Interview with Curtis Leonard Raybon, Jr., April 27, 2021

Interview Summary

Dr. Curtis Raybon explains his regional, religious and educational background as a choral music educator at Tulane University and United Methodist church musician. He then describes his opinions surrounding "The Southern Harmony," a historical text that contains strikingly beautiful music and lyrics while also reflecting a "dark age" of U.S. cultural history. Raybon explains how he turned selections from "The Southern Harmony" into the contemporary music concert series Sacred Nine. He states that the Sacred Nine project has been a healing project that allows him to confront a religious background that he finds uncomfortable. He also discusses his multivalent feelings surrounding the Big Singing and "Southern Harmony" music as a living tradition.

Interview Keyword

Music education Music theory Church music Southern Baptist church New Orleans, La. United Methodist church Cultural history Performance practice Religious abuse Anti-Catholicism Race relations Contemporary music Sexuality Harry Eskew "Sacred Harp" music Solfege Hipsters "Christian Harmony" music Political correctness Theology Compositional process Audio engineering Fanny Crosby Stephen Foster Minstrelsy Hutchinson Family Singers Social reform

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Interview Usage

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