A New Perspective for the Use of Dialect in African American Spirituals: History, Context, and Linguistics

by Felicia Raphael Marie Barber, Andre J. Thomas (Foreword by)

Overview

Perfect for conductors and performers alike, this book traces the history of African American English (AAE), its use in African-American Spirituals, and the sociolinguistic impact of the dialect in the United States. The author also synthesizes research on the topic from the past century with application guidelines for teachers and performers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781793635341
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	10/06/2021
Pages:	276
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.92(d)

About the Author

Felicia Raphael Marie Barber is director of choral activities at Westfield State University.

Table of Contents

Contents Preface: An Introduction in Purpose Acknowledgments Foreword by Dr. Andre Thomas Definitions List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1 Sociolinguistics: It is a Matter of Perception Chapter 2 Acquisition of Languages Established as a Result of the African Diaspora Chapter 3 Establishing Performance Practice Part I: Researchers Chapter 4 Establishing Performance Practice Part II: Dialect Employed in the Text Chapter 5 Establishing Performance Practice Part III: Aural History – Transcriptions of Early Sound Recordings Chapter 6 Trace History of Dialect in Four Specific Scores Chapter 7 Research Findings Regarding Use of AAE Dialect in Spirituals: A Practical Application Chapter 8 Moving Forward: Insight from Modern Arrangers and Next Steps Bibliography Appendices About the Author About the Contributors

Editorial Reviews

This unique and critically important text offers the sociocultural context needed for understanding dialect and its use in African American Spirituals. Barber describes the painful reality of the acquisition of African American English through the African Diaspora, while also presenting the language as “a beautiful marriage of features found in both African and English languages.” The author de-politicizes the use of dialect in song by situating it in the study of linguistics while simultaneously keeping central the inherent political and social implications for racial equality, inclusion, and diversity in our musical landscape. Barber’s approach sheds a bright light on linguistic biases and the profound impact they have on the way we hear, select, perform, and study music. This text is an invitation to all who wish to engage in thinking critically about race, language, and the African American Spiritual.

Andrea Maas