Season 5 Episode 19: "100 Works One Mission" feat. Dr. Leah Claiborne - Yamaha Artist & Scholar

This episode is brought to you by Juneteenth LP, a dynamic ensemble and organization dedicated to celebrating Black history and artistry through music. Learn more about their powerful mission and upcoming events at juneteenthlp.org. Thank you, Juneteenth LP, for supporting this episode. Welcome back to another episode of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song with Yukimi Song. 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. Nana Agboah, 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. Lear Clayborne and Dr. Maria Thompson Corley, artists, educators, and thought leaders who are boldly reshaping the musical landscape. Today's guest, Dr. Leah Clayborne, 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 Substack where over 10% of subscribers are now VIPs, and we were honored to be named one of the 3 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 4th at Stiefel Hall at The New School, in collaboration with Mannes Prep, an evening of performance, conversation, and community. So if you believe in the work we're 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 Clayborne to The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. Please enjoy the show. You are listening to The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song, 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 with Yukimi Song. It's truly wonderful to have you here, and your work as a pianist, educator, and 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 is 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 5 years from now I will change it, right? And maybe 5 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. So broadening our scope and challenging perspectives through music, that would be probably my mission. Thank you. Beautiful.

Now, so you've built such a powerful and a far-reaching body of work from championing Black composers to leading DEI 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 Yamaha's 40 Under 40 as a Yamaha artist, and that's, 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 Horowitz Power of Innovation Award that was given through the Music Teachers National Association organization, which has been such an incredible organization to be part of, especially, you know, as I, you know, 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 or 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 should— 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 36 and under in age. And they gave me this award. And I have to say, since, since being a recipient of the award, Steckert-Horwitz 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're 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? Mm-hmm. Yes. For Yamaha. So that was an unexpected and a real honor. This was an award that is based on nominations from teachers or students and community. And I All the awards are 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. That's deeply really what that award was about. When you look at the roster of these incredible teachers in America, the work that they're doing is well beyond teaching 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 and share with faculty and students my journey, where it all started and kind of where I'm at right now. So it's, it's been a great journey. It's been a great ride, and I'm deeply honored for, 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 9 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, 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 Ebony Music Inc., which is the organization you founded, and to promote Black pianists and then the music of Black composers, right? Yes, that's right.

That's right. Um, 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 a love project and a passion project. And 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? I did that for several years as a student and it well exceeded my expectation. I thought that I was building community, and that is true. But what I also realized 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 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, you know, a life in classical music could look like, and that that can look like someone who looks like them, and that 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, Ebony Music Inc. 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 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 the next generation, but community really for myself as well. You know, like, 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. Then Very recently, which is last year, your organization was awarded a major grant from the Sphinx Venture Fund. That's correct.

Yes, 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 in 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, is a grant that allows organizations to, I believe their words are, transform 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 are, 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, 5 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 we— 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 9 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, and we each performed at least 10 pieces by Black composers. I think 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 Kang, a Grammy Award-winning pianist. Maybe they'll be reminded, hey, Michelle Kang 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 the 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, and 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, uh, 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, 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, uh, started in Michigan, right?

For sure, for sure. Definitely. I'm always thinking about what I needed when I was starting piano, whether it was more community, seeing more people who looked 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 looked like me. Or having music that by people who looks like me, it would have solidified my place in belonging, I think, earlier on instead of more questionings or doubt even. So I definitely, I think 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 round. 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. The hope. Yes. For— let me tell you about the pianists for the first round of this. Yes. And the hope is that we would have the same pianists for the second round of this when the commissioning project comes. But I— 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 Nyaho 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 be— 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 Nyaho. 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, you know, down the street from my institution. So it was— it's always been wonderful to be in DC and to have a figure like her to talk about, 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. Oh, what a delight she is. She recorded so much music for us, and I came to know Maria's works through Leslie Adams' Etudes, and she recorded— I believe she recorded 2 of the Etudes and many, many other works as well. She has 2 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, with the artists, there are 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. Artina McCain. Fantastic. Absolutely incredible, incredible musician, pianist. She did two world premieres. Actually of Joseph Joubert music. And I am so excited for everyone to hear these pieces. We had Michelle Cann, 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, and he really advocates for representation of millennials, right? And that we're still here, we're out here, and we're doing great works. And then we had— who am I forgetting? Who am I forgetting? Elizabeth Hill, Dr. Hill. She's also here out in the D.C. area. Did wonderful, wonderful recordings of William Grant Still, who is one of my first Black composers I ever performed. And we had— I'm so sorry.

No. Did you also invite Kyle?

Thank you. Kyle Walker?

Yes. Yes. Because I interviewed him and I remember. Amazing. Yes. Yes.

2 seasons ago. Yes. Yes. Yes. 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 Louis Warren as well. I think that's the 10th one. Louis Warren. I learned of Louis's work. He won the MTNA, I guess it was the collegiate level or the young artists competition. I think he also won the Chopin Prize that year, and then he took on the Ebony Prize as well. So he just kind of did like, you know, clean sweep there. And one of the pieces he performed is by Anthony Green, living composer. Oh my goodness, I cannot wait for you all to hear that fugue. It's an étude 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 love 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 and 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.

Wow. But to be able to curate that and organize everything. Yeah. What a visionary you are. Thank you. So, 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 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 where 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 3 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. And, 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. So 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 and, 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. All the above. Yes. 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 music that maybe your 5, 6, or 7-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. And 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 pianists can see 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 Parma Records, and that'll be somewhat of our top 10. Each artist on the recording project, it's, you know, one of their best features of the recording session or a piece that really speaks to them or it was an important step in their journey. So that will come out in early 2026. Wow.

And do you have a website for this or your organization?

Yeah. 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 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 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. Juntiin' 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.

Nana Ogboh, pianist and founder of Juntiin' 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 PM, 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 episode of Yukimi Song's The Piano Pod podcast, wrapping up season 5. Pianists 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 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 Jazz Pop for a wonderful, wonderful concert.

We know you'll enjoy it. And I'm feeling good.

You shared in the guest form, because I ask each guest to fill out the guest And then what struck me was that being— 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 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 upbringing laid the foundation for everything. And still does. And very much of my dad is a jazz bass player. So there was always jazz music in my household. I will say it's not that there was classical music in my household. And 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, 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, 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, for this music, not seeing anyone who looked like me, not only 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 for more representation in classical music. I felt very secure in who I was. I knew where I came from and I had my feeling of family and community in other spaces. It really wasn't until I got into school— excuse me, when I was in my undergrad, Manhattan School of Music, 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, 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. And I thought, if that's the case, you know, if Thelonious Monk and Nina Simone, right? If they— if 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 that, like in this grassroots type of way. And once I did, I mean, it just, 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, of the projects. And also, were you discovering a lot more Black composers then? For sure. Yeah.

You know, Michigan was— 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. My— the person who was in charge of the pedagogy area, Dr. John Ellis, his— one of his teachers was a Black— 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 was, there is a gentleman, 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 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. And 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 anytime I came to the lesson 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 absolutely right and what was needed. So I just had the best people to learn from and who helped make these visions or ideas just come to life. Yeah.

Now, uh, you mentioned, uh, Dr. Artina McKing, 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 then, 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, at one point it was at the forefront and now feels more cautious. We have to be careful, or you don't want to risk it. Now, 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 we can, you know, 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. Sorry. It's loaded. 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 where— what is needed still in this field of classical music. Sometimes it seems funny or maybe eye-rolling, but sometimes I have to remind people that I'm Black and I was born Black, right? And because of that, I don't have the luxury of other people to 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, you know, in 2020, there was a huge wave of this work of bringing more voices, you know, 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 then 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 the teaching but competitions and concert programs, which is happening, you know, now. And your work really has made such an remarkable impact, not through 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, repertoire carries more weight and prestige. That's their mindset. And 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 I have to remind myself that real change is not something that's going to happen overnight. Yeah. I think real change is something that's going to take generations after generations to really have the change that we want, where it's something so rooted within us, that it— 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 Bonds and Florence Price and, you know, Nathaniel Dett 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, like, for my nephews, and maybe it'll be even better, you know, for their children, right? But the point of it is that, you know, without Ni'aho 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 I— that's, 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 gets carried off to, to more people. Yeah, that's what I would say is my biggest hope.

And you are such an also dedicated educator, and you've said that teachers you know, fellow teachers hold immense power in shaping the narrative of what we are just talking about, you know, 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, you know, society, but feels unsure where to begin?

Yeah, it's a, 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, "But 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 okay to say, but really one of the courses, Piano Teaching Through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, that we published, I published at the Francis Clark Center, it talks about those first steps for piano teachers, and it has a lot of different teachers throughout the country kind of talking about and giving interviews of their their first steps, if you will, 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 broaden the exposure of what it looks like to be a classical pianist is a huge step before we even might even put a piece by a different underrepresented composer in front of them. The other part that I love to do with people in my studio, there's so much teaching that has to be done for the parent, I almost 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 composer or Brazilian composer, Asian composers, right? I highlight a composer a month and the parent gets to learn about them, 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 a, 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 know, 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 say 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 much other— 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, you teach 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 a way to do, which is the online course Unsung Heroes: 20 Pieces by the Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now. Is this course still available?

The course is still available. Yes, that's through the Francis Clark Center. Yeah, that course is available. Francis Clark Center 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. So there's the 20— you said the title. Yes, there's Unsung Heroes: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your School. There's the Teaching Piano Through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. I know that you had, I think, 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 gonna benefit from this piece? What are the first steps that a teacher is going to take? And what 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 in their journey. So these, these are really, really wonderful courses that, um, anyone— teacher, student— um, could, could take right now to help with those first steps.

And also, I purchased your— oh my goodness, I, I purchased actually when they came out. I have two, two volumes, but I just can't find the Level 1 right now. And but that's okay, this was published about 2 years ago, no?

So, was it 2020? I think they came out 2023. I think you're right. I think it's 2023.

Yeah, I saw your post and I was like, oh, I'm buying this. Thank you. There are lots of different styles of music in here. You know what I mean? One is literally piano solo work, and the other ones are almost like a hymnal. Like, yes, chorale style of writing. Exactly. So it all depends on that. I sometimes I choose one like, uh, spiritual song. Yeah. And then I let my student learn only the melody. Yeah. And then I use it as a harmonization and a little bit of improv. Is that okay? Is that a good way?

Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, and I— there's so many teachers who, uh, they're adopting this in 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 is Courtauld doing 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.

Yeah, wonderful. So for my audience, so what I was talking— what we were talking about is the piano music of Black composers, which Leah, Dr. Clayborne, curated many different types of compositions by Black composers and then compiled into 2 volumes and available for early intermediate to intermediate students. That's the Level 2. Maybe Level 1 was for beginner students, for beginning students, right?

Right. Beginning elementary. Yeah, beginning, um, to late elementary. I think Level 2 is like late elementary to intermediate. Yeah, yeah.

And then these 2 volumes are available on Hal Leonard, uh, 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 you or work? Of course, keep doing the Ebony, right? Yeah, project. But do you have any bigger ambition? Yes.

Yeah, I think my problem is the opposite. It's something that what I'm really working on right now is I want to be in the moment a little bit more, like really settle in the moment. And what that looks like for me is looking at the projects that I have on the table and And, you know, not to say that I don't dive deeply, but really appreciating what I'm working, 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 want that to go well. And, you know, I have such great joy with— at the Francis Collection, 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? Or the ideas that they have, and they might need not only just, you know, financial support, but peers and colleagues to talk to. So this year we did our first cohort, and I got to share a little bit about my journey with creating an idea and making, you know, the steps that I took, 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— when 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 leahclayborne.com?

Yes. And what else? Yeah, and Ebony Music, ebonymusic.org. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram @lclaybornpiano— 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 gonna be fun.

Oh no! Wait a second!

How do you prepare for this? But just 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 music because I wanted 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. Um, but why classical music? And does it have a place in today's world? I absolutely— I think there's a reason. There is a reason we, we continue to celebrate Beethoven and Mozart and Bach, right? Um, 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, that these feelings that we all experience, it is what brings us together. And these 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 arts to help us to navigate these these times and give us space and an outlet for our emotions and all that we're feeling.

So for those who are listening or watching, please go to leahclayborne.com to learn more about her work, and also, what is it, ebonymusic.org to learn more about Ebony Music Inc. So 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 The Piano Pod rapid fire questions. It's almost like inspired by Colbert questions. Sure, I like it. Yeah, 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 1: What's your comfort food? Uh, pasta. Oh yeah, amen. How do you like your coffee in the in the morning?

Ooh, uh, cream, no sugar. Cats or dogs?

Dogs. Dogs. I know you just told me you have a— yeah, 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. 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 3 people who inspire you, living or dead.

Oh, what a good one. 3 people who inspired me. I'm going to first say, uh, my nephews, um, because I— the next gen— or I could even say my— the next generation inspires me deeply. Um, who else inspires me? This sounds weird, but my dog inspires me. Great. Yeah, I, I love the ability, you know, I'm, 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 the— 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? Okay, I need to listen to that. Yeah. Last question. Fill in the blank.

Music is blank. Music is powerful.

Ah, Leah, that's amazing. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you so much. And for sharing your remarkable journey and insights and advocacy with such authenticity and pure purpose and joy. To our wonderful audience, if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Claybourne's work, visit her website at leahclaybourne.com and follow her on Instagram at @leahclaybourne_piano to stay 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 with Yukimi Song. Bye everyone. Thank you, Dr.

Claire Thank you so, so much. This was wonderful. Thank you. Thank you.