Institutional Advancement * Division of Communications * 830 Westview Drive, S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30314

Media Contacts:
Elise Durham, Morehouse College
404-215-2680
edurham@morehouse.edu

Cathy Lee, Spelman College
(404) 223-1482
cathyl@spelman.edu

MUSIC STUDENTS AT SPELMAN AND MOREHOUSE COLLEGES LEARN FROM THE MASTERS, IN TOWN FOR THE KING CONCERT

ATLANTA, GA-January 18, 2002- She has won honors at the Metropolitan Opera and performed as a soloist with the New York Choral Society, but on Wednesday, January 16, 2002, renowned soprano Indra Thomas was captive audience to Morehouse and Spelman College music students.

Thomas conducted a riveting Master Class session in Sale Hall auditorium on the campus of Morehouse College. The 33-year-old Carnegie Hall soloist and Priestess in Verdi's AIDA spent the afternoon fine-tuning the works of more than a half dozen students who prepared special selections for her critique. Morehouse senior music major Courtney Carey said Thomas was a breath of fresh air. "She's so young. I felt very comfortable with her," Carey said, " Her laid back style really helped me understand some things about the music that I didn't understand before."

The voice seminar at Morehouse was Thomas' first Master Class session, and students were captivated by her approach. Senior Iman Jordan, the first student to perform for Thomas, said, "Thomas' warm and friendly approach to instruction really helped me create the musical scene of the piece."

Wayne Woodson, assistant to the director of education at the Atlanta Symphony, said Thomas' recent culmination of voice study allowed the students to relate to her on a personal level. "Thomas, having only made her Met debut in 2000, gave the students a greater idea of style," he said.

During the Master Class session, Thomas focused on helping students with their interpretation and presentation of the music more so than voice. "She has a keen understanding of foreign text that helped me better my presentation," said senior music major Anthony P. McGlaun. Roscoe Boyd II, also a senior, said Thomas' instruction focused more on technique; something he says is immensely important. "What makes music is creating lines," Boyd said, "if you don't have phrasing, the music becomes lack-luster."

Thomas was one of five musicians who conducted Master Class sessions at Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta University, January 15-18, as part of the 10th Annual "A King Celebration" sponsored by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), National Public Radio (NPR), Morehouse College, Spelman College and The King Center. The classes were started five years ago as a compliment to the annual concert, which features the ASO, Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs and guest conductors and artists.

Composer Michael Abels lectured to a class of 27 music students at Spelman. Abels is the gifted creator of "Dance for Martin's Dream," which will be performed at the concert tonight (January 18, 2002). "Dance for Martin's Dreams" is a departure from the more somber pieces about the slain Civil Rights leader. Commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, its joyful passages celebrate the new life and freedom that people everywhere can enjoy, as a result of Dr. King's efforts.

Abels' warm, self-disclosing nature enabled him to connect with the Spelman students immediately. He began the class by sharing his own career path, reviewing the choices and opportunities that led him to classical music. He encouraged the music students to also learn life management skills and basic business skills.

"He makes me want to reach my full potential as an artist - that I have a chance to be successful in my chosen field," said senior Monica Johnson. Senior Mari-Yan Pringle also got a lot out of the lecture. "For me, it was helpful and inspiring to hear about the thoughts, ideas and challenges that went into his work.

Ables closed his lecture by stating that, "in whatever you do as an artist, you must find a way to follow your soul because sooner or later, it will come back to you. If you do not find peace with your soul, you will never be happy."

Founded in 1881, Spelman College has a rich heritage in preparing women for leadership and service. This private, historically Black women's College has helped produce such outstanding women as Mary McCloud Bethune, Marion Wright Edelman, Ambassador Ruth Davis, Maya Angelou, Latonya Richardson and many others. Over 83% of the full-time faculty holds PhDs or other terminal degrees and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1. The students number over 2065 and represent 45 states and 19 foreign countries.

Ranked the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, Morehouse College is the nation's largest liberal arts college for men. Founded in 1867, the College enrolls approximately 3,000 students and confers bachelor's degrees on more black men than any other institution in the world. Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights leader; Dr. David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon General; Sheldon "Spike" Lee, filmmaker and president of 40 Acres & A Mule Productions; Maynard H. Jackson, president of Jackson Securities and the first African-American mayor of Atlanta; and Nima A. Warfield, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from an historically black college or university.

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