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‘Ask Your Mama’: Langston Hughes returns |
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Thursday, 22 March 2007 |
by LAUREN LAWSON
News Reporter
A performance highlighting Langston Hughes’ work is coming to Appalachian State University’s Rosen Concert Hall March 26.
The 12-part masterwork, “The Langston Hughes Project: ‘Ask Your Mama’ twelve moods for jazz,” was written in the early 1960s, and has been brought to life by Dr. Ronald C. McCurdy, jazz department
chair and professor of music at the University of Southern California.
“This
project was something that Langston Hughes dreamed up but died before
he could do it,” Augusto E. Pena, assistant director for the Lee H.
McCaskey Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, said.
The performance is a compilation of poetry that is brought to life through various forms of multimedia, Pena said.
“The presentation recreates Hughes’ vision of the global struggle for freedom,” according to McCurdy’s Web site.
The Web site also describes the work as a, “Multimedia performance
involving spoken word artist, jazz quartet and a slide presentation of
images from the Harlem Renaissance.”
Dr. Jay C. Jackson, associate dean for the Hayes School of Music, is a friend of McCurdy’s.
Jackson knew about the Hughes traveling performance visiting various
schools around the country including University of North Carolina at
Wilmington and University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
After speaking with McCurdy, Jackson saw an opportunity for him to bring the performance to Appalachian.
“I knew of the positive reviews his project had received everywhere,” Jackson said.
This project combines music, literary efforts and the philosophy of Hughes, he said.
“This is a great program for our campus and our students,” Jackson said.
The event is sponsored by Appalachian’s Office of Multicultural Student Development, Hayes School
of Music and the Office of Academic Affairs.
“We are very happy to help sponsor this event,” Dr. David P. Haney, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said.
“I’m excited to see the literary and multimedia facets of the
performance. I expect nothing but the finest music … I know the
strength of the music because I know the strength of the performer,”
Jackson said.
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