Dean Dixon: Negro At Home, Maestro Abroad
Rufus Jones, Jr.
Rowman & Littlefield
Maestro Dean Dixon conducting the Frankfurt
Radio Symphony Orchestra in Frankfurt Germany, 1974. He was the music
director of this orchestra for 14 years.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article41808432.html#storylink=cpy
Miami Herald
Dr. Rufus Jones, Jr.
Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields
By Dorothy Jenkins Fields
Special to The Miami Herald
October 29, 2015
Special to The Miami Herald
October 29, 2015
The first black American to lead the New York Philharmonic and NBC
Symphony orchestras was Dean Dixon (b. Jan. 10, 1915 — d. Nov. 4, 1976).
Of Barbadian and Jamaican ancestry, Dixon grew up in Harlem at a time
when black people were called “Negroes,” treated as second class
citizens, and severely limited in career choices, no matter what their
level of expertise.
Dixon was exposed to classical music at an
early age, received training at Columbia University Teacher’s College,
and had a noteworthy musical career directing orchestras with
predominately white musicians in the United States and Europe.
At the 2015 Miami Book Fair International on Nov. 23 (12:30 p.m./Rm. 8302) conductor, educator, scholar, and author Rufus Jones Jr. will present the compelling story of the challenges and rewards of American orchestra conductor Dean Dixon. For the Miami Book Fair schedule of events visit: Miamibookfair.com.
Jones’ book, Dean Dixon: Negro At Home, Maestro Abroad,
published by Rowman & Littlefield, is a narrative that appeals to a
general audience, classical music enthusiasts, and those who follow
civil rights issues in the U.S. A slim volume with less than 200 pages,
it chronicles Dixon’s life relying heavily on primary sources including
letters, personal papers, and oral history interviews.
For the general audience the book details Dixon’s life from birth to death, highlighting his upbringing, family issues, health, and experience as a teacher and performer. He was assertive and determined to set the example, a black classical musician conducting a world-class orchestra on a permanent basis and making music available to the very young.
Dixon’s pursuit of his dream vocation while attending the Institute of the Musical Arts (IMA) and the Juilliard School will interest classical music enthusiasts. Worth noting is the fact that his musicianship and authority at the podium caught the attention of officials at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), led by Maestro Arturo Toscanini, the well-known Italian conductor. As a result, Dixon successfully completed two summer concerts at NBC and conducted the orchestra during the regular season.
Those who follow civil rights issues may not be surprised that Dixon’s contact with Toscanini was made through then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She reached out to black classical musicians and brought to national attention the country’s racial divide. In 1942, at the end of Dixon’s concert in Harlem, Mrs. Roosevelt spoke referencing the then current international crisis, “ I think that times like these in a troubled world music is a universal language that all of us need.”
Her quote leads me to believe that music is universal because when individuals who speak a different language or are of a different background, culture or race listen to the same notes, they can all feel the identical emotion such as joy, love, or sadness. Whether in a rehearsal studio or performance, the combined notes that create the sound are interpreted and played according to the direction of the musical conductor.
The book’s theme highlights the racial stereotypes Dixon encountered in the field. He was a black American conductor trained to interpret music that originated beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries and was presented to elite white audiences.
As late as the 1940s to 1960s, by custom, black people in parts of the U.S. were not expected to make business decisions, eye contact, shake hands or be in the same room with white people. Despite such limitations, as a professional conductor Dixon had the responsibility to do all of the aforementioned. He led orchestras expecting civil responses from musicians, technicians, donors, and the audience.
***
Dorothy Jenkins Fields, PhD, is a historian and founder of the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida Inc. Send feedback to djf@bellsouth.net.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article41808432.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article41808432.html#storylink=cpy
Comment by email:
For the general audience the book details Dixon’s life from birth to death, highlighting his upbringing, family issues, health, and experience as a teacher and performer. He was assertive and determined to set the example, a black classical musician conducting a world-class orchestra on a permanent basis and making music available to the very young.
Dixon’s pursuit of his dream vocation while attending the Institute of the Musical Arts (IMA) and the Juilliard School will interest classical music enthusiasts. Worth noting is the fact that his musicianship and authority at the podium caught the attention of officials at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), led by Maestro Arturo Toscanini, the well-known Italian conductor. As a result, Dixon successfully completed two summer concerts at NBC and conducted the orchestra during the regular season.
Those who follow civil rights issues may not be surprised that Dixon’s contact with Toscanini was made through then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She reached out to black classical musicians and brought to national attention the country’s racial divide. In 1942, at the end of Dixon’s concert in Harlem, Mrs. Roosevelt spoke referencing the then current international crisis, “ I think that times like these in a troubled world music is a universal language that all of us need.”
Her quote leads me to believe that music is universal because when individuals who speak a different language or are of a different background, culture or race listen to the same notes, they can all feel the identical emotion such as joy, love, or sadness. Whether in a rehearsal studio or performance, the combined notes that create the sound are interpreted and played according to the direction of the musical conductor.
The book’s theme highlights the racial stereotypes Dixon encountered in the field. He was a black American conductor trained to interpret music that originated beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries and was presented to elite white audiences.
As late as the 1940s to 1960s, by custom, black people in parts of the U.S. were not expected to make business decisions, eye contact, shake hands or be in the same room with white people. Despite such limitations, as a professional conductor Dixon had the responsibility to do all of the aforementioned. He led orchestras expecting civil responses from musicians, technicians, donors, and the audience.
***
Dorothy Jenkins Fields, PhD, is a historian and founder of the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida Inc. Send feedback to djf@bellsouth.net.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article41808432.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/community-voices/article41808432.html#storylink=cpy
Comment by email:
Many thanks and continued success! D. Fields [Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields]
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