The Sound of 13

Black America as a culture of readers and writers and artists––from Marcus Garvey to Julius Eastman–– is nothing new. A case can be made that the sophistication of our thinking is determined largely by the sophistication of the language and music we hear used to describe our world. On TENTH RADIO for Black History Month, we present the Great Work of Black Queer classical music aficionado and performer Garrett McQueen, THE SOUND OF 13. In this series McQueen explores the significant influence and contributions of African Americans to classical music through the lens of the 13th Amendment. The 2020 killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other Black citizens led many in America to reckon anew with race… including classical music institutions and their patrons. Across thirteen episodes, McQueen opens a historical and contemporary conversation of race and classical music with the 13th amendment as the guide.