JUNE | 2020 | BLACK, GAY & GIFTED

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

CHRISTOPHER MOSLEY

In the eyes of classical music, the German romantic Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Stephen Sondheim, are considered as being some of the greatest composers of classical music. But despite what you’ve been told, all of “the greats” weren’t white. There are dozens of musical heroes whose songs have literally gone unsung in the (mostly white) world of classical music, and we’d all do well to know their names. 

Leading the list of the unsung is Joseph Bolgogne, Chevalier de Saint-Gorges, also known as “Le Mozart noir”. He’s best known as the first classical composer of African descent. Violinist and composer George Bridgetower, was called the famous virtuoso from Africa, and another nod of notoriety goes to The Dean of African American composers, William Grant Still.

These are the names that any and everyone interested in the history and art of classical music should know. There’s another name you all should know as well.  The name of a gentleman who has dedicated his life to not only mastering the craft of composing and playing some of the most beautiful sounds your ears will ever have the pleasure of hearing, but to nurturing the talents of the next generation of classical performers as well. That name is Christopher Mosley. 

Of course, as all stories have their beginnings, so does he. Chris was introduced to the violin as a third grader while attending an instrument petting zoo. He identifies himself as being someone who has always been down for conquering the seemingly unconquerable.

“Violin is often revered as the most difficult instruments to master” he says, “So in my young age I had a ‘well let me try’ attitude”. He must have been pretty good at it because the following year found Chris playing in his school’s orchestra. He’s been a master in practice (and musical perfection) ever since. 

“Valiant” is something you order yourself to become once you decide to take hold of your life. Chris and Boyd K. Packer (the guy who recited that very loose, but intentional, quote). The first strung chord that would later contribute to the sound of Chris’ valiance was struck by his grandmother.

“My grandmother was the catalyst for my love of music. She absolutely loved live instrumentation, and there was rarely a time in her house that you did not hear music coming from her basement.” Chris’ grandmother is an avid collector of music, and he recalls the frequent record shopping trips she would make with her friends. “To put it in perspective, she has so much music that my grandfather took out an insurance policy on the collection.”

 Excellence isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth the work. Chris continued grow and excel in his career. He decided to share his love of music with his students as a teacher. One of the most important lessons Chris learned as a result of his transition is the importance of patience. He began his career in education as a high school teacher, a role that offered him more freedom when it came to communicating with his students.

“I have always been a patient person and growing up I constantly heard that I would be a good teacher because of that trait.” However present Chris’ level of patience is, he soon discovered the extent to which the mettle of one’s patience could be tested. “...once one gets into a classroom and has to deal with 120 personalities that patience is tested heavily.” 

You’d  probably be surprised to learn this, but there’s a hole in space that marks the spot where music education in many public schools around the country once existed. The disappearance of such an education denies students something that would have normally enriched the quality of their lives, something that promoted cultural awareness, and something that created social bonds. Music education promotes a sense of accomplishment within students, responsibility, and raises student achievement as well. Students benefit from increased academic achievement, self-discipline, and serves as a source of constructive entertainment.

On the contrary, you don’t have to be a school-aged child to reap these benefits. “I believe that learning music can benefit anyone, not just young people”. According to Chris, a musical education, along with learning to play whatever instrument suits you, is rewarding because it allows you to understand the inner workings of something that you’re constantly engaged in.

Listening to music can provide aid to those suffering from Alzheimer’s by creating and preserving memories. The areas of the brain that process music are often unaffected by the disease. Further, the exercise and finger movements needed to play many instruments help those suffering from arthritis through pain management and releasing endorphins.

Unyielding cuts to music programs have baffled the minds of those with first hand knowledge of their significance. “Because music is everywhere, I always find it extremely disturbing that people try to detach it from education. Art education is extremely important in the development of children. Those outlets are in dire need as students learn to navigate the world. [...] It is often disheartening that the powers to be seem disconnected from the power music has in the development of students.” 

Considering that music education touches on every course of study, it seems like one of the main things we’d want to keep in school. The science of music is found through the examinations of sound, wavelengths, and frequencies, in the study and practice of applying the appropriate amount of force to produce desired pitches and vibrations.

Music’s mathematical component is experienced through every sound you hear, sounds which were not only created through, but are executed through breakdowns in numbers (which are also a language). “The rhythms you bob your head to, all numbers, and learning to understand them improves those math skills.” 

Hearing the sounds an instrument plays is one thing, but actually playing it? That’s where the physical education component of music comes into play. “For instance, violinists are known as small muscle athletes because [they] learn how to control the tiny muscles in [their] hands, whereas singers learn to control their breathing” The very fabric of life has been woven with the thread of music, and proof of this is found in the way its found in nearly every academic field of study. 

Residencies are always fun, and Chris snagged his first residency and big performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ”I was selected for a three week residency the summer before senior year of high school and worked with members of the National Symphony Orchestra.”

Chirs says that the experience was a pivotal moment in his musical career. “ I still remember how hard I had to work along with my peers from all over the country. We had two performances; a chamber performance on the Millennium Stage and an orchestral performance on the National Symphony stage.” 

It was his experience performing with the Birmingham Symphony for Dreams of Hope that he considers as one of the best. “The concert was in the Historic 16th Street Baptist Church and featured instruments from the Violins of Hope collection.” The violins used in this performance were recovered and restored from the Holocaust after their original owners, as a result of the tragedy, vowed to never play again.

“The intersection of those instruments being played again in a place with such a dark history of its own was heavy.” Chris described the energy of that performance as electric. So much that he had to contain his emotional response. “There were people in that church that would never cross paths otherwise, but all were affected the same way. Those moments are exactly why I love music so much.”

Sewing the threads of his beliefs, experiences, education and knowledge into the hem of his company MPA Productions wasn’t easy, but it was another challenge he was ready to conquer. Chris began the company after the time he spent working with students of different backgrounds from around the world.

His experiences gave him a better understanding of the standards that should be required of all artists. The company aids administrators by delivering the art of music to their buildings, provides musical support to the classrooms of interested teachers, and is dedicated to turning students into masters of classical music.

MPA productions consists of a balanced team of musicians which includes cellists, violinists, harpists, pianists, and bassists, and offers reasonably priced performances, studio time, and private lessons. He’s built something that’s benefitting a lot of people.  

Many of us take the importance of music for granted. We often tend to focus on the way the finished product sounds, and neglect the efforts that went into producing that sound. Anyone who has spent time with Chris and observed the meticulous manner in which he composes music will not only walk away with a better understanding of the process, but gain a new perspective on its importance.

The sound of music isn’t something that knows how to stop. It’s something that is written, scored and composed by those who have something that not many of us have. Patience. The sound of music isn’t something produced by a seemly endless list of white men, it’s something that is being written, scored, and composed by someone who looks and loves like us.