have your music community. You can have
your Girl Scouts community. You can have your
church community, right? And all of those different
types of communities, it's what helps create
the overall individual. So I wasn't necessarily
looking at the time. um for more representation
in classical music um i felt very secure uh in
who i was i knew where i came from and i i had
my feeling of family and community in other spaces
um it really wasn't until i got into school um
excuse me when i was in my undergrad manhattan
school of music um and you know really thinking
seriously it definitely when i got to michigan
as well university of michigan where i did my
master's in dma um that's when you start thinking
you know What is my place in classical music?
Do I have something to offer? And if the answer
is yes, would anyone even be willing to listen
to anything that I have to say? So I started
kind of, you know, going back and forth a little
bit in my mind, still very sure that this is
what I wanted to do. Just not sure how that road
would look. And I keep going back to my parents,
but I'm so grateful that my start of this world
of music was understanding that musicians were
the ones that were changing their communities.
And I felt invigorated all over again to get
back to where it started from. If that's the
case, you know, Thelonious Monk and Nina Simone,
right? And Miles Davis, if they did it, you know,
they were these change agents. How can I do that
in classical music? So that's, you know, when
I got to Michigan, in a way, I feel like I was
able to start that in, as you said, I love it,
like in this grassroots type of way. And once
I did, I mean, it felt so right. It felt so right.
I felt that I understood my purpose. I felt like
I was living out my purpose and my calling. And
I'm grateful that I often keep having those moments.
And that really, really centers me. Yeah, but
your purpose and mission is clearly being stated.
Whatever you do, I can really sense that. And
I guess also university was. support being supportive
especially university of michigan uh of the projects
and also were you discovering a lot more black
composers then for sure yeah you know michigan
was it was um it was just the perfect it was
perfect in many ways it was a great institution
but The people who became my mentors were the
best people to be my mentors. The person who
was in charge of the pedagogy area, Dr. John
Ellis, one of his teachers was a Black composer,
Black pianist, and he knew so much already about
the literature. I didn't know anything, right?
So he was such an incredible guide to me and
for me and continues to be. I also was part of,
within the community, it was called Ypsilanti
Community. I was part of a church that was part
of a larger church network. And in that network,
there is a gentleman, a great man, a great giant
in the classical music industry, certainly in
the Black classical music world, of Dr. Willis
Patterson. He was the first Black dean at University
of Michigan in the School of Music, Theater and
Arts, and had this revolutionary anthology for
voice of art songs by Black composers. Really
incredible work. Well before it was, you know,
popular to do so. And for whatever reason, and
I'm so grateful for whatever that reason was,
but he definitely took me under his wing while
I was at University of Michigan. We had so many
lunch dates, so many talks, so many phone calls.
And he really laid out the foundation of what
it meant to build and get support for your community
before you do anything. So with John Ellis, Willis
Patterson, my love for students in the next,
you know. making sure the next generation were
well equipped. It really just became the beautiful
scenery for that to take place. My own teacher,
my piano teacher, Arthur Green. Also, hugely,
hugely helpful, because any time I came to the
lesson with with music by black composers, he
wanted and expected the best from me in the same
way that, you know, if I was performing a Beethoven
sonata, the level of excellence he demanded was
was absolutely right and what was needed. So
I I just had the best people. to learn from and
who helped make these visions or ideas just come
to life. Yeah. you mentioned uh dr artina mccain
and she who was also you know the guest actually
this season but honestly seems it seems like
a long time ago because it was when i interviewed
her it was september 2024. oh wow okay So a lot
had happened, right? Yeah, for sure. A lot's
happened since then. I know. At the time, our
conversation was like really hopeful. And so
then, of course, November happens. And so I asked
a similar question to her. So I'm going to ask
you, but I think the context is a little different.
Now, conversations around DEI, you know. at one
point once at the forefront and now feel more
cause we have to be careful or you know you don't
want to risk it that time has moved so fast and
what was once galvanizing in 2020 can feel really
vulnerable and distant I wouldn't say distant
it's pretty much really close to my heart too
but vulnerable so as much as you feel comfortable
sharing I'd love to ask How are we doing? Not
politically. That's nothing we can do except
for voting and so on. But in music education
and performing arts. So what real progress have
you seen despite the circumstances? And where
do you feel the work is still unfinished? Sure.
I mean, it's a loaded question. It's loaded.
But I will say whatever I would have said in
September 2024, it remains the same for, what
is this, May 2025, despite leadership changing
in the country and despite the feelings around
that. That hasn't changed my feelings on what
is needed still in this field of classical music.
Sometimes I it seems funny or, you know, maybe
eye rolling, but sometimes I have to remind people
that, you know, I'm black and, you know, I was
born black. Right. And because of that, I don't
have the luxury of other people to, you know,
change a name or change a title or to kind of.
erase something to make it more acceptable or
adaptable to other people, right? Other colleagues
of mine do have that luxury. But because I don't,
and even if I did, I don't think I would exert
that. Because I think it is so incredibly beautiful
when we can look at each other and say, I see
you for all that you are, which is a black female
classical pianist. And that is worthy to be celebrated,
that I don't need to mute myself or anyone that
looks like me who is offering something to this
field based on their identity. So because of
that, we still have work to do, right? We have
a lot of work to do. What I have seen was that
in 2020, there was a huge wave of this work of
bringing more voices to the field, to classical
music, whether it's in performance, maybe a little
bit in teaching. I think that we've done a good
job. We always can do more of concertizing more
music by different composers. Where my heart
is, which I still think needs so, so much more
attention, is making sure that our youth is well
equipped with this music. And I always target
the youth first because we as teachers, we always,
I feel we have the most power. Because when we
keep teaching Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart, we're
telling that generation and their parents and
the community, right, that these are the most
important voices. And they are great voices.
But there's also other voices, right, that has
created so, so much literature for our field.
And then if we were to start that awareness early
on, we wouldn't have to unteach or do so much
unlearning later on in their journey. So I do
feel that in the education or specifically the
pedagogy aspect of classical music, that there's
a lot, a lot more work to be done. And that's
what I believe is what a lot of my work is, is
equipping teachers to have the resources to do
so. Yeah. Does that answer? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sure, sure. I know it's such a big question.
And I included several questions into one. Yeah.
Then I think including works by composers of
color in our pedagogy is so crucial, not just
in teaching, but competitions and concert programs,
which is happening. Now. And your work really
has made such a remarkable impact, not just through
your personal work, but through other organizations
like Francis Clark Center and so on. And I think
you are the director of DEI. Yes. Right. Amazing.
So now as a teacher, I've also at the same time,
I observed how some students or even parents
without. any harmful or negative intention still
believe that playing what some still consider
the standard or usual suspects we call it, you
know, a repertoire carries more weight and prestige.
That's their mindset. And it's, it takes a lot
to. really change that mindset you know what
i mean yes for sure that's why you're doing what
you're doing being an advocate right 100 yes
and you know i'm also i have to remind myself
that real change is not something that's going
to happen overnight yeah you know i think real
change is something that's going to take generations
after generations to really um to really have
the change that we want, where it's something
so rooted within us that that now becomes a new
makeup, like new identity, new DNA, right? And
I think what we're aiming for is that we are
able to normalize many different voices in classical
music, that we can celebrate Bach and Beethoven
who have stood, you know, the testament of time.
But along with that, we can also celebrate Margaret
Bond and Florence Price and Nathaniel Dead and
William Grant Still at the same level as the
other standard composers, right? And I don't
know, I don't believe we'll get to that point,
probably even my generation, my lifetime, right?
And maybe it'll be even better for my nephews,
and maybe it'll be even better for their children,
right? But the point of it is that, you know,
without Miyako and Karen, I wouldn't be where
I am today, right? When they were doing this
work, when, you know, there was no spotlight
or hardly any celebration, right? And now there's
this huge flood of at least curiosity. So I get
excited thinking about maybe, you know, 70 years
from now, what it will look like. And maybe 140
years from now, what it will look like. But we
all have a job to do while we're on this earth
now. So that's what my aim is, to do as much
as I can, as well as I can for now, knowing that
the work that really needs to be done, hopefully
it gets carried off to more people. Yeah, that's
my biggest hope. And you are also a dedicated
educator, and you've said that teachers, fellow
teachers, hold immense power in shaping the narrative
of what we are just talking about, how music
is taught and what sort of music is taught. So
what would you say to a teacher who genuinely
wants to make their music lessons more inclusive
and reflective of today's society, but feels
unsure? Where to begin? Yeah, it's such an important
question because it's a question that I always
get. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. You know, and it's
funny because I feel that whenever I do a lecture,
you know, I'll be presenting music by Black composers
or in some type of capacity, and then I'll get
the hand and say, this was phenomenal. But I
don't know if I'm the person to teach it, right?
It's that like... It's this isn't for me type
of thing or how what are the first steps that
I can take? And I don't know if it's OK, but
really one of the one of the courses. piano teaching
through the lens of diversity equity inclusion
um that will that we published i published the
francis clark center um it talks about those
first steps for piano teachers and it has a lot
of different um teachers throughout the country
um kind of talking about and giving interviews
of their their first steps if you will um in
this and there are a couple things many things
that we can do but something as simple as when
we share even videos, right? That when we share
videos of a Mozart Sonata or a Clementi Sonatina,
right? We can also broaden people's awareness
by the artist that we choose who's performing
the music, right? Something with starting to,
you know, broaden the exposure of what it looks
like to be a classical pianist is a huge step
before we even might even, you know, put a piece
by, you know, a different, uh, underrepresented
composer in front of them. Um, the other part
that I, that I love to do, um, with, with people
in my studio, there's so much teaching that has
to be done for the parent. I would think more
so than the student because parents have their
level of expectation as well. Right. Of what
their students should be performing or what they
want to be hearing in their home, you know, during
their practice hours or the music that they keep
hearing is winning competitions. So. One thing
that I do, I like to teach my parents about this
music as well. Whether it's women composers or
Black composers or Filipino composers or Brazilian
composers or Asian composers, right? I highlight
a composer a month. And the parent gets to learn
about it. The student gets to learn about them.
We collectively create YouTube videos. So there's
a great playlist by the end of the month, right?
So that is, it's education, right? And that's
not just about taking a piece and plopping it
in front of a student and say, we're going to
learn this piece. It's creating a foundation
of, again, I keep saying, opening up awareness
of all these other voices that have contributed.
So even if we feel that you're a teacher and
you don't feel that you're equipped just yet
to teach a piece by an underrepresented composer,
there's so much you can still do, right? In the
meantime, while you're still gaining your tools
and your resources or seeking out help from colleagues,
that doesn't mean that we have to be stagnant
in our development of exposing our communities
to this music. There's so many other steps that
we can be taking along the way. Yeah. And one
of the ways maybe our listeners can be more...
being informed and also educational is maybe
you offer courses. One is out of, of course,
the University of the District of Columbia, which,
right? Yeah. Yeah. History of African -American
music. But of course, that's for someone who
are, you know, participating or the student of
the university. But then there's another. way
to do which is the online course unsung heroes
20 pieces by the black composers to use in your
studio now is this is this course still available
uh the course is still available yes that's through
the francis clark center yeah um that course
is available um francis just has so many courses
you all have to you know there's you know at
this point i just feel there are so many resources
so many resources available um so there's the
20 you said the title yes yes unsung heroes 20
pieces by black composers there's that one there's
the um the teaching um Teaching piano through
the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion. I know
that you had, I think you had people from A Seat
at the Piano on the podcast. They had, they created
the women's course. There's the Latin American
course. I think that's close to 100 pieces by
Latin American composers. And just so many, so
many courses that are available for teachers.
And what I love about the center, the Francis
Clark Center, it's the courses are not just here's
this piece, right? It's really deeply diving
into what student is going to benefit from this
piece. What are the first steps that a teacher
is going to take? Throughout the process, what
are some aspects that you're going to want to
make sure that you're, you know, kind of checking
off to help with their development and their
journey? So these are really, really wonderful
courses that anyone, teacher, student, could
take right now to help with those first steps.
And also, I purchased your... Oh, my goodness.
I purchased actually when they came out. I have
two volumes, but I just can't find the level
one right now. That's okay. This was published
about two years ago, no? Was it 2020? I think
they came out 2023. I think you're right. Yeah,
I saw your post and I was like, oh, I'm buying
this. Thank you. You know, there are lots of
different styles of music in here. You know what
I mean? Like one is like a literally like piano
solo work. And the other ones are like almost
like a hymnal, like chorale style of writing.
Exactly. So it all depends on that. Sometimes
I choose one like spiritual song. And then I
let my student learn only the melody. And then
I use it as a harmonization and a little bit
of improv. Is that okay? Is that a good way?
Absolutely. Absolutely. There's so many teachers
who they're adopting this in their class piano
teaching, which is not something that I thought
about, you know, initially, but for the same
exact reasons that you're saying that they're,
you know, the melodies, a lot of the melodies
are recognizable and they're using those melodies
to guide in harmonization and transposition as
well, which those, the spirituals, especially
by Blanche Thomas is she put in her publication
that. In order to be a successful pianist, you
ought to be able to play all of your music in
all 12 keys, right? And I'm just like, what?
It's a revolutionary thing to think about, right?
But when you think about, you know, Courtauld,
what does Courtauld do in the etudes? He says
the pianist extract an aspect of the etude. play
it in multiple keys, and then go back to it,
right? So there is something pedagogically, you
know, it's very beneficial to be able to play
these melodies in different keys. It really helps
to build the full pianist, the full artist, and
the full musician. Wonderful. So for my audience,
what we were talking about is the piano music
of Black composers, which Leah, Dr. Claiborne,
curated. uh many different types of uh compositions
by black composers and then compiled into two
volumes and available for early intermediate
to intermediate student that's the level two
maybe level one was for beginner students for
beginning students yes right beginning elementary
yeah beginning um to late elementary i think
low two is like late elementary to intermediate
yeah yeah and then these two volumes are available
on Hal Leonard publication. And they are wonderful.
I mean, a wonderful way to be introduced or introduce
your students to compositions by Black composers,
right? For sure. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
Okay. So looking ahead, I mean, you've done already
so much. You're still very young, but you've
accomplished so much. So what's the next frontier
for your work? Of course, keep doing the ebony.
uh right yeah project but do you have any bigger
ambition or yes great I think my problem is the
opposite it's you know something that you know
what I'm really working on right now is um I
want to be in the moment a little bit more like
really settle settle in the moment and what that
looks like for me is looking at the projects
that I have on the table. And, you know, not
to say that I don't dive deeply, but really appreciating
what my hands are on right now. So I say that
to say I want to be fully committed with carrying
out the rest of this grant, specifically the
commissioning project that's coming up. I have...
Big ideas for that. And I and I want that to
go well. And, you know, I have such great joy
with at the Francis Collection. And we did something
new this year, which was the Community Impact
Initiative, which was piano teachers around the
country could come. We created like these cohorts,
if you will. that allowed teachers to create
a project that could impact the community, their
community, while advancing piano education. And
it's been so wonderful to learn about the projects
that other people are doing right um or the ideas
that they have and they might need um not only
just you know financial support but uh peers
and colleagues to to talk to um so it this year
we did our first cohorts and i got to share you
know a little bit about my journey with creating
an idea and making you know the steps that i
took um whether it's getting grants or creating
a budget knowing when to pivot. And we had other
experts come in to talk about that. This is the
first, just a few weeks ago, we wrapped up the
first round or the first year of grants. So the
application process is underway. But I say that
because I'm excited and I'm encouraged and I
feel inspired to continue that type of work.
Because I think now more than ever, We want to
have more impact. We want to take our artistry
and our music and our love for piano and share
that with people, right? We want to share that
because we know how it changes and affects our
lives and we want to share that with other people.
And we want, once we do share that, we want...
to know that we walked away making a difference
in someone's life. So I feel that this particular
initiative highlights that on a national level.
And I'm, along with my grant at Ebony for Ebony
Music, that's another area that I'm looking forward
to see how that continues to develop. Yeah, I
look forward to it too. So how can we get in
touch with your work? Through your website at
leahclayburn .com. Yes, and Ebony Music, ebonymusic
.org. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram, El
Playborn Piano. Excuse me, that's another really
great way to keep in touch. Wonderful. Then before
we go to the last segment, which is the rapid
fire questions, I didn't explain to you, but
I hope, yes, it's going to be fun. Wait a second.
Now you're prepared for this. Maybe last question,
a little philosophical. So why classical music
still matters in this, you know, crazy world?
What keeps us going? What keeps you going? Yeah,
I mean, for me, well, you know, I said I started
I started music because I wanted to I wanted
I want to be a jazz musician because that's what
I knew. Right. And that's only because I wasn't
exposed. I had not been exposed yet to classical
music. But why classical music and does it have
a place in today's world? Absolutely. I think
there's a reason. There is a reason we continue
to celebrate Beethoven and Mozart and Bach, right?
That in this music, we hear all emotions, whether
it's sadness or depression or loss or love or
heartbreak, right? These are composers who are...
sharing these universal truths and feelings that
no matter where you come from, no matter what
class you belong to, no matter your socioeconomic
status, we all have these feelings. And that's
what unifies us. And I think it's a beautiful
thing that we can use music to remember that
these feelings that we all experience is what
brings us together. classical musicians, whether
they be white or black or Asian or Hispanic,
that they have had their own unique lens of how
to share those emotions with us. And I can't
think of a better time, right? Or a more needed
time where we need to draw upon beauty and art
to help us to navigate these times and give us
space in an outlet for our emotions and all that
we're feeling. So for those who are listening
or watching, please go to LeahClaybone .com to
learn more about her work. And also, what is
it? EbonyMusic .org to learn more about Ebony
Music, Inc. This has been such a fun and inspiring
conversation, Leah. But before I let you go,
we have to do one more thing, which is the PianoPod
Rapid Fire questions. It's almost like inspired
by Colbert questions. Sure. I like it. All right.
So please answer each question with the shortest
response as possible. No explanation is necessary.
Okay. Yeah. I will try. All right. No judgment
here. All right. So question number one, what's
your comfort food? Oh, yeah. Amen. How do you
like your coffee in the morning? Ooh, cream.
No sugar. Cats or dogs? Dogs. Dogs. I know you
just told me you have a big dog person. Oh, yeah.
Sunrise or sunset? Ooh, sunset. I'm not up early
enough for the sunrise. Summer or winter? Summer.
What skill have you always wanted to learn but
haven't had a chance to? Double Dutch. Oh, that's
a good one. Yeah. What is your word or words
to live by? Boldness. Yes. Great. What is the
most important quality you look for in other
people? Integrity. Now, the next one is a little
difficult. Okay. Name three people who inspire
you, living or dead. Ooh, what a good one. Three
people who inspire me. I'm going to first say
my nephews. Because the next generation, or I
could even say the next generation inspires me
deeply. Who else inspires me? This sounds weird,
but my dog inspires me. Great. I love the ability,
you know, I'm his favorite thing every day. Despite,
you know. Despite whatever happens that day,
I'm his favorite thing. And I hope I can be that
or people feel that from me that when they, you
know, experience me that they feel like, wow,
that was, you're my favorite part of the day.
What else? Who else or what else inspires me?
My friends inspire me. I have a good, just a
good group of friends who are doing. Really just
phenomenal, transformative work. And I feel inspired
to call them at any time of the day and that
they're there for me. Wonderful. Yeah. Name one
piece in your current playlist. Oh, does that
be classical? No. Okay. One piece. Ready to run.
Dixie Chicks. Oh. Or now, The Chicks. Oh, really?
Right now, The Chicks? Okay. I need to listen
to them. Yeah. Last question. Fill in the blank.
Music is blank. Music is powerful. Leah, that's
amazing. Thank you so much for joining us today
and for sharing your remarkable journey and insights
and advocacy with such authenticity and purpose
and joy. To our wonderful audience, if you'd
like to learn more about Dr. Claiborne's work,
visit her website at leahclaiborne .com and follow
her on Instagram at leahclaiborne underscore
piano to stay up to date. up to date on her latest
projects, performances, publications, and so
on. And of course, thank you to our faithful
fans and listeners for tuning in. If you enjoyed
today's episode, please give it a thumbs up and
subscribe to The Piano Pod on YouTube. Thank
you. And don't forget to share and review this
episode on your social media and tag The Piano
Pod. For the latest piano news and updates, be
sure to follow The Piano Pod on Substack, TikTok,
and LinkedIn. I will see you for the next episode
of The Piano Pod. Bye, everyone. Thank you, Dr.
Claiborne. So, so much. This was wonderful. Thank
you. Thank you.