Part 2 of Season 4 Episode 4: Dr. Nnenna Ogwo -- Concert Pianist, Educator, & Founder of Juneteenth LP

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It's a new day.

It's a new life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For me.

For me.

So, Nena, what exactly is Juneteenth LP?

We are a music collective of mostly classically trained musicians. Of the African diaspora. Our mission is to introduce people to classical music by African diaspora composers, but the gateway is more familiar music to them. So we play music of all genres. One of the things that people ask me a lot is, what is the impact you want your ensemble to have? And then what is the impact you think it actually does have? I would say that what I want is for it to open people's ears and people's minds and open people's hearts. I just want people to feel something, and I want people to know that this music that is considered very elite and rare and, you know, all of those things, that actually they have a cultural history with it as well. Like, it is not something that they have to be on the outside looking in.

Hello, piano enthusiasts! Welcome to The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. Today, we're diving deeper into the second installment of this season's fourth episode, featuring the extraordinary pianist, Dr. Nana Ogwuo. If you missed our captivating conversation in Part 1, where we explored the fascinating journey of her project, Juneteenth LP, a musical initiative based in the heart of New York City, spotlighting the rich music of the African diaspora and showcasing exceptionally talented Black classical musicians. Don't worry, you can catch up on all the excitement on your favorite podcast platform. A warm welcome to all our new listeners and viewers. This podcast is your all-access pass to the captivating world of In each episode of The Piano Pod, I interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the industry. Please rate the show and review it on your favorite podcasting platform because every rating review will help people find my show. So my friends, here is part 2 of The Piano Pod Season 4, Episode 4 with Dr. Nana Oguo. Please enjoy the show. You mentioned briefly about your mother. So I know your mother was— be the big part of your who you are today. So I want to start with this. How did you discover your love for music?

Well, ironically, my father was an audiophile. So he had this in the basement. He had set up those wall systems that just we have like two walls of records and a sound system. And he would sit down and just listen to music down there. And so I have memories of listening to music in the basement with my father, all different kinds of music. He— my father's Nigerian and he came to Howard University to study. And in fact, that's where my parents met. And he took an intro to music course. And so it's fascinating to me. One of his favorite composers was Beethoven. But he also fell in love with music of the Renaissance. I was listening to, you know, Lassus and Palestrina really early. You know, I was listening to Beethoven and Bach, but also Aretha Franklin, you know, the whole Motown sound, but also Patsy Cline, you know, also what's his name, the man in black, Johnny Cash, like just such a wide range, you know, the Beatles, you name it, like just an incredibly wide range of music. And then when I was in school, kids were picking instruments and I came home saying, "I wanna learn how to play the violin." I didn't really love the violin, but everyone was playing the violin, so I wanted to play the violin. And the music teacher at the school said, "Yeah, I think that she's actually kind of gifted, and I think that what you need to do is put her on the piano and then she can choose to do whatever she wants from that point, but you should put her on the piano to start." And that teacher was also the teacher that suggested that my parents take me to Peabody Prep. To audition.

Wow. Yeah. So one thing led to another. I mean, I'm sure you really worked hard and then there were ups and downs in all this, you know, journey, but then ended up going to Oberlin and also you also went to Budapest to study this Academy of Music and then ended up going to Stony Brook for a doctorate degree.

Yeah.

Master's and doctorate. And you got a Stern Scholarship, Turner Fellowship, and then, oh my gosh, Fulbright Award. Wow, you are an amazing achiever. And then, so tell me what stands out from all these accomplishments. Is there any story that you'd like to share or mentorship you had or?

Each of those places were special in their own way, but I would say that I had two truly transformative music experiences. And the first was going to Walden and studying composition. And then the second was actually going to the Liszt Academy and studying with Ferenc Fráros. It's interesting. I only got to work with him for 2 years. The first year I was there because I worked 2 jobs and saved up money. And so then I had enough money for tuition and, you know, tuition was a lot less than what it was at an American institution. So I was able to go and then live on a stipend per month. But while I was there, I would— 2 things happened. I was exposed to music on a level that I had never been exposed to music before. I went to concerts all the time. And when I say all the time, I mean, in the beginning almost like 5 days a week. I went to the opera at least once a week. I heard so much music. And the thing about being a student in Europe is that if you're a music student in Europe, concerts are general— at least they were then— they were generally free. I got to hear amazing musicians. Like, I heard Schiff and I heard Colchis and I heard Martha Argerich and I heard Richter. And, you know, like, the list goes on of like just artist after artist. And it didn't actually hit me. It was pretty exciting and amazing while I was there, but it didn't hit me until I was living in New York. And if I wanted to hear those concerts, the amount of money I would have to put out. So I was in an environment where the arts are so valued and so treasured that people treated you differently/better for being a musician, for being a music student, for being a musician. I never experienced that here. Never. So I loved being a musician for the first time. I loved everything about it. I loved being a musician, but it was like against all odds here. But there it was like the most amazing and wonderful thing that you could be, and people appreciated what you contributed to society globally.

Wow.

But I got to work with a teacher who was um, he is a genius, but also he had this ability to, to— he saw very clearly what was missing and what was needed. And what was missing and what was needed was a lot, actually, you know. Um, I think that when you're talented, sometimes people— and when I say talented, I, I mean like I had an ability to express easily and freely, and, and from when I was young. So if something was, you know, like involved pathos. Like, I could bring up— I could express pathos. And, you know, it was, it was something that would be surprising for the people around me. Like, she's so young, how is she able to do that thing? The thing is, when you're able to do one part of a thing really well, people assume that the other stuff is there, and they don't know that it's missing until there's a moment where it is obviously missing. And so he— I'll never forget it. He said, after I'd been working with him for like a month or two, he was like, you know, it's with you, it's like there's this beautiful cake and it's like, it looks amazing. It looks like it's going to be so delicious. The frosting is decorative frosting and it's gorgeous. And you're like, oh, I cannot wait. And you cut the cake and it's, there's no cake. It's all frosting. And I was like, "What? Did you say that to me?" And I've got to tell you, this is back when you still had to pay for long-distance phone calls. And so I would call home every week for like 5, 10 minutes and just be like, "This is what happened. This is what my lessons were." My mother lived for these. Every week there would be some story about what my teacher said. He was right. He was like, you don't know how to practice. You don't know how to work. You don't know how to— you know what I mean? And it wasn't to make me feel bad. It was, this is what you have to do. And what was really extraordinary was that he did something that I have never seen anybody do. He went looking for me in the academy and found me, and he brought chocolate. He said, here, this is brain food. And he sat with me while I practiced. And I have never felt so tortured in my life. And I'd start to work and he'd say, what are you trying to do? What are you trying to do? And how is what you're doing right now going to do what it is you think you're trying to do? And he just kept asking, what's that supposed to do? How's that going to help? What is that for? And then I realized, oh, I just flail on the piano until it gets better. So in, in the 2 hours that he— and he sat with me for 2 hours, do you know what I mean? Like Nobody really does. Do people do that? You know, like, taught me so much. And, and I'm not saying that other teachers failed me because they didn't. They were giving me different things. And I will tell you right now that I was not an easy person to teach on a lot of levels. But he kind of laid bare, like, all of the sort of the ways in which I was hiding from, this is what's needed, let's get to work. And so then I did work on a level that I hadn't ever done before. And you know, that kind of sort of breaks you down and you don't feel, again, you don't feel certain and you don't feel solid and you don't feel secure. And I remember when I came home and I was practicing, I was auditioning, I was getting ready for graduate school auditions. My mother was like, "You are a different pianist now." And I was like, "Yeah, it's terrible." And she was like, "Yeah, no, it's not." Because what had happened was for the first time I was hearing like all of the bad habits and the hitches and the, you know, all the things that I would do to cover up things that I didn't want to do or things that I wasn't quite certain about. And so suddenly I was hearing all of it and I was determined that I didn't want to be hiding. I wanted to, if this is a problem, let's try and tackle it. If this is a problem, let's try and tackle it. So that's why I call it one of the most transformative experiences of my life, because I actually, in that moment, I absolutely fell out of love with the idea of myself as a talented person. And I was just— yeah, there's just a lot of work to do.

I want to talk about—

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This album, which is very special to you and means so much to you because the album is called Luminous, and I got to listen to and I really enjoyed Coleridge-Taylor-Parkinson. I, you know, honestly, I did not know this composer before. And then his first name is taken from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, correct? And then you also played his pieces, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and then Ulysses K. and 8 Inventions for Piano. And then also you played your composition, Benediction, right? Correct. And then somehow You ended with Brahms, Chopin, Bach, and I want to know why. But before that, I just wanted to congratulate you on the album Luminous, which is dedicated to your late mother.

You know, when my mother passed away, it was all very— it was a lot, and I was really struggling with everything, and I wasn't able to— I had wanted to sort of do a memorial concert or something, and I just I couldn't. I didn't have it. And it was— it took a long time for me to get my equilibrium back. And so it's a project that I have— something that I've wanted to do for a long time. And when she passed away, a lot of things started to happen for me, actually. And so I would often think my mother would be really delighted by this music. My mother would love it. She really enjoyed listening to me practice. She really enjoyed— she loved listening to masterclasses. I went to a music festival in Switzerland and she said, well, I'm going with my daughter because she's never traveled out of the country internationally on her own. And I don't want her to be on her own for the first time that she travels. And everybody was like, you just want to go to Switzerland and listen to music? She was like, yes. And so she came with me and she was so transfixed by the masterclass that she was only supposed to stay for 3 or 4 days. She stayed for about 10. She stayed for about half of the masterclass.

Wow.

Because, you know, they were fascinating and she was fascinated by it. There were some pieces that I was like, you know, she would have loved the Kay Inventions, and she had heard the first 4, but I think she would have really enjoyed the other 4 that make the 8 inventions. And she never heard me play Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. She never heard me play Coleridge-Taylor-Parkinson. But these are pieces that sat in the wheelhouse of what she loved to hear me play. When I was growing up, I, you know, some people have a pedagogy that they follow, like a method book or this or that. I had a teacher actually, um, when I was younger who believed fully in the Bartók Mikrokosmos as a pedagogical tool. So I, every year I was doing, you know, 3, 4 Bartók Mikrokosmos. And yes, there was also in DC a Bartók Piano Competition, but if there hadn't been, I still would have been doing the Bartók Mikrokosmos. And so, you know how our parents are used to hearing classical music, like they think Mozart and Chopin and Beethoven, and she was very used to hearing music that definitely did not sound like Mozart. And so she developed an ear for it and she really liked it. And I think that Ulysses K has a little bit of that going on. And so there was that kind of music that she gravitated towards. But also, you know, she loved a spiritual. We didn't— I wasn't raised in that kind of traditional African-American church. You know, my mother was Anglican and I grew up Presbyterian. And so it's not like we heard spirituals a lot. But my mother was a big fan for, you know, a low voice singing Deep River. You know what I mean? Like, there are things that she really enjoyed it. So there was just this music that was accumulating in my repertoire that I knew that she would really love.

And then, so why did you end this entire album with Bach's famous Chaconne in D minor transcribed by Brahms?

Because it sat in a very specific place in my music— my musical development, not just my musical development, but my personal development. I played sports. Always, right? Middle school, high school, I love sports. And I remember announcing when I was 11 that I wanted to be a concert pianist, and I also wanted to be the first woman to play in the NFL. I felt— oh my goodness, right? I felt like those were two absolutely compatible dreams to have, right? Okay. And I think I was in middle school playing basketball, and I kept injuring my hands. I jammed my thumb, jammed my third finger, whatever. And my teacher at the time, Enrique Graf, got really frustrated. And but he, you know, he assigned me the Scriabin Opus 11 Prelude and Nocturne for the left hand. But I think they were given to me separately because there were two different times that I hurt my hand. Okay. And then this the third time I did it, he was like, I have something for you. And it was kind of like, like he was just so over it. And he knew that this was beyond what I could actually do at the time. But he was just like, I'm done with you. This should keep you busy. Well, I fell in love with this piece. In love with it. To me, it captured the awe and majesty of the universe. It was everything. And I listened to the Maelström recording. And you know how significant it is for your favorite— one of your favorite piano pieces to be a transcription of a violin piece. Pianists don't play transcriptions of other people's music. Why? We have the greatest repertoire. We have it, right? So I am working on this and I learn it at 12 and I learn it, but I can't play it all. Like, I can play like the first half and then I'm exhausted and I can play the second half and I'm exhausted, but I never was able to play it all together. And then I played it again as an undergrad, I think late as an undergrad. And I remember taking it to Budapest. But that working on it, then I realized, you know, if I really want to play the piano, maybe I need to leave basketball alone. Maybe no more volleyball and maybe no, you know, so it kind of helped me sort of crystallize my focus. And then I started being able to actually play it. Each time I came back to it, I learned something more about myself. I learned something technically, I learned something like, huh, you know, like I made fingering choices at 12 because I could not wrap my hands around it at 12, right? But then I didn't realize, oh, I'm playing these weird fingerings and I'm assuming that it's okay, but actually my hand is larger now. I can do this, or I could do— so that each time, like, fingerings changed and my perception of things changed. And, and so the last time I seriously pulled it out, I was teaching at Interlochen, and there was a young kid there who had recently graduated from Interlochen Academy. He was the jazz intern. In the practice room, you know, he was like, "Let's play some blues together." And so we would play, and he was really tough on me. He was like, "Come on, follow the harmony, follow the harmony," you know? And in that summer, I spent so much time doing that kind of work with him that I came out of this thinking about the chaconne on a harmonic level in a way that I just hadn't before. After studying jazz piano for a while, you start to listen listen differently, right? And I remember in that moment thinking, I wish my mom could hear this. From all the time that she's heard me play this, it's different now. Basically, the, the album is a collection of pieces that I know that she loved, or I know that she would have loved, but also wrapped in a bow of this— this piece has been the nexus point of all of these incredible changes in my life and changes in me as a musician. And it just felt entirely appropriate, you know, because I remember when I was 12 and I was struggling through this, she was laughing. I guess you're working now, aren't you?

She sounds like an incredible person, incredible mother.

Absolutely was. At one point, she, you know, she was getting frustrated with the fact that I wasn't practicing. You know, things were coming easily to me, but it was starting to show. So I wasn't winning competitions anymore. And I wasn't making it to the next round anymore, but I would be upset that I wasn't. And so at one point, after a really, just a really bad showing at a competition, and she said, "You know what? I'm done. I'll pay for your lessons. I'll write whatever checks, and I'll take you where you need to go until you're able to drive. But I'm not getting emotionally involved in this anymore because you seem to think that you're entitled to have success without actually doing any work." And I don't know where you got that from because I didn't raise you that way, but I'm not gonna watch you and I'm not gonna tolerate you being a jerk after you lose. And I felt so incredibly abandoned, but it was also the moment when I decided I want this and that I wanted to fight for it. You know, there was not going to be a, you have to practice, you have to do— no, I either practiced or I didn't. And the thing is, we didn't have money, you know what I mean? When my parents, uh, split up, we, we, I, we went from being a middle-class family to actually just being more, you know. She found a way to get me into things, get me into private schools, get me into music programs. If there are scholarships, I applied for them. If there were grants, we, you know, whatever it was, she, she made so many things happen. And I know for a fact that we didn't have resources, you know. It wasn't like— we, we didn't have resources on such a level that, you know how there's some kids who actually really know what their financial situation is? I was one of those kids. And to the point where if I had something that I had to do and she was like, "We have to get you clothing for this," or whatever, I was like, "We don't, we can't afford, we don't have money for that," you know? So we'd figure it out from her closet and mine, like how we were going to make it work. So there was a lot of sacrifice that was just unbelievable and sacrifice that was not ever tinged with, "I am doing so much for you." you should be practicing, or I'm doing so much for you, you owe me. This is what it was. It was just a sort of, my teacher said I had a gift, and so she supported that and everything else. I had a grand piano at age 12, and that was like, I did a competition. It was in a piano showroom. The judge who ended up being my piano teacher talked to the owner of the showroom and said, she needs this. Can we do something? And then my church, you know, she was paying a certain amount per month, and I was so excited when the piano came. She said, now you know what this means. There are no birthday presents or Christmas presents. Like, this is your present. Like, yeah, I got it. So I didn't have like things, like I didn't have a Walkman, I didn't have You know, I didn't have games. I didn't grow up in a culture of games, and I didn't grow up in a culture of games because we didn't have money for games. But man, I had a piano.

Yeah, but you know, a story like that is so important right now in this, especially classical music industry, because I don't know how to say this, but I think a lot of successful students, successful people are part of this this, um, whole package of meritocracy, right? So, but to hear a real life story, real struggle, but then being able to not even beating the odds because you really did the work. So, but then your story, and eventually once you grow even older, your legacy as an artist will be so much more to offer, richer. And, and the struggle that you went through, and I'm sorry that you have to, you know, for example, lose your mother in such a young age. I mean, you know, that was like 8 years ago, so, right? And it was still young. And then because of who you are, I really wanted your mother to, you know, live through and then, you know, witness what you've accomplished even longer, but that wasn't the case. But then, so your story, your story through your piano playing, plus the, of course, the Juneteenth LP will be more meaningful down the road. So, but thanks for sharing all these amazing stories. And then, um, so for listeners, if you're, uh, curious about her newest, latest album, Luminous, it is available on all major music streaming services.

All major music streaming services.

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I'm sorry. I'm still sort of thinking about—

No, go ahead.

Yeah, yeah.

Take it.

No, I just, uh, you know, it like, I can still remember what it was like to, to be sort of despairing that I didn't have a way to honor my mom, you know? And so now that this project is complete, it feels good and it feels right and it feels appropriate. And I love the fact that there's a way in which she is always present for me, but there's a way in which she could literally be present for me because there was a— it was a real joyful sort of experience and arduous too, you know, but definitely worthwhile. I think that we're very lucky to have the people we have in our lives. For however long we have them. It's an interesting thing. I was actually talking to a friend of mine about, um, who just lost her father, and she was saying, you know, I feel sometimes that I, like, I feel such incredible grief. And she's like, but I still have my mom, I shouldn't. And I said, oh no, I think the loss of a parent is profound, even if you don't have a good relationship with your parent, because the fact of the matter is, if your parents were present then it's an absence. And so it's a hole that you feel, right? And, you know, my dad passed away before my mom. He was out of my life by the time I was 8, basically. I think I saw him once after that, you know, decades later. But so when he passed away, it wasn't like a loss loss, but I did experience it like, huh, this person who was a part of my story is gone. And so then when my mother passed away, that's what I was telling people. I was like, it's so— it's shocking. I feel like an orphan, you know. We think of orphans as being like, you know, babies and 6-year-olds and 9-year-olds. How am I a grown adult and I feel so adrift, cast adrift? And I realized, oh right, our parents are our anchor to the world. They are what brought us into the world, and therefore they are our first known foundations. And when that's gone, you do experience a moment of, well, who am I if they're not here, you know? But then, you know, that's also the gift of being a musician because you, you have this way to find yourself again too through your work.

Absolutely. I can relate to that in my own personal way. Thank you. So I wanted to talk really more about you being an educator But we are running out of time, but I just want to mention quickly, so you've recently, or you're about to become the artist in residence at Bunker Hill Community College and part of a cohort of 7 women artists of color in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Bunker Hill Community College. So briefly, can you tell us a little bit about that?

I developed this relationship with Bunker Hill actually during the pandemic. And it was, it was interesting because, you know, like I said, I had a friend who was a professor there and she said, you should reach out to our college planning folks. They do really interesting programming and event planning and, you know, maybe they'd be interested in what you and Juneteenth LP do. And so the first time I think was in 2020 when everything was virtual. And so it was 3 of us. It was a singer and a cellist and the pianist, us. And we presented this program and afterwards we talked to people virtually. We had a sort of town hall kind of audience engagement talkback thing, and people really, really loved it. And it was interesting because, you know, I'm sure you remember this, in that time when you had performances, people were appreciative on a level that I don't think I've ever experienced prior to that. Because people needed it and they knew that they needed it. And I think that we had a moment in 2020 where we realized how important artists were to us. And so in some ways it was horrible, but in other ways it was a gift, right? Like, we lost a lot of people in that year and after, but also societally we realized something, and that was that the arts sustain us and they sustain us sort of spiritually, you know, it's, it's not food and it's not shelter and it's not clothing, but it's, it's pretty darn important. And we, we need it in our lives to sort of feel whole. And so after that, we, we came back and we did a, we did a couple of master classes and choral workshop and a couple more concerts. We did a Juneteenth concert. And this year they reached out and they asked if I would be a part of this cohort. And I was really kind of astonished and honored, and, and, but what I'm excited about mostly is that I'll be writing a piece of music based off of text from students in the English department, creative department, writing department. I'm going to collaborate with professors there and come up with a text that's going to set, and I'm going to set to music, so that this project is actually going to be a piece of choral piece that will will be performed at their commencement at the end of the year. So I'm really excited to do that. There are also going to be concerts and virtual events. Massachusetts, Boston is still very much virtual in a way that New York is not. They are not having live shows like the way we are. And so everything that I've done with Bunker Hill has mostly been virtual, has been— no, has been entirely virtual. Virtual, actually.

So you're not relocating from where you are, New York City?

No, no, I will be here, and I will probably go to Boston a couple of times, and then for the performance at the end of the year. But I'm, I'm really looking forward to it because I, I really like that. I like that school. I like that institution a lot. I like, um, I like the, the population that they serve, and I like how committed they are to that population that they serve. And So it feels very much like an honor to be a part of that.

The students are very, very lucky to have you as a mentor and teacher. Hey there, TPP family! The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song is now into our fourth season, and it's all thanks to you. Since 2020, you've been with my journey with the TPP, exploring this burning question: How do we make classical music resonate with today's audience in fresh, and captivating ways. 4 years in, and the journey has been nothing short of magical. The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song isn't just a podcast; it's a movement, a space where pianists, composers, and educators brainstorm, debate, and reimagine classical music's place in our fast-paced world. We're together on a mission to ensure classical music doesn't just survive but thrives in our modern age. But here's the thing: to keep bringing you these insightful biweekly episodes, I need your help. Every bit of support goes into the podcast's essentials, from hosting to high-quality recording tech, and the countless hours behind the scenes. So, do you want to be part of this journey? Click the PayPal link in the show notes or head to thepianopot.com to donate. And as a token of appreciation, I will personally mail you The Piano Pod's snazzy logo sticker. So hit the subscribe button, spread the word, and let's continue our mission and journey as classical musicians. Now let's continue with the show. To discuss about the vision of the classical music industry. So let's start with this. So I'm going to just go back to where, where we were about the year 2020. So since then, you know, classical musicians have more— has been more actively or intentionally programming our concerts with repertoires by, you know, underrepresented composers and so forth. Now, is that enough? I mean, if not, what else can we do to make a difference, to be more inclusive in our industry?

It's not enough, but we're definitely on the right path, right? Because here's the thing, someone made a very interesting point to me after helping me secure a grant. He said, you really need to maximize your time, maximize this moment, right? That— and use this grant to help you get other grants. And he said, because right now we're in a post-George Floyd moment, but he was like, the next issue is around the corner. And he was like, if there's one thing I've learned is people direct their attention to the next issue, you know. And sure enough, what happened next was the war in Ukraine. And all of a sudden you had foundations and organizations and whatever interested in fundraising for the Ukraine, you know, this, that, and the other, as they should. But I remember when he said that thinking, oh, that's terribly cynical. And yet that's exactly what happened. Right? And after Ukraine, there's going to be another thing that people are going to say, this is the thing that we want to pour our money into. And this is the thing that we want to work. And so, it's hard to know that that's how the business often works, you know, or the industry works. And to still hold fast to your focus, right? But I think that one of the most important things that we can do is as educators— so one of the things that happened in 2020 and 2021 specifically was I said to my students, I'm going to pick your repertoire for the year. And I usually get their input, you know, what do you want to do? And we'll find something that works. But this time, what I said was, if you want— if you are Dominican and you want to play Dominican composers, we will find that. If you are Chinese and you want to play Chinese, We will find that. Tell me what you're interested in. Do you want to play women composers? We will do all— whatever it is. And what was interesting was I didn't think I'd get that many students who were that into it, but they all were. They all were. Which meant that I spent the year not just learning about Dominican composers, but like trying to find scores for Dominican composers that were appropriate for like my late beginner, early intermediate students. And what I saw was that we were having these kinds of conversations in Facebook in our various communities. Does anybody know Korean American composers that have written pedagogical pieces that would be appropriate for this level? Or— and I remember thinking, wow, this is a result of like the post-George Floyd era where we're like, we can change this and this is how we're going to do it. And so my doing that with my students introduced me to a whole other set of repertoire even beyond like African American composers, but, you know, very specifically like Caribbean composers, also Asian composers and Latin composers. And there are so many amazing pieces of music out there that were not written by Bach and Beethoven and Mozart. Wow. And we can make everyone's, our students' piano experience be personal something that they're invested in, something that their families are invested in, that they're excited about. And we should do that because when you do that in music, they think to themselves, why not in literature? Why not in theater? Why not in whatever it is that they're interested in? And so I think that if we start doing that individually as teachers and in our teachers associations, you know, Piano Teachers Congress, MTNA, whatever it is, we start saying our requirements, you know, you're required to do something non-traditional, non-canonic, that we make that part of our audition requirements and we make it part of our competition requirements. And, you know, because right now, what— or before, what people were doing was you'd have like a 21st century composition requirement or a 20th century composition. Well, why can't we have the list of repertoire include Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Margaret Bonds, Florence Price, that we choose what we want to hear, you know, and the minute it becomes a competition requirement, everybody then, all the teachers then start to learn it and start to teach it, right? And in that way, I think that we can make this music spread. But I also think that as performers, it is up to us to always be doing Follow your nose. Like, be— whatever you're excited about, do it. Because when you play something and you play something well, someone in your audience goes, "That was amazing. I want to play that piece." And then suddenly that person is now, "I'm gonna find this piece and I'm gonna play it." And then they played, and then someone else hears it, goes, "What is that? I want to play that." I really try and tell students, especially as they enter into conservatory and Don't sound like everybody else. Don't do what everybody else is doing. You know, you will always have requirements, but the minute you have an option to do something different, be different. There are so many options. In that way, we can really affect meaningful change by setting requirements that are inclusive.

Yeah.

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What is your thought on our duty, or even as a gift as classical musicians to society at large?

You know, it always sounds so lofty when you say it, but then, like I said, in 2020 I realized it's not lofty, it's actually true. Our job as artists, as musicians, regardless of genre, we exist to remind us humans of our humanity, effectively. That, like, art does so many things. It can lay bare the human condition, it can be a form of comfort in a dark time, it can there's— it can be so many things, but whatever it is, it is almost always essential. If at the end of the day people in caves were doing art, right, that, that speaks to how much a part of our human identity it is, like how much we need it. We need literature, we need music, and we need, we need to be able to see paintings and sculptures and experience installations and multimedia presentations. It affirms our humanity. Like, I remember going to— I'm forgetting the name of the exhibit, but it was at the Brooklyn Museum. And I remember seeing these paintings and just being sucked in by the color and sucked in by the vision of the artist. You know, and it gave us, it gave me a different way of looking at the world, right? And so when I left the museum and I went out, I looked at trees differently because of the way I had seen them represented in paintings, right? And they were abstract, but still I was looking at the natural world around me differently and in a way that allowed me to see trees and sky and like with fresh eyes, right? So art has this way of renewing us and renewing our sense of our percept— our sense of perception and our sense of self and sometimes our identity in a way that is essential, I think, for us spiritually. And I know that sounds touchy-feely, but I really do believe it's true. And so as musicians, we have to remember that when we play, that's actually what we're offering. And so a lot of times we'll go into a performance and we want it to be perfect and we want it to be right, or we want it to be whatever it is we want it to be. But actually, the audience isn't experiencing it as perfect or right or the definitive interpretation of whatever. The audience is experiencing it as something that comes in and opens up their heart. To the world. And so it doesn't matter if it's perfect, like not to the listener. And that's a gift. And we should honor the work that we do because it's something absolutely extraordinary that we have to offer. And we should respect what we have to offer. And I do think that's a kind of solemn duty.

What's the next phase and goal for you and Juneteenth LP?

So right now we're getting ready for the next season. But I would say that sort of organizationally, we are starting to make the shift from an ensemble that does projects and gets funded to do projects, and we want to become an organization that gets funded as an institution, which means that we have to become a 501, you know, and that's a whole bunch of stuff, like, but I know what I want for us. I want, I want this to be an organization that lasts beyond me, and I want it to be part of what helps us. You know, the next thing that we want to do is we want to create a commissioning project where we actually help grow the library of music, classical music by African American composers. And, you know, we're able to award prizes and to have events that are like, you know, this is a piece that we've chosen, we're going to record it, we're going to you know, presented in concert. So, you know, that takes resources, you know, and that takes, that takes a board of directors, you know. So that's the next step. And I'm unashamed to say I know nothing about these things, but I'll learn.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Great.

Thank you so much. It's been a really wonderful conversation, Nana.

You have amazing questions. You really got me thinking about a lot of different things. It was wonderful.

Oh, thank you. So for everyone, be sure to check out Nana's latest album, which was produced in May 2023. It's Luminous.

Wow.

Yes. Thank you so much for showing the CD cover on your music streaming service. And you can learn more about Nana by visiting her website at nana.net and about Juneteenth LP at juneteenthlp.org. Org. All right, so this has been once again fun and inspirational conversation, Nana. And but before I let you go, we have one more thing to do.

It's the rapid fire questions. Yes, yes.

So this is the part of the show where I get to ask fun questions to each guest. Now here's a little twist. As silly as these questions may sound, your answers may reveal who you truly are. So ready or not, please answer them with the shortest responses as possible. No explanation is necessary. So, okay, let's start with easy ones. Level 1. What's your comfort food?

Soup.

How do you like your coffee?

Oh, like hot chocolate, sweet, lots of milk.

Great. Cats or dogs? Cats. Sunrise or sunset?

Oh, can't pick.

Okay, that's fine. Summer or winter?

Winter if I have a fireplace.

Great. Paper book or ebook?

Oh, paper book.

Now, level 2. What is your word or words to live by?

Keep persisting. Persistent, like just keep trying.

What is the most important quality you look for in other people?

Kindness.

Name 3 people who inspire you, living or dead.

My brother, obviously my mother. There are so many. I know. Sviatoslav Richter.

Name one piece in your current playlist.

I'm— Many Thousand Gone. It's by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. I'm working through the entire set of 24 Negro Melodies. But that is the one that I'm— that's on the front burner.

Okay, great. I'll listen to it. Now, the last question, which is the most difficult. Well, no, maybe not. So fill in the blank. Music is blank.

Life.

Ding ding. Thank you so much. You won. Wonderful. That was fun.

So that was so much fun.

Oh, thank you. So this concludes this episode of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song with Nana Agyemang. Thank you, Nana, for joining my show today and sharing your stories and insights and expertise. You can learn more about Nana and her amazing work through her website at nana.net, and you can listen to her album Luminous on all major music streaming services. All the links are listed in the show notes. Thank you to my wonderful audience and fans for tuning in today. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review it on whatever podcasting platform you use. Remember to hit the thumbs up button and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song on social media to get the latest piano news via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I will see you for the next episode of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. Bye everyone, and thank you, Nana.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

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You're listening to a podcast right now. Driving, working out, walking the dog. If you're into podcasts, chances are you have something to say too. With RSS.com, starting your own is free and easy. Upload an episode and we distribute it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and hundreds more. Track your listeners, see where they're from, and start earning from ads like this, even with just 10 listeners a month. If you've been thinking about starting a podcast, this is your sign. Start free at RSS.com.