Kalena Bovell - "Conducting the Music of Something Beginning" (Episode 84)
Updated: Jul 10, 2024
"I didn’t know a lot of Black conductors who existed. That’s because the education of who they were wasn’t there. Classical education is so Eurocentric that you don’t learn about Western classical music. You learn about Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, but what about the people right here in our own backyards? With the youth symphony, I've always tried to expose them to music that is reflective of their community and my community, because I come from that community."
We talk with Memphis Symphony’s assistant conductor Kalena Bovell about finding her love of music by accident, inspiring the next generation of classical musicians, and collaborating with Rob McClure on the Ragtime-themed Conductor Cam music video.
Recommendation: Bring Me the Horizon and Rage Against the Machine
Shout out: Kalena's BFF!
Follow her on Instagram.
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