EMMA ASHER
“Gospel is the type of music I grew up singing and playing, so it’s really foundational to who I am as a musician,” Black says. “It isn’t just religious; it’s also cultural. It’s something that many African Americans across the diaspora have ties to.”
By the time he was 10, he was playing in the band at his church, and he has continued to develop his skills as a multi-instrumental musician. After singing with the Columbia Kingsmen, Black recruited about 30 students last fall for the choir’s inaugural year, and they have since performed at events across campus and hosted their own concerts. While he was the sole leader during this first year, he knows he has left the group in capable hands.
“Creating a safe space specifically for African-American students on campus where they feel seen, heard, appreciated and celebrated has been amazing,” Black says. “I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to create a space where we are the priority. It’s been the greatest privilege.”
What made you decide to start the choir?
When I was a sophomore, I started thinking about how Columbia didn’t have a gospel choir, while other schools do, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one thinking about this. I put a pin in the idea during my junior year when I was the music director for the Kingsmen, but at the end of that Spring semester I thought, “You know what? We’re going to do this and really commit to it.” I spent that summer arranging music and creating social media pages to get the word out and just hoped there would be other people interested in it. And, fortunately, there were.
How did you choose the repertoire for the group?
A lot of the selections were my own preference because it was the first year. I feel like I have an understanding of the music that a lot of people will recognize. Gospel is a community experience –– the goal is not just performing, but also having the audience perform with you as they’re singing and clapping along, so you want to do songs people will know. But there was participation from the choir in picking out songs and figuring out what they wanted to sing. There had to be a framework guiding the selection, but it also had to be participatory, so we navigated that balance.
What is the community like?
It’s a very diverse group. When I started it, I told people that if they wanted to sing and celebrate the African-American tradition, there was space here for them. That attracted people of different musical, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds ––multiple countries are represented in the group. I wanted it to be an inclusive space. And we’ve been able to get a good sound together, which I think is a credit to the type of music we sing, but also to the community we’re building. It’s bigger than the music; it’s about creating a safe space for ourselves.
What is your favorite memory with the group?
There have been so many great moments. Our winter concert was really special because that was the first big performance we did. A hundred and fifty people came, including our friends and family on- and off-campus, and it was cool to put ourselves out there for the first time and then see the result. We also partnered with other organizations, like the Black Student Organization, the Black Theatre Ensemble and Soul Food. There have been so many groups that have had our back throughout this process of getting started, so building those connections with other Black organizations has been really important, too.
What was your favorite class?
The answer to that question changed every day. This past semester, my favorite class was “Pan Africanism,” with Mamadou Diouf. He has to be one of the smartest people I know; he’s just an encyclopedia of everything related to Black history and history in general. I learned so much just from observing him and absorbing all his knowledge. The class really empowered me to think about how I can create and facilitate spaces that are built for us, by us.
How did you take advantage of being in NYC for college?
Musically, I’ve grown so much, both in and outside of school. I had the opportunity to make connections with people and perform all over the city. I haven’t necessarily sought these opportunities, but they’ve come through the relationships I’ve built, which has been really special. I worked at a startup music agency; I originally reached out to them just because I wanted an internship, but they had me do performance-related things, too. I’d love to be a full-time musician one day, and I feel like this is the city to do it in.